Merlin, Born in New Zealand. Trusted for More Than 40 Years.
When you open your garage door every morning, you probably don’t think about the technology behind it.
You simply expect it to work.
Quietly. Smoothly. Safely. Every time.
That simple expectation is at the heart of the Merlin story.
A New Zealand Story
Merlin was born in New Zealand in 1984, at a time when automatic garage door openers were still a relatively new idea.
What began as a New Zealand business grew into one of the best-known names in garage door automation across New Zealand and Australia.
For more than 40 years, Merlin has been part of the way New Zealanders come home — whether arriving after a long day at work, returning from a weekend away, or simply opening the garage on a cold or rainy morning.
That local history matters.
Merlin wasn’t simply brought into New Zealand from overseas.
Merlin started here.
From New Zealand to the World
In 2006, Merlin became part of The Chamberlain Group, a global leader in access technology.
This brought together two powerful strengths.
Merlin brought decades of experience and a deep understanding of the Australian and New Zealand market.
Chamberlain brought global engineering expertise, technology and resources.
The result is a brand that combines local knowledge with global capability.
Today, Merlin remains a dedicated brand within the Chamberlain Group, with a strong focus on professionally installed garage and gate automation across Australia and New Zealand.
More Than Just a Motor
People often refer to their garage door opener simply as the “motor”.
But there is much more to it than that.
A modern garage door opener is a complete access system, bringing together the drive mechanism, electronics, safety technology, controls and, increasingly, smart connectivity.
The motor provides the power.
But the quality of the entire system determines how your garage door actually feels every day.
How smoothly does it open?
How quietly does it operate?
How reliably does it perform?
How does it respond when something is in the way?
How easy is it to control?
And what happens when technology and your home become more connected?
These are the things that matter.
That’s why we believe you shouldn’t simply choose a motor. You should choose a complete access system.
Designed for the Way New Zealand Lives
New Zealand homes are not all the same.
We have coastal environments, changing weather, strong winds, cold winters and everything in between.
And our garages are used every day — often several times a day.
After more than four decades in this market, Merlin understands that reliability isn’t about how a product performs once.
It’s about how it performs day after day, year after year.
That is why Merlin products are developed with the needs of Australian and New Zealand homeowners in mind.
Safety Comes First
A garage door is one of the largest moving objects in your home.
That makes safety more than just another feature.
It is fundamental.
Merlin systems incorporate safety technologies designed to monitor and control the movement of your garage door, including automatic safety reversal technology.
Because when you’re choosing something that operates around your family, your children, your pets and your vehicles, you want more than power.
You want control, reliability and peace of mind.
Why Professional Installation Matters
A garage door opener isn’t simply a motor that gets attached to a door.
The opener, door, springs, tracks, settings and safety systems all need to work together properly.
That is why Merlin has traditionally focused on professional installation across New Zealand and Australia.
A professional installer can assess the condition and balance of the door, select the appropriate opener, install it correctly and ensure the system is properly adjusted and tested.
In other words:
We don’t just install a motor.
We install a system.
Your Garage Is Becoming Part of Your Smart Home
Garage doors have come a long way since the days of a simple remote control.
Today, your garage can be part of a connected home.
Depending on the model and compatible technology, Merlin systems can offer smartphone connectivity, remote control, notifications and other smart access features through technologies such as myQ.
The evolution is simple:
Remote Control → Smart Opener → Connected Access
And it makes sense.
For many New Zealand homes, the garage is one of the main ways the family enters and leaves the house.
So why shouldn’t it be as smart and connected as the rest of your home?
40+ Years of Opening Doors
1984
Merlin is founded in New Zealand.
1980s–1990s
Automatic garage door openers become increasingly popular in New Zealand and Australia, and Merlin grows with the market.
2006
Merlin becomes part of The Chamberlain Group, bringing together Merlin’s local experience with global access technology expertise.
2010s–2020s
Garage door technology evolves from traditional remote controls toward smart and connected access.
Today
Merlin continues to be a leading professionally installed garage and gate automation brand across Australia and New Zealand.
Why Merlin?
Because we believe your garage door deserves more than just a motor.
It deserves technology that has been developed and refined over decades.
It deserves professional installation.
It deserves safety and reliability.
And it deserves a brand that understands the homes and conditions of New Zealand.
Born in New Zealand.
More than 40 years of experience.
Backed by global technology.
Built for the way you live.
That’s Merlin.
