Carters
Carters Building Supplies is a 150-year-old New Zealand trade-focused building supplies distributor operating 50 branches and 9 manufacturing plants, serving builders, contractors, and Licensed Building Practitioners with timber, frames, trusses, prefabricated solutions, and integrated digital trade tools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1874
- HeadquartersEast Tamaki, New Zealand
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Carters does
Carters Building Supplies Limited is a privately held New Zealand building supplies distributor founded in 1874, operating 50 branches and 9 manufacturing plants nationwide. The company serves trade customers — Licensed Building Practitioners, residential and commercial builders, contractors, joinery specialists, and rural/farm customers — rather than DIY retail consumers, with a B2B sales-led model anchored by dedicated Account Managers, trade accounts with credit facilities, and the CARTERS Advantage loyalty programme. Its core product offering spans timber, framing and truss systems, joinery supplies, doors, windows, cladding, fasteners, adhesives, farm sheds, and prefabricated building solutions (panelised, cassette flooring/roofing).
The company operates its own frame and truss manufacturing using CAD-CAM technology to produce pre-cut, pre-nailed components to specification, alongside estimating and detailing services, onsite delivery, and the CARTERS On the Go mobile ordering service. Digital infrastructure includes the Trade Portal (web) and Trade App (iOS/Android), both integrated with Xero accounting software to streamline invoicing and account management for trade customers. Trade Leader — Carters' owned trade publication — doubles as an LBP skills maintenance channel, supporting ongoing builder education. The business generates revenue through three streams: hardware and materials sales (core), manufacturing services for frames/trusses/panels, and recurring trade account services with credit and loyalty economics. The company is led by CEO Mike Guy, with no parent company, no external investors, and no disclosed acquisitions or funding events in the source data.
Carters firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Carters
- Legal name
- Carters Building Supplies Limited
- Website
- https://carters.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1874
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Carters Building Supplies is a 150-year-old New Zealand trade-focused building supplies distributor operating 50 branches and 9 manufacturing plants, serving builders, contractors, and Licensed Building Practitioners with timber, frames, trusses, prefabricated solutions, and integrated digital trade tools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Carters is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- East Tamaki
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices41 records
Markets served
Carters business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Building Materials Sales: Core revenue from selling building supplies including timber, frames, trusses, and construction materials through branch network and online channels
- Manufacturing Services: Revenue from manufacturing pre-cut pre-nailed frames and trusses, cassette flooring and roofing solutions, and panelised building solutions using CAD-CAM technology
- Trade Account Services: Trade accounts offering lines of credit for approved business customers, enabling ongoing purchasing relationships with terms-based payments
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Trade Account pricing for approved business entities |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Carters product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Carters is a New Zealand building supplies merchant operating 50 branches and 9 manufacturing plants nationwide. It sells timber, frames, trusses, cladding, doors, windows, fasteners, adhesives and related construction materials to trade customers, and manufactures pre-cut pre-nailed frames and trusses using CAD-CAM technology. It supports customers through trade accounts with credit facilities, dedicated Account Managers, onsite deliveries, estimating and detailing services, and digital ordering via its Trade Portal and Trade App.
Product overview
CARTERS is a New Zealand building supplies company operating as a single unified brand with 50 branches and nine manufacturing plants. The core offering consists of building materials (frames, trusses, joinery, farm sheds) combined with manufacturing services (frame and truss fabrication, panelised solutions, cassette flooring/roofing) and digital tools (Trade Portal, Trade App with Xero integration). Services include estimating and detailing, onsite deliveries, and the CARTERS Advantage loyalty programme. Trade Leader magazine provides industry education and LBP skills maintenance. The portfolio integrates physical products with digital ordering and account management capabilities for trade customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CARTERS Advantage: Loyalty programme for trade customers offering rewards and benefits
- CARTERS Trade Portal
- CARTERS Trade App
- CARTERS On the Go
- LivSpace
- Trade Leader
- CONZTRUCT
Products and services
- Frame & Truss Manufacturing High-quality manufacturing service for pre-cut, pre-nailed frames and trusses, produced to specification using the latest CAD-CAM technology across Carters' nine manufacturing plants. Used by builders and contractors for residential and commercial construction.
- Estimating & Detailing Expert in-house teams produce accurate, easy-to-read estimates and detailing for trade customers to support quoting and project planning.
- Joinery Supplies Supply of joinery materials and custom millwork with competitive pricing and service from an experienced joinery team. Targets joinery contractors and cabinet makers.
- Frames & Trusses Complete framing and truss product range for residential and commercial construction projects, supplied through Carters' branch network.
- Cassette Flooring and Roofing Solutions Prefabricated cassette systems for flooring and roofing applications, manufactured off-site for efficient installation.
- Panelised Solutions Prefabricated panel building systems for efficient residential and commercial construction, designed for rapid site assembly.
- Farm Sheds Agricultural building solutions including farm shed construction and supply of rural building materials for the agricultural sector.
- Building Information Modelling (BIM), Delivery & Environmental Solutions BIM services and environmental/delivery solutions supporting modern construction projects and green building practices.
