About us

How did Alloyfold start?

In 1997, three guys set out to improve the lives of some of society's most vulnerable. They shared a belief that given the right tools and an opportunity, people can make positive changes in their lives. 

To provide jobs and ensure their social impact was sustainable, Alloyfold was founded. Over 20 years ago ‘social enterprise’ wasn’t a well known term but that is exactly what Alloyfold was and remains to be today. We are proud that the profit we make supports employability, prison reintegration and affordable housing programmes run by the Pathway Trust.

How is Alloyfold structured?

Alloyfold is a social enterprise entirely owned by the Pathway Charitable Trust. The profits we make enable social impact projects, such as employment, affordable housing, prison reintegration programmes and a residential drug and alcohol support programme.

Where is Alloyfold based?

Our head office is in Christchurch, New Zealand, with other major offices in Australia and the USA. To get our address or contact details head over to the contact page.

Why choose Alloyfold products?

First and foremost we pride ourselves on having the best products on the market. Everything our team does is focused on delivering the best for our customers. The other side of our story is that we exist beyond profit; when you buy from us, not only are you getting a quality product but you are directly helping to deliver a range of social impact programmes - from affordable housing to employability programmes.

What kind of customers do you work with?

We are proud to be a trusted supplier of a wide range of customers; from thousands of churches across Australia and New Zealand to rental companies, governments, public organisations, sporting facilities, hospitals, cinemas and event venues. We are also specialists in custom seating installations for stadiums, auditoriums, cinemas and other large scale projects. View some of our latest projects.

Our products 

Do you have everything in stock?

Some products we hold in stock however, the majority are manufactured to order. This process enables us to offer customised options, which in turn ensures customers get exactly what they need. If you want to talk to someone about custom options get in touch with one of our team members.

Can you offer money off for large orders?

We are always happy to have a chat about larger orders and find an arrangement that reflects good value for you. The most important thing to us is ensuring you are happy and that we can provide you with the best solutions available.

Do you offer rental products?

We are a commercial supplier of seating and furniture and therefore we don’t rent products. We do however supply a large number of events and rental companies. We ensure all of our products are durable and long-lasting, ideal for heavy use environments.

Can you provide advice on seating options?

We have a wide range of products, many of which can be customised and as an organisation we have over 20 years worth of knowledge and expertise enabling us to always find the right solution for you, even if that means thinking outside the box. Feel free to get in touch to talk about a potential solution for your needs.

Do you only offer chairs and tables?

In addition to a huge variety of tables and seating products we also supply accessories such as chair trolleys and table covers as well as offering an extensive line of sanitation products, such as portable toilets and showers.

Can you do custom design?

We do not offer individual custom design pieces, however for many of our products we do offer options to customise different design options such as colour, material, fabric, height etc 

For large scale projects we design custom solutions and installations. We have done this for sport stadiums, auditoriums, theatres and public projects.

Can you send out sample products?

Yes, we’re more than happy to provide samples. Simply get in touch with our team to organise this.

Do you only accept large commercial orders?

Our products are available to anyone, however price breaks apply to larger orders and certain products do have a minimum order requirement. Get in touch if you have any questions around certain products.

I have found a cheaper alternative will you match the price?

We fully understand that buying chairs and tables can be a significant investment and that is the right way to view it, it’s an investment. We would urge every organisation to ensure you are buying quality. The risk when going for many of the cheaper options is that after a year or two you may need to replace them. Our many extended warranties safeguard you, giving you certainty around your long-term investment. We are confident in our product quality and price accordingly to that. As always we are more than happy to talk about this in more detail if you get in touch.

Returns, warranties and damage 

Do you offer warranties?

We offer warranties on many of our products. We are able to do this because of our confidence in the quality of our product design and build. Warranty details are listed for each product and you can get in touch with our team to discuss in more detail.

What is your returns policy?

Our returns policy is dependent on the product type and delivery location. With every order our team will chat this through and you will get the chance to sign off on a printed version of the policy. We know this bit can be quite boring but we also know how important it is to you, so we are always available to answer any questions you have.

My products have arrived damaged, what do I do?

We are sorry to hear this has happened, we strive to ensure our customers receive quality products and have the best possible experience when buying from Alloyfold. The best thing to do is take photos of the damage and provide us with a detailed description of the issues. Send this through to [email protected] and we will come back to you swiftly. 

