Celebrating 50 years: Hagley Group
Celebration was an understatement when it came to the 50th anniversary of the Hagley Group of companies.
The day was an absolute burst of fun, nostalgia, and veneration for the staff, customers, suppliers, family and friends, and owner for the last 40 years, Geoff Ball. These Christchurch based companies, which have touched so many, continues to thrive. The day began with a gala breakfast for the team of 240 staff. “We particularly celebrated our 24 team members who have been with us for 20 to 44 years. That’s an incredible 10% of our staff,” says Geoff, “Mata Nuu started 40 years ago in aluminium and Tony Williams started 44 years ago in Hagley Kitchens, 4 years before I did.”
A riotous evening saw customers, suppliers, friends, and family party with Master of Ceremonies Jacqui Clark. “Our business is built on long-term relationships with people,” says Geoff, “we have had suppliers and customers for 40 years”. Likewise, there is a tradition of celebrating with D&D, the live band of the evening, first performed at a Hagley function some 25 years ago.
Always entrepreneurial, at school, Geoff worked as a milk boy, brickie labourer, and part-time tomato grower. At 16 he started his first manufacturing business. A building apprenticeship followed, and at 22 Geoff bedded in the very roots of the Hagley group. In 1991 Geoff knew that the future of windows was double glazing, and so he helped to start Thermaseal Double Glazing. By 2006 the staff numbered 130, but the GFC struck followed by the earthquakes. Geoff and wife Julie made difficult personal decisions which enabled them to retain as many staff as possible.
The rebuild saw Geoff buy all of Thermaseal and integrate the double glazing and aluminium operation in Waterloo Business Park. By 2022 the staff had reached the current count. In his spare time, Geoff builds commercial buildings and residential homes as well as creating subdivisions on the West Coast. Hagley Windows & Doors now offers new joinery, replacement joinery, commercial facades and curtain walls, glass manufacturing for residential and commercial buildings, alongside monolithic glass manufacturing and ceramic digital printing of glass to various projects across the South Island.
They have received Supreme, National Awards winners for the Ebb Hotel in Dunedin and the digitally printed façade for the Scion Building in Rotorua. Hagley Kitchens is an multi award winning kitchen design and manufacturing operation which operates from both Christchurch and Rangiora. Alongside kitchens, they also design and manufacture laundries, wardrobes, home office / studies and stairs using state of the art equipment. From humble beginnings to national recognition, it has been 50 fabulous years of Hagley for everyone on this journey and the team are looking forward to the next 50 years!
Get in touch with the Windows & Doors team by calling 0800 338 8225 or the Kitchens team on 03 961 0966 visit the websites below.
