Developing innovative and high-performance cladding solutions.

Innovation is vital to maintaining our pre-eminent position in the fibre-cement industry. Consequently, we invest heavily in research and development (nearly US$30 million in 2007), with a special emphasis on product quality and production efficiency to develop durable and low maintenance cladding and backerboard products.

In every country in which we operate, our goal is to remain at the forefront of the fibre-cement industry, capitalizing on our global leadership in products, manufacturing and technology for both new home construction and remodeling.

Since the 1980s, James Hardie® has confirmed its position as market leader in engineered cement composite by registering the ECC patent (Engineered Cement Composite, new-generation fibre cement), a cement and cellulose fibre-based material used in all its siding products. The exceptional qualities of this material (durability, resistance to damage from fire, climate change, and insects, flexible installation, and low maintenance) provide and ideal solution for discerning builders, contractors, architects, and engineers.

More recently, the company has developed ColorPlus® Technology, an exclusive factory-applied, multi-coat painting process which guarantees superb quality and excellent durability of the paint. This blemish-free, baked-on finish is available in a wide palette of colours for siding products as well as colour-matched accessories and carries a 10-year limited warranty.