Radio Ltd.
Strand Arcade, Auckland (1922-1925)
Commerce Buildings, Anzac Avenue, Auckland. (1925-1935)

Radio (1936) Ltd.
Quay St., Auckland (1935-1955))

Radio Ltd. and later Radio (1936) Ltd. were New Zealand's largest radio manufacturers. Ultimate was their main brand which was also exported to Australia.
The dates and distributors for the many Brands they manufactured are listed below.
Note: Date range from advertisements from 1935 to 1940.

* From newspaper adverts.

Their first radio was an Everyman crystal set imported from the Canadian Independent Telephone Company (CITCO) in Toronto. The crystal set was actually a re-badged DeForest Everyman Crystal set under the CITCO name.

300 were ordered, however shortly after the order was placed, they realised that there was no radio station in Auckland to listen to. There were stations elsewhere, but the crystal set had insufficient sensitivity to receive them. So, an urgent cable was sent to order a suitable transmitter. Pending its arrival a 15 watt, DeForest Radiophone was placed into service.  This meant that not only was Radio Ltd one of the first companies in the radio industry in NZ, but it was also the first transmitting station 1YA in Auckland. [1]

The “Ultimate” brand was introduced in 1923 when the company decided to manufacture its own receivers. Their first model was Gilfillan 2-valve kitset, RA-1. They followed with 4 to 5-valve sets with the first all-wave model in 1927.[1]
By the early 1930s the company flourished and in 1932 claimed they had over 20% of the countries production. By 1935 they had two factories in operation and production figures in that year exceeded 9,000 sets. In late 1935 they moved to a large four-story building in Quay Street. They also reorganised the company into Radio (1936) Ltd.

Between 1938 and 1941 Ultimate radios were exported to Australia (George Brown & Co.) and India. Sadly, the commencement of WW2 but an end to this export venture.

They were heavily involved in the production of military radio equipment during the war and at the end of the war, they held the position of New Zealand’s leading manufacturer.

With the advent of television, they required technical input and TV manufacturing assistance, they formed an association with British company E. K. Cole Ltd.

In 1955 the company was reorganised as Ultimate-Ecko (NZ) Co. Ltd.

[1] The Golden Age of Radio in the Home, Page 68.