About Us

Fi Innovations is a New Zealand-leading specialist in fibreglass, resin flooring, cast urethane and 3D additive manufacturing.

Our unique expertise combined with our 'can-do' attitude has seen us recognised with a range of awards, from innovation, health and safety to Southland business of the year.

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Our Story

"Ideas are not solutions; they are the raw material of solutions".

-Arthur VanGundy

Conceptualisation and creation have been central to Fi Innovations right from its inception.

It is a generational family business. The original company, T D McIntosh and Sons, was Invercargill’s specialist in ornate plaster ceilings. Gareth Dykes’ great-grandfather, Thomas McIntosh, passed on his craft, skills and knowledge to his son, Bill McIntosh.

Although fibreglass was invented in 1938, the technology took longer to reach New Zealand shores. Bill thought fibreglass “might be worth checking out”, so he ordered Southland’s first batch of fibreglass resin. It arrived with no instructions. Taking the lid off, Bill placed the resin pottle in the middle of a large room. Not sure what to do, but also never afraid to take a risk, the approach was to run past and fling the hardener in – just in case it exploded!

A bold and fearless approach to creativity and business have always been central to this family, constantly evolving to meet market needs. By the 1960s, fibrous plaster had almost been forgotten. The business passed to Bill’s son, now trading as Southland Fibreglass. Once again, the company shifted focus by adding non-slip resin flooring alongside their expertise in fibreglass work.

In the 1990s, Gareth Dykes, who also held the family's pioneering spirit, learned the fibreglass trade at his grandfather’s factory. After an extended overseas adventure, he returned to Southland in 2002 with his wife, Melissa.

Passionate and excited to add new dimensions, Gareth and Melissa bring a fourth generation of innovation to this long-established Southland business. With constant investment in technology and a bold approach to development, Fi Innovations is now recognised as an award-winning hub of revolutionary ideas and creativity.

Fi Innovations is a company built on a thirst for innovation. Its future is bold, it is creative and has exciting unknowns, as it constantly adapts to stay ahead of the market. It is focused on inventing, adapting and educating.

At Fi Innovations, we are excited about what lies ahead.

Quite simply, if you can think of it, Fi Innovations can create it.

Our Vision

To be world-class through innovative thinking and manufacturing excellence.

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Awards

Fi Innovations has long pushed the boundaries of manufacturing to find out-of-the-box solutions to every challenge.

We’re thrilled that some of these solutions have been recognised at both regional and national levels, and we’re proud of the awards we as a team have received over the years. Home to award-winning ideas-turned-reality, our commitment to industry excellence keeps us focused on moving forward, improving and innovating.

SBEA 2021 Supreme


Our Fi Innovations team won three awards at the 2021 Southland Business Excellence Awards. We were lucky enough to bring home the overall Supreme Award, in addition to the Invercargill City Council Construction, Trade, Manufacturing and Distribution Award and the Naked Creative Innovation Award.




Core Values

Fi Innovations Core Values
Teamwork
Teamwork
We are One

We share our successes and our losses

We come together to tackle challenges head on

Teamwork
We are One

We share our successes and our losses

We come together to tackle challenges head on

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Our Promise

At Fi Innovations, we pride ourselves on high-quality products and workmanship. And we back this with our promise to you:

If something goes wrong, we’ll work with you to get it right

  • Every job we do is supervised by industry-qualified staff
  • When assessing and quoting your job, our experienced staff will let you know where it’s possible to make savings, without compromising quality
  • All raw materials are sourced from reputable suppliers to ensure the highest quality finished product and an unbroken warranty chain
  • We’re committed to research, development and training to ensure we remain at the forefront of technology
  • Our quotes form the basis of an upfront contract stating how and when we’ll do the job, and what it will cost, so there will be no surprises
  • We are professional members of the Composites Association of New Zealand and approved applicators for many specialist products, providing you as our client with peace of mind that we are committed to quality in every aspect of our operations.
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Health and Safety

Health and safety is one of the cornerstones of our business. Keeping our staff and our clients safe is a key focus for us.

Our industry-leading safety culture was recognised with the ACC Workplace Safety Award at the 2019 Southland Business Excellence Awards.

We ensure all our staff are site-certified for the environment they are working in, whether it’s at our site or yours.

We use state-of-the-art equipment to minimise disruption and assure a quality job, together with ventilation and extraction systems to reduce dust and fumes.

We are accredited with Impac Contractor Prequalification (PREQUAL) 5-star status and IAG Approved Repairer certification. We hold comprehensive public liability cover.

In addition, we have staff specifically trained in:

  • Hazard Identification & Risk Management
  • HSE Passport
  • Confined Space and Gas Detection
  • Working at Heights
  • Permit Receivers
  • Fire Safety
  • Chemical Handling
  • First Aid

Our Team

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Work With Us

Would you like to work with a progressive, award-winning Southland company?

Do you enjoy creating quality products?

Fi Innovations is in an exciting growth phase. We’re expanding our specialist resin flooring, exotic carbon fibre, fibreglass, polymer resin casting and 3D printing, scanning and product design areas, and are seeking energetic individuals to join our team.

If you’re looking for a change in your life, can work well within a team and are up for the challenge of learning new skills, then we want to hear from you!

Specific job vacancies are posted on this page, but we can also create positions for the right people. Use our application form to send us your CV and a brief cover letter outlining why you should be the next person to join our team.