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Story: Manufacturing – an overview

Company development

  • 1840–1900

  • 1900–1950

  • 1950–2000

Over time, some manufacturers were taken over or merged, creating bigger companies. The beer brewing business provides good examples of this process. This diagram shows a simplified history of the mergers and takeovers that created a brewing giant, New Zealand Breweries. New Zealand Breweries then became the brewing side of the company Lion Nathan, which subsequently sold those companies it owned which were not alcohol related.

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How to cite this page

Ian Hunter, Manufacturing – an overview – Early 20th century manufacturing, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/25114/company-development (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ian Hunter, published 14 April 2010.