Walk into a Google office in California, a school in Egypt, or a commercial tower in London, and there’s a good chance you’re standing inside a New Zealand-made idea.
You just might not know it. And that’s kind of the point.
Autex Acoustics is one of New Zealand’s great manufacturing success stories — a family-owned business that has spent more than five decades designing and making products that shape how people work, learn and gather. From acoustic panels and insulation to globally recognised interior systems, Autex Acoustics proves that world-leading manufacturing doesn’t need to shout. It just needs to perform. It’s the kind of performance that creates skilled jobs, exports value offshore, and quietly strengthens New Zealand’s future — without ever needing the spotlight.
“New Zealand-made products aren’t always the cheapest,” says Marcel, General Manager of Sales. “But they’re recognised globally for quality. And that matters.”
From textile mill to global design leader
Founded in Auckland in 1967, Autex Acoustics began life as a textile manufacturer, originally producing carpets, underfelts, and bedware. Over time, as markets shifted and industries changed, the company did what great manufacturers do best: it evolved.
Today, Autex specialises in interior acoustic solutions and insulation products for offices, educational facilities, hospitality venues, and public buildings across more than 18 global markets. Its portfolio includes both Autex Acoustics and GreenStuf insulation, with manufacturing anchored in New Zealand and supported by operations in Australia, the UK and North America.
Autex Acoustics products now feature in some of the world’s most recognisable buildings — from tech headquarters in the US and UK to major international education and civic projects.
All designed here. All built with intent.
Design and manufacturing, side by side
One of Autex’s greatest strengths is something increasingly rare: design and manufacturing happening in the same place.
Creative Director Jonathan puts it simply:
“When you design it and make it together, you can iterate in real time. The feedback loop is instant — and that’s how you stay ahead.”
Autex pioneered many of the techniques now standard in architectural acoustics — from cutting, folding and moulding panels into sculptural forms, to laser-etching textures and digitally printing finishes that replicate timber, stone and bespoke artwork.
What was once a purely functional product has become a design feature in its own right.
“The process is the product,” Jonathan Mountfort says. “Once you understand that, everything becomes circular.”
People at the core
Behind the materials, machines and global projects is a deeply human story.
Autex is known internally for what it calls a “culture of thriving.” That culture shows up in practical ways: on-site physio and chiropractor, a gym with personal trainers, subsidised meals, wellness programmes, and supported learning - from English language courses to leadership and financial well-being.
It also shows up in the people who choose to build their careers there. Many didn’t set out to work in manufacturing. Most found it by doing and stayed because they could grow.
Caitlin, a junior product designer, splits her time between CAD software and CNC machines.
“I love that I can design something on the computer and then go out into the factory and make it real,” she says. “No two days are the same.”
Stephanie, a Health & Safety Advisor, came into manufacturing almost by accident — and stayed because of the people.
“At the end of the day, it’s about making sure everyone gets home safe,” she says. “But it’s also about communication, trust, and genuinely caring about the people you work with.”
Across the business, there are stories of “squiggly” career paths: designers who invent machines that didn’t exist before, athletes who become sales leaders, technicians who grow into global operators. Autex actively promotes from within and invests in people long-term — often across generations.
Sustainability by system, not slogan
Autex doesn’t talk about sustainability as a feature. It treats it as a system. Because real sustainability, like real manufacturing, only works when it’s designed end-to-end.
The company has led the world in sustainable acoustic design, including developing carbon-negative building products using New Zealand strong wool and creating closed-loop manufacturing systems that rethink end-of-life entirely.
“Products themselves aren’t recyclable,” Rob Woolner, Managing Director, explains. “It’s the system around them that matters.”
From polyester products made with recycled content to wool-based solutions and adhesive-free ceiling systems, Autex’s innovations focus on reducing harm while improving performance — for both people and the planet.
Built here. Valued everywhere.
Autex is a 100% export-active business — and that matters for New Zealand.
Selling value-added products offshore brings revenue back into the local economy, supports skilled jobs, and builds resilience across regions and generations.
“Exporting isn’t just good for business,” Marcel says. “It’s good for the country.”
Despite its global footprint, Autex remains proudly Kiwi — with a flat structure, open communication, and a collaborative culture that reflects New Zealand’s best traits.
Why manufacturing still matters
Autex challenges outdated ideas of what manufacturing looks like.
This isn’t about standing on a line doing one task forever. It’s about problem-solving, creativity, technology, and people — and roles that evolve as industries evolve.
From science and compliance to design, sales, logistics, health and safety, engineering and leadership, manufacturing offers pathways that stretch far beyond the factory floor.
“Everything around you is manufactured,” says Kieren, Technical Lead. “Once you realise that, the opportunities are endless.”
Looking ahead
In five years, Autex expects to be different — and that’s exactly the point.
“If we stand still, the magic stops,” Managing Director Rob Woolner says. “Progress is the goal.”
New products, new markets, new ways of working — all built on the same foundation that’s carried Autex for more than half a century: curiosity, care, and the confidence to make things better.
And, if all goes to plan, a Warriors NRL Premiership along the way.
Make your move. Make your mark.
From Auckland to the world’s most iconic buildings, Autex shows what’s possible when New Zealand manufacturing leads with design, values people, and thinks in systems — not shortcuts.
This is the future of making. And it’s already here.
