What Firstflex Cables does

Firstflex Cables is a privately held New Zealand-based specialist distributor of industrial flexible electrical cables and accessories, operating from Drury in South Auckland. Founded in 1974, the company supplies electrical contractors, industrial equipment users, marine and offshore operators, and construction firms across New Zealand with both proprietary cable brands (Hyperflex LSHF, Chemtuff, MAXCAB, BGL) and distributed premium connector brands (Amphenol, SCAME, Runpotec). Core technology revolves around flexible cable construction with proprietary compounds such as X-HF-110 Low Smoke Halogen Free (LSHF) insulation and the SER105 oil/chemical-resistant sheath (Chemtuff BFX series), enabling safety-critical and harsh-environment applications including data centers, Greenstar sustainable buildings, submersible pumping (to 500 m), and welding/automotive use. The full stocked range spans 0.22mm² to 500mm² cross-sections, and products carry multi-standard compliance (IEC 60332-1, AS/NZS 5000.1, AS/NZS 3008, IEC 61034-2, IEC 60754-1, ROHS, Greenstar). Complementary accessories — including IP68-rated glands (GK-STD metal, GPM/GPG nylon), CLWM wide-mouth crimp lugs, Amphenol C146 heavy-duty connectors, and SCAME enclosures — allow Firstflex to bundle complete installation solutions rather than act as a single-product vendor.

The company runs a quote-based direct sales model with no public pricing, supported by an e-commerce-enabled catalog website featuring search by category, product data sheets, and a quote-cart system. Go-to-market is single-country domestic NZ distribution through direct engagement with electrical contractors and industrial buyers, supplemented by SEO-driven organic discovery and a recently launched FLEX-E-LEARN online training channel. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, no external funding or M&A activity is on record, and ownership is inferred to be private/founder-controlled given the absence of institutional backers. Recent strategic activity is concentrated on incremental product line extensions — notably the 2026 launches of the Carnector EVC EV-charging cable series, the Hyperflex HFE earth cable for Greenstar buildings, the CTPBK control cable series, and bi-metal lugs for aluminium conductor terminations — pointing to a mature operator extending within its existing categories rather than a venture-stage growth narrative.

Name

Firstflex Cables

Legal name

Firstflex

Website

https://firstflex.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Firstflex Cables is a New Zealand-based specialist distributor of industrial flexible electrical cables and accessories — including proprietary Hyperflex LSHF, Chemtuff, MAXCAB, and distributed Amphenol, SCAME, and Runpotec lines — serving electrical contractors, industrial, marine, construction, and data-center buyers through direct sales in the NZ market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Electrical Cables

NAICS

Communication and Energy Wire and Cable Manufacturing (33592), Current-Carrying Wiring Device Manufacturing (335931), Electronic Connector Manufacturing (334417)

SIC

Wholesale-Electrical Apparatus & Equipment, Wiring Supplies (5063), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Power Cables & Conductors (LV/MV cables, flexible cables, bus wire, armored cable) (IMAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hazardous-Location, Marine & Harsh-Environment Cable (IMADAMAO), Fire-Resistant & Life-Safety Cable (Fire Alarm/Emergency) (IMADAMAF), Industrial Power Cable (MV/HV) (IMADAMAB)

Keywords

• Industrial electrical cables
• Flexible power cables
• Cable accessories supply
• LSHF cable manufacturer
• Industrial cable distributor

Headquarters

HQ city

Takanini

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cable and Wire Product Sales: Direct sales of specialized flexible cables, cable accessories, and connectors to industrial, commercial, and marine customers. Products range from single core cables (0.22mm² to 500mm²) to multi-core configurations and include associated glands, lugs, and termination accessories.
2. Cable Accessories and Components: Sales of complementary products including cable glands (nylon and brass IP68 rated), crimp lugs, bootlace ferrules, conduit fittings, and connectors from brands including SCAME and Amphenol.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Firstflex Cables manufactures and supplies specialised flexible industrial electrical cables under proprietary brands (Hyperflex LSHF, Chemtuff, MAXCAB, BGL) and distributes complementary cable accessories and connectors from brands including Amphenol, SCAME and Runpotec. Cable sizes from 0.22mm² to 500mm² are held in stock at the Auckland facility for sale by the metre to industrial, commercial, marine and construction customers across New Zealand. Products are engineered for demanding applications including data centers, chemical environments, permanent submersion up to 500 metres, EV charging, and high-flexibility industrial machinery.

Product overview

Firstflex Cables is a New Zealand-based distributor and supplier of industrial electrical cables and accessories. The product portfolio consists of proprietary cable brands (Hyperflex LSHF, Chemtuff, MAXCAB, BGL) and distributed brands (Amphenol C146 connectors, SCAME plugs/connectors, Runpotec cable pulling tools). The Hyperflex family includes HFX (SDI single core), HFM (multi-core), and HFE (earth cable) sub-series, all rated 0.6/1kV 110°C with LSHF construction for data center and Greenstar applications. Chemtuff BFX Series offers chemical-resistant SDI cables for demanding industrial environments. The accessory range includes CLWM wide mouth crimp lugs, GK-STD metal glands, GPM/GPG nylon glands (IP68 rated), and Amphenol C146 heavy-duty multi-pole power connectors. The company serves industrial, commercial, marine, construction, and renewable energy sectors across New Zealand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hyperflex: LSHF (Low Smoke Halogen Free) cable series including HFX, HFM, and HFE product lines for flexible single and multi-core applications
• Chemtuff
• MAXCAB
• FLEX-E-LEARN

