Zero-Joint Veneer Edging Now at Hutchco

Moving to a hotmelt-free laser edge bander can lift productivity, but it usually triggers one practical question: are the decors and materials we design with, laser-ready?

For Carlielle Kitchens, that question sits inside a much bigger standard of work.

Carlielle is a business built on a 95% referral rate and a trophy cabinet that speaks for itself. Their 2025 Master Joiners Excellence Awards, including Best Kitchen over $50k, the Premier Award, and Best Cabinetry Project, reflect a level of work where “good enough” doesn’t exist.

General Manager Doug McMiken is clear about the pressure of that reputation. “We do a range of work but our main focus is high-end residential, particularly full home fitouts.”

“Our clients have very high expectations… it is critical that we can consistently edge and finish products at this level.”
Doug McMiken, Carlielle Kitchens

Solving the Veneer Supply Gap

Co-extruded laser edging is often seen as the industry’s gold standard, but New Zealand’s distance from European manufacturing has historically limited the available decor spread.

For NZ joiners, that creates a practical supply problem. A laser edge bander only delivers its full value when the right edging materials are available in the right decors, thicknesses, and formats.

Hutchco Managing Director Mark Leith saw this as a roadblock for local innovation. “We saw that while the technology was there, the accessibility wasn’t,” Mark says. “By having laser post-coating now running at our distribution site in Auckland, we’re even more motivated to give manufacturers like Carlielle more agile edging solutions on-demand.”

For veneer applications, this means Hutchco can support 1mm Tekton veneer edging with a laser-ready functional layer, helping NZ joiners access zero-joint veneer edging options suited to compatible laser, hot-air, NIR and HyFuse edgebanding systems.

Moving Veneer Beyond the Glue Pot

The glue pot is a necessary evil that loses its charm the moment the factory temperature dips. Doug McMiken explains: “Our previous EVA machine was modern and otherwise did a great job, but in the middle of winter, we had to do a lot of extra work to get clear glue to stick well,” Doug explains.

It is something the team at Hutchco hears often. Mark Leith explains: “It’s easy to overlook the hidden costs when pricing. The price per metre of tape is only one part of the equation. Adhesion troubleshooting, extra glue-line cleaning, and glue pot maintenance all add up,” Mark explains.

“We want to eliminate that friction,” says Mark.

Until recently, running veneer meant being tethered to a glue pot. Solving this for customers meant Hutchco had to rethink its entire inventory. “Developing the laser-coated veneer saw us introduce new stocked lines of 1mm Tekton veneer edging,” Mark says.

Putting 1mm Tekton Veneer to Work

“Working with Carlielle on this, who’ve used our German and Portuguese produced edge bands previously, provided real-world testing, getting a strong, imperceptible bond.”

For Carlielle, the appeal was practical as well as aesthetic.

“When we discussed with Hutchco the possibility of applying 1mm Tekton veneer tape with post-coated laser, [it] ticked all the boxes for efficiency, durability and [gave the] high quality finish we needed,” says Doug.
Doug McMiken, Carlielle Kitchens

Doug McMiken continues: “Trialling this with them has given excellent results and the first couple of projects have gone well.”

Beyond the bond, the move for Carlielle also meant reclaiming time lost to post-production cleaning. “The key consideration was reducing clean up and changeover times by eliminating the glue pot,” Doug explains. “It was an overall package for us to make the jump.”

Why Laser-Ready Materials Now Matter

As New Zealand specifications become more complex, the gap between those delivering high-quality, enduring work and the rest of the market is widening.

Doug sees the writing on the wall. “We are absolutely promoting it to our clients and architects,” [who are] “excited with the leap forward in finishing quality.”

Doug adds: “Suppliers that do not have laser edging available for their products will certainly be missing out on a chunk of the market as this becomes more sought after in the high end.”

For high-end residential joinery, material alignment now goes beyond decor matching. It also means making sure the edging format supports the production method, finish expectation, and workshop workflow.

The Takeaway for NZ Joiners

The machine is the investment, but the tape is the strategy. For the NZ joiner, local laser post-coating means the transition to a glue pot free workshop is finally a practical reality.

“Alignment in this industry is about more than just matching a colour; it’s about matching the way a business works,” Mark Leith notes.
Mark Leith, Hutchco