Our team will never send anything out that has been damaged and therefore we will need to speak to our delivery and logistics partners. 

My purchase has been damaged when being used, what do I do?

The best thing to do is take photos of the damage and provide us with a detailed description of the issues, including how the damage occurred. Send this through to [email protected] and we will work with you to come to a solution.

Delivery 

How long will my items take to arrive?

This will depend on a number of things; if we have the product in stock, what type of product you need and where you need it delivered to. Our team will chat this through and work closely with you to ensure we meet any deadlines you might have. 

How much does delivery cost?

Again, this will depend on a number of factors; whether we have the products in stock, how big the order is and delivery location. What we will always do is work with you to reduce the delivery cost as much as possible. That might mean shipping it with other orders or looking at different options to get it to your address.

Can I pick up my order from your offices?

Yes, it is possible to pick up certain orders from one of our offices, however if the order needs to be delivered and stored in our facility it will be dependent on available warehouse space and holding fees may apply. As always we are happy to chat through these options.

Installation 

Can you install seating?

We are specialists in commercial seating design and installation. We have managed small to large scale installations in schools, stadiums, cinemas, churches and community centres.

You can check out some of our projects on our portfolio page. These include the Sydney Lyric Theatre, the Rita Flynn Netball Stadium in Papua New Guinea and Christchurch Boys High School. 

If you are interested in hearing more about the installations we have carried out or have questions for us don’t hesitate to get in touch.

What projects have you done the installation for?

We have completed the seating installation for small to large scale projects. These include the Sydney Lyric Theatre, the Rita Flynn Netball Stadium in Papua New Guinea and Christchurch Boys High School. You can view more of our projects on our portfolio page.

Social enterprise 

Why are you a social enterprise?

In 1997 a few friends set out to improve the lives of some of society's most vulnerable. They didn’t know exactly how to do it but they shared a belief that given the right tools and an opportunity, people can make positive changes in their lives. 

Today, we still maintain that fundamental belief but our impact, thankfully, is on a much larger scale and that is in large part down to Alloyfold and our customers. We founded Alloyfold to firstly produce great products and do right by customers but also to help us expand and consistently fund our social programmes; which today includes employability, affordable housing and reintegration work. 

Does being a social enterprise negatively impact your business?

It’s actually the opposite. We see being a social enterprise as our competitive advantage. Not only are our customers getting quality products at a competitive price but they also become partners in the social impact we make. Not only do we give them the seating and furniture they need but also the opportunity to do some good. We think that is a powerful thing.

Does operating as a social enterprise impact business delivery?

Simply put, no. The only way we can continue to have such a big social impact is if Alloyfold continues to delight customers and succeed. That is why we place such a big emphasis on design quality, customer service and value.

Our social impact 

What social projects do you fund?

We fund a number of projects including:

Affordable housing

Stable housing promotes better education outcomes for the family, better chances for strong community support and an ability to build financial independence. That is why we offer affordable rental accommodation to people in need, often those that are in our reintegration programmes.

We are also investing significant funds into a home-ownership scheme to offer affordable houses to young families. It’s an incredibly exciting scheme that is still in development and progressing swiftly. 

Employability programmes

We work to ensure the people on our reintegration programmes gain new relevant skills and support them into work. The other approach we take is more direct; we have built an organisation called Oak Tree to directly employ people who want to make a fresh start in life. 

Reintegration programmes

Our reintegration support helps people emerging from prison to successful transition back into the community. This work includes restorative justice services, drug and alcohol support, mentoring and support work.

The Pathway Navigate Initiative (NI)

The NI is New Zealand’s first community-run reintegration unit. Developed and implemented by our support workers, it is an intensive pre-release reintegration unit inside of Christchurch Men’s Prison. You can learn more about this innovative programme here

How much money goes to social impact programmes?

The money Alloyfold makes goes into research and development, operations and the rest helps fund our world class social programmes. As we are owned by the Pathway Trust, they make the decisions on where that money is best served. Last year Pathway got 75% of its funding from earned income, that’s important as it enables us to plan ahead and not rely solely on the generosity of individuals and organisations.

How do you choose where the money goes?

For over 20 years we have been focused on creating positive social change. Over that time we have evolved. What started as a way to give people a job has led us to a more holistic set of programmes, supporting people hoping to make a fresh start in life. 

We are always considering what is the most impactful way we can utilise the money we make and have a team of specialist support workers and advisors that help lead and guide this work.