Tradelands

What Tradelands does

Tradelands Limited is a New Zealand-owned and operated trade supplies company headquartered in Petone, serving construction, scaffolding, painting and decorating, and civil industry professionals, with secondary exposure to DIY consumers. Founded circa 2004 originally as Colorex Trade & Hire with a paint-accessory focus, the company was rebranded to Tradelands on November 1, 2024 to better reflect its expanded multi-category portfolio. It operates as part of the Maxim (Maxim Ltd) corporate group under private ownership, with no disclosed external funding rounds.

The core offering is an e-commerce storefront backed by physical retail and direct distribution, featuring 4,000+ stocked SKUs across categories including ladders/access, scaffolding, workwear and apparel, hardware and hand tools, painting and plastering supplies, powertools and machinery, PPE and safety equipment, and vacuum cleaners. Beyond product resale, Tradelands generates revenue from a portfolio of services: custom embroidery and screenprinting, height safety equipment testing, custom printed banner mesh, and equipment hire. A proprietary platform called TRAC provides PPE and uniform management for business customers, and a mobile application supports ordering and trade account management. Technology is described as an integrated inventory and order-fulfillment system without disclosed AI, machine-learning, or advanced data capabilities.

The business operates a multi-channel go-to-market — e-commerce storefront, same-day click-and-collect, phone and email ordering, on-site delivery, and a mobile app — and offers trade credit accounts to business customers alongside DIY retail. Pricing follows unit-based retail with pay-as-you-go billing, individual products ranging from approximately NZ$9.25 to NZ$3,995+ excluding GST, with commercial financing terms of 24, 36, and 48 months available on equipment purchases. Distribution is concentrated within New Zealand, with same-day dispatch and quoted next-day delivery. All disclosed customer references are mid-market trade accounts (Wellington Pipelines, Geeves Scaffolding, Wellington Scaffolding Services, Rapid Haulage) rather than large enterprise contracts, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Tradelands

Legal name

Tradelands Limited

Website

https://tradelands.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tradelands is a New Zealand-owned trade supplies company (formerly Colorex) that sells 4,000+ stocked products — tools, PPE, scaffolding, workwear, paint supplies, and machinery — to construction, scaffolding, painting, and civil trade professionals across New Zealand via e-commerce, retail, mobile app, and direct delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial & Trade Supplies

NAICS

Hardware Retailers (44414)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware (5072)

akta.pro primary industry

Workplace/Jobsite Supplies Retail (Site Consumables, Tarps, Ropes, Chains) (CRAIADAN)

Keywords

• Trade supplies retail
• Construction equipment
• PPE safety equipment
• Industrial workwear
• Equipment hire services

Headquarters

HQ city

Petone

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware and Trade Supplies Sales: One-time product sales of tools, equipment, PPE, machinery, and consumables to trade professionals and consumers
2. Custom Embroidery and Screenprinting Services: Custom branding services for workwear, PPE, and uniforms
3. Height Safety Testing Services: Testing and certification services for height safety equipment
4. Equipment Hire: Hire equipment services for temporary use
5. Finance Services: Commercial financing options for equipment purchases

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tradelands (formerly Colorex Trade & Hire) is a New Zealand-owned trade supplies retailer offering 4000+ stocked products across ladders, scaffolding, workwear/apparel, hardware and hand tools, painting supplies, powertools and machinery, and PPE/safety equipment. The company complements its product catalog with specialized services including custom embroidery and screenprinting, height safety testing, equipment hire, commercial financing, and TRAC, a PPE and uniform management platform for tracking and branding employee safety equipment.

