Cookes
Cookes finds its heritage in William Cooke and Co, founded in 1866 in Tinsley, Sheffield, they were a large manufacturer of the time that produced Steel, iron and wire ropes. In 1911 William Cookes and Co were established in Auckland, New Zealand, marking the beginning of Cookes, New Zealand's leading wire rope and lifting solutions provider.
Throughout the 20th century, the New Zealand business continued to succeed, enabling our industrial and commercial sectors to grow and build New Zealand. In 1954 William Cooke and Co were acquired by British Ropes, who were at the time the worlds largest manufacturer of steel wire and fibre ropes. In 1974 British Ropes changed their name to Bridon, now known as Bridon-Bekaert, and in New Zealand, this led to the company trading for the first time as Cookes.
Over the next four decades, cookes would expand its reach across New Zealand, adding 11 locations around the country. During this period the Cookes name was changed to reflect various ownership structures and the incorporation of the New Zealand fishing supplier brand Gourock.
In response to the formation of Bridon-Bekaert The Ropes Group in 2016, we returned to the name Cookes, still, New Zealand's leading supplier of high-performance wire ropes and lifting equipment.