- Frame Wrapping Protective wrapping service for building frames during transport and on-site construction to reduce weather and handling damage.
- LivSpace Building solution service offered by Carters providing integrated building packages to trade customers.
- Onsite Deliveries Delivery service that brings building supplies directly to construction sites for project-based orders.
- CARTERS On the Go Mobile ordering and delivery service enabling trade customers to order and receive building materials on construction sites.
Companies that use Carters
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Carters technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
Carters partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Melanoma New ZealandminorPartnership to deliver lifesaving tools on sun safety and early detection of skin cancer to construction workers. Includes in-branch spot checks, educational content, and promotional events to support melanoma prevention awareness.
- Registered Master BuilderscorePrincipal sponsor of the Master Builders Apprentice of the Year competition for 21 years, supporting recognition of excellence among carpentry apprentices and career awareness in building industry.
- Registered Master Builders AssociationcoreIndustry partnership providing industry updates, news, and database of reputable builders. Supports construction industry advocacy and professional development.
- New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB)minorPartnership for LBP educational seminars and workshops to support ongoing learning requirements. Support for NZCB Annual Conference.
- ConstructiveminorIndustry forum led by Registered Master Builders encouraging collaboration and discussion for positive changes across the building supply chain.
- New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC)minorCorporate membership supporting commitment to green building practices in New Zealand. Supports Home Star and Greenstar rating systems for environmental performance.
- XerocoreAccounting software integration allowing CARTERS Trade Portal users to connect with Xero for seamless invoice management and accounting workflow.
- Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO)minorTraining organization providing qualifications for building and construction sector through apprenticeship programs.
- Industry Training Association Building (ITAB)minorPolytechnic training provider for trade apprenticeships offering programs and upskilling opportunities.
- WorkSafe New ZealandminorHealth and safety regulator providing guidance for mandatory site safety policies and best practices for construction industry.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Carters competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PlaceMakers: PlaceMakers is NZ's largest trade-focused building supplies retailer, owned by Fletcher Building, operating ~60+ branches nationwide. It directly competes with Carters on the same trade builder/contractor customer base with an overlapping product mix of timber, frames, trusses, and building materials.
- ITM (Integrated Timber & Mechanical): ITM is a NZ-owned trade building supplies network with ~80+ branches targeting builders and trade customers with similar product categories to Carters (timber, frames, trusses, hardware). It is a direct competitor in the same trade-focused B2B segment with comparable credit-account and delivery-based business model.
Broad incumbents
- Bunnings Warehouse (NZ): Bunnings Warehouse is Wesfarmers' large DIY-focused hardware and home improvement chain in NZ, with overlapping categories in tools, fasteners, and basic building supplies. While Bunnings targets DIY consumers more than trade, it competes for share-of-wallet on smaller builder purchases and represents a broader incumbent with overlap in adjacent categories.
- Mitre 10 (NZ): Mitre 10 is a NZ-owned cooperative hardware retail chain offering building supplies and home improvement products. While primarily DIY-oriented, it competes with Carters in basic building materials, hardware, and tools categories, making it a relevant broader-incumbent peer.
- Fletcher Building: Fletcher Building is the parent of PlaceMakers and a major NZ-listed building products manufacturer (panels, insulation, steel, roofing). As a diversified incumbent, it operates both in retail distribution (PlaceMakers) and manufacturing, overlapping Carters across multiple value chain steps and serving as the listed proxy for the NZ building supplies category.
Others
- Steel & Tube: Steel & Tube is a NZ-listed distributor of steel, stainless, fasteners, and related building products serving construction and industrial customers. It is an adjacent/ecosystem peer - both companies overlap in fasteners, fixings, and structural products while serving the same NZ construction customer base.
- MiTek (Australia / NZ): MiTek is a global supplier of engineered building products, software, and fabrication equipment for the frame and truss industry, including operations in Australia and NZ. It is an ecosystem/enabling peer that supplies tooling and engineering behind much of the frame and truss manufacturing that Carters performs in-house via CAD-CAM.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Carters social profiles
Digital presenceCarters financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Carters leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Carters funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Carters M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Carters
What does Carters do?
Carters is a New Zealand building supplies merchant operating 50 branches and 9 manufacturing plants nationwide. It sells timber, frames, trusses, cladding, doors, windows, fasteners, adhesives and related construction materials to trade customers, and manufactures pre-cut pre-nailed frames and trusses using CAD-CAM technology. It supports customers through trade accounts with credit facilities, dedicated Account Managers, onsite deliveries, estimating and detailing services, and digital ordering via its Trade Portal and Trade App.
Is Carters a public or private company?
Carters is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Carters founded?
Carters was founded in 1874. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Carters based?
Carters is headquartered in East Tamaki, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Carters make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Building Materials Sales are the primary driver. The others are manufacturing Services and trade Account Services.
Who are Carters's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PlaceMakers and ITM (Integrated Timber & Mechanical). Broad incumbents are Bunnings Warehouse (NZ), Mitre 10 (NZ) and Fletcher Building. Others are Steel & Tube and MiTek (Australia / NZ).
Does Carters have an API?
No public API is recorded for Carters.