Products and services

• Hyperflex LSHF Cables Low Smoke Halogen Free (LSHF) flexible rubber cables rated 0.6/1kV 110°C, suitable for data centers, power supply, welding, automotive, and telecommunications applications.
• Hyperflex SDI HFX Series Ultra Performance Flexible Rubber LSHF SDI (Single Double Insulated) Cable 0.6/1kV 110°C, available in sizes from 16mm² to 400mm².
• Hyperflex HFM Series Ultra Performance Flexible Rubber LSHF Multi Core cables 0.6/1kV 110°C, with configurations ranging from 2-core to 37-core plus earth, sizes from 1.5mm² to 150mm².
• Hyperflex HFE Series Ultra Performance Flexible Rubber LSHF Earth Cable 0.6/1kV 110°C, Green/Yellow color for grounding applications, suitable for Greenstar compliant buildings.
• Chemtuff SDI BFX Series Ultra Performance Flexible Rubber SDI Cable 0.6/1kV 110°C with chemical, solvent, oil and fat resistance. Suitable for permanent submersion to 500 metres, pumping, automotive, and audio applications.
• MAXCAB Construction Cables & Building Wire Construction cables and building wire products including the Carnector EVC Series for building wire applications.
• Carnector EVC Series Construction cable series available in 3-core configurations from 6.0mm² to 16mm² for building wire and EV charging applications.
• Control Cables (CTPBK Series) Control cables in black coloring, available in configurations from 4 to 25 cores, sizes 1.5mm² and 2.5mm².
• CLWM Series Wide Mouth Crimp Lugs Wide mouth crimp lugs for easier termination of fine stranded cables, compliant with AS/NZS 4325 standard. Sizes from 10mm² to 240mm².
• GK-STD Series Metal IP68 Glands Metal IP68 Standard Long Thread Gland for unscreened cables, bright nickel plated brass construction with PCP rubber seals. Watertight glanding with IP68 protection.
• GPM/GPG Series Nylon IP68 Glands Nylon IP68 cable glands for watertight glanding of unscreened circular cables. Features EPDM rubber seals and polyamide traction relief clamping insert.
• GPM-SUP/GPG-SUP Cable Support Glands Nylon IP68 cable glands with spiral strain relief support for added protection during watertight glanding.
• Amphenol C146 Heavy Duty Connectors Heavy duty multi-pole power connectors including thermoplastic and aluminium body variants. Available in 3P+E to 48P+E configurations, rated 10A to 42A at 400V. Features IP65 protection when mated.
• Runpotec Cable Pulling Tools Professional cable pulling tools and equipment for electrical installations.
• SCAME Industrial Plugs, Connectors & Enclosures Industrial plugs, connectors, and enclosures for electrical applications, distributed from Italian manufacturer SCAME.
• VSD Cables Variable Speed Drive cables for motor control applications.
• Instrumentation Cables Cables for instrumentation and measurement applications.
• Marine & Offshore Cables Cables designed for marine and offshore applications, including the Allflex Industriall MLG2 series.
• Energy Chain Cables Cables designed for energy chain and cable carrier applications.
• Crane, Conveyor, Lift & Reeling Cables Specialized cables for crane, conveyor, lift, and reeling applications requiring high flexibility.
• Glands & Accessories Complete range of cable glands and accessories including nylon, metal, IP68 rated, EMC glands, and termination products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Suitable for permanent submersion to 500 metres with Chemtuff BFX series
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Trade MasterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrade Master is identified as a product partner, suggesting a distribution or reseller relationship for Firstflex cables in the New Zealand market.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Prysmian Group: World's largest cable manufacturer (including former General Cable/Draka), with extensive industrial, energy, and telecom cable lines overlapping Firstflex's portfolio. Supplies NZ and broader Australasia through distribution.
• Nexans: Global cable and connectivity manufacturer with a substantial presence in NZ via Olex, offering a broad portfolio across power, telecom, and industrial cables. Largest incumbent Firstflex competes against in the NZ market.

Regional players

• Corys Electrical: Major NZ distributor of electrical apparatus, wiring supplies, and cables serving contractors and industrial customers — competes directly with Firstflex in NZ wholesale electrical supply.
• Electrical Suppliers NZ (ESNZ): NZ-based electrical wholesaler supplying cables, accessories, and components to contractors — direct competitor in NZ distribution with overlapping industrial customer base.

Direct peers

• Lapp Group: German manufacturer of flexible industrial cables, connectors, and accessories — ÖLFLEX, ETHERLINE, SKINTOP — closely comparable to Firstflex's Hyperflex, Chemtuff, and glands offering for industrial OEMs and contractors.
• Wattmaster Cables: NZ-based manufacturer of specialty cables including welding, marine, and flexible industrial cables — closely comparable product focus to Firstflex's Chemtuff and Hyperflex ranges.
• Helukabel: German cable manufacturer and global distributor specializing in flexible, control, data, and harsh-environment cables; comparable hybrid manufacturer-distributor model and product breadth to Firstflex.
• Olex Cables: New Zealand's largest cable manufacturer (owned by Nexans), producing power, building, and specialty cables for the local market. Olex directly competes with Firstflex in NZ industrial and construction cable supply.

Emerging players

• Belden: US-based specialty cable manufacturer (including Alpha Wire) focused on data, audio/video, and industrial networking cables — partial overlap with Firstflex's data center and instrumentation cable lines.

Others

• Amphenol Industrial: Global connector manufacturer (C146, heavyduty industrial connectors) whose products are distributed by Firstflex as part of its bundled cable-and-accessory offering — supplier/partner as well as adjacent ecosystem player.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/firstflexcables

Compliance16 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Firstflex Cables