Product overview

Tradelands (formerly Colorex Trade & Hire) is a New Zealand-owned and operated trade supplies company offering a comprehensive range of high-performance products and services for the construction, scaffolding, painting, decorating, engineering, and civil industries. The company operates a platform-plus-services model consisting of: (1) an e-commerce catalog featuring 4000+ stocked trade products across categories including ladders, scaffolding, workwear/apparel, hardware/tools, painting supplies, powertools/machinery, and PPE/safety equipment; (2) specialized services including embroidery and screenprinting for workwear branding, height safety equipment testing, custom printed banner mesh, and equipment hire; and (3) TRAC, a PPE and uniform management system for tracking and branding safety equipment. The company emphasizes fast 24-hour quote turnaround and same-day dispatch, with delivery throughout New Zealand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ladders Access ladders including telescopic and multi-purpose ladders sold to trade professionals and DIY consumers for construction and access work.
• Scaffolding / Access Equipment Scaffolding and access solutions for construction and industrial applications, sold to trade and civil industry customers.
• Industrial Workwear & Apparel Workwear including beanies, caps, fleeces, jackets, overalls, pants, polos, shirts, shorts, t-shirts, vests, and rainwear for trade and industrial workers.
• Safety Footwear Protective footwear sold for industrial and construction environments.
• Hardware & Hand Tools Tools including brooms, brushes, concrete tools, drill and socket sets, electrical equipment, hand tools, LED work lights, measuring equipment, paint brushes, and toolboxes.
• Painting & Plastering Supplies Abrasives, chemicals, fillers, plaster, putties, silicones, masking products, paint brushes, rollers, and paint products for trade painters, decorators, and plasterers.
• Powertools & Machinery Powertools and machinery including airless sprayers, diesel heaters, vacuum cleaners, and related equipment for trade and commercial use.
• PPE / Safety Equipment Personal protective equipment including fire extinguishers, first aid supplies, safety glasses, gloves, harnesses, helmets, respiratory protection, and traffic management equipment.
• Vacuum Cleaners & Accessories Commercial and industrial vacuum cleaners plus accessories, bags, filters, hoses, and replacement parts from brands including PacVac, Numatic, Festool, Nilfisk, and Starmix.
• Hire Equipment Equipment rental services for scaffolding, access equipment, and other tools for temporary project use by trade customers.
• Embroidery & Screenprinting Services Custom embroidery and screenprinting services for branding workwear, uniforms, and PPE for businesses and teams.
• Height Safety Testing Testing and inspection services for height safety equipment to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
• Custom Printed Banner Mesh Custom printed banner and fence mesh (50m x 1.8m with eyelets) for advertising and site signage purposes.
• TRAC - PPE & Uniform Management System A PPE and uniform management platform that allows businesses to track, manage, and brand their safety equipment and workwear.
• Tradelands App Mobile application for ordering, tracking orders, and managing trade accounts on the go for Tradelands customers.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Maxim (Maxim Ltd)parent companyOthersTradelands is a member of the Maxim group. Maxim Ltd is the parent company overseeing Tradelands operations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hirepool: Hirepool is a major New Zealand equipment hire company offering scaffolding, access, and tool rental. Tradelands' hire equipment business competes directly with Hirepool in scaffolding and access equipment rental within NZ.
• Carters (Building Supplies): Carters is a New Zealand building supplies merchant supplying hardware, tools, and materials to trade and retail customers. It competes with Tradelands across core trade categories including hardware, PPE, and construction consumables.
• PlaceMakers: PlaceMakers is one of New Zealand's largest building supplies and trade retailers, serving builders, contractors, and DIY customers across the country. It directly competes with Tradelands in the trade supplies category across hardware, tools, PPE, and building materials.
• ITM (NZ): ITM is a New Zealand trade-only building supplies co-operative supplying timber, hardware, tools, and PPE to construction professionals. Its trade-focused model and breadth of trade categories closely mirrors Tradelands' positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Toolstation: Toolstation is a multi-channel trade supplies retailer operating across the UK and Europe with a New Zealand launch, selling tools, hardware, and consumables to trade and DIY customers. It is comparable as a high-efficiency trade-supply e-commerce/click-collect model with similar category breadth.
• Screwfix: Screwfix is a UK-based multi-channel trade supplies retailer selling tools, hardware, and workwear to tradespeople via e-commerce and branch collection. It is comparable to Tradelands in its trade-only value proposition, click & collect model, and category breadth.
• Bunnings Warehouse (NZ): Bunnings Warehouse is Australia's largest home improvement and trade supplies retailer, operating a major New Zealand network. It overlaps with Tradelands on hardware, tools, PPE, and scaffolding/access equipment but serves a much broader DIY-plus-trade audience from large-format stores.
• Mitre 10 (NZ): Mitre 10 is a New Zealand co-operative hardware and home improvement retailer operating through locally owned stores. It competes with Tradelands on hardware, tools, and trade supplies but with a more generalist hardware-store format than Tradelands' specialist trade focus.

Regional players

• Total Tools (Australia/NZ): Total Tools is an Australian trade-focused tool and equipment retailer with some NZ presence. It overlaps with Tradelands on powertools, hand tools, and trade equipment but primarily operates in Australia.
• Kennards Hire: Kennards Hire is an Australia-founded equipment hire specialist with a New Zealand presence, offering trade and DIY access/scaffolding/tool hire. It overlaps with Tradelands' hire equipment line but operates as an Australia/NZ hire specialist rather than a trade supplies retailer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/Tradelands
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCb6qNWqG19yvAhPBouUGqKQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Tradelands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tradelands
• Instagraminstagram.com/tradelandsnz
• TikToktiktok.com/@tradelandsnz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Tradelands