Our History

Like many visionary businesses, A-Ward began by recognizing an unfilled need then created a solution that would permanently change the game.

The A-Ward business was founded by Simon Ward in Auckland, New Zealand. In his trademark visionary style, Simon began by recognizing – and filling – a gap in the demolition industry with a range of smart, purpose-built tools.

Those tools immediately improved efficiencies and increased profitability in the highly-competitive demolition industry.

Today, they are still standard equipment, improving the commercial performance of demolition businesses throughout New Zealand and around the world.

This same drive to revolutionize continues to define A-Ward’s product design and development today.

In 2006, A-Ward’s breakthrough container tilting product (now known as MiTiltTM) transformed the way the scrap metal industry processes materials.

Developed in response to problems faced by a scrap metal yard in Houston, A-Ward’s approach was to attack the issues from every angle.

By thinking laterally, we developed a product that both solved the problem and seized the opportunity to introduce greater efficiencies and profitability.

MiTilt was the beginning of a revolution. Today it is used by customers in 50 countries around the world and still considered one of the world’s greatest inventions in the bulk handling industry.

A-Ward has since added a number of notable world-first inventions, including MiSlide. While we continue to develop new products and equipment, our strength lies in working with businesses to understand and solve wider bulk handling and supply chain issues.

Our customer base and industry experience spans every imaginable sector and continent: From loading rice in Uruguay and unloading in Peru; to developing solutions for Heineken Brewery in the Congo; to Toyota in Japan, our experience in handling bulk materials is second to none.

Whether it’s inventions which change an entire industry, (like MiTilt) or inventions that help save stranded whales, the A-Ward culture is driven by the mantra: Every problem has a solution. Every solution can be improved on.