Our History | Stanley Group | Strong Partnerships, Creative Solutions

1879	Albert Einstein was born on 14 March in Germany
1916	Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity was published
1921	Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics
1927	Television invented Having completed his apprenticeship as a carpenter and joiner, Tom Stanley starts business in Matamata as E.T. Stanley, Builder. His first contract is to shift a two-bedroom cottage about 400m using only planks and rollers. Most of his work is design and build housing. He has one employee
1928	Tom purchases property on the corner of Firth St and Peria Road in Matamata – Stanley’s base
1929	Stanley’s first major commercial contract – St Joseph’s Catholic School Tom partners with Bill Swap to build commercial premises in Morrinsville and Matamata
1934	Monopoly Game invented
1935	Stanley builds the first-ever members stand at Matamata Racing Club
1936	Oil found in Saudi Arabia
1939	Germany invades Poland
1940	Stanley builds new offices for the Matamata Borough Council
1941	Pearl Harbour bombed Tom and his staff pitch in with defence work at Hopu Hopu and Narrow Neck Military Camps
1942	Nuclear chain reaction achieved
1944	D-Day
1945	At the conclusion of the war, Stanley buys new plant and expands the joinery workshop with an additional 1300m2 Tom and some building mates buy shares in the Henderson Timber Company, because materials are in short supply. At this time, buildings are mostly constructed from native timber – particularly rimu, matai and tawa
1946	First electronic computer Stanley builds 13 new shops in Matamata, almost doubling the town’s retail space
1950	Stanley builds the first concrete floor houses in the Matamata area. “They will be cold and damp”, said the doubters. Fortunately this was not true
1951	Colour TV introduced The 1950s were a busy time for Stanley, driven by housing shortages following the war
1953	Structure of DNA found Albert Einstein dies
1955	Lego invented
1956	The last house with native timber framing is completed. Once trees became more difficult to recover, builders switched to treated pine. The Henderson timber mill is sold
1957	Sputnik launched by Russians
1958	Company registered as Stanley Construction Ltd. Directors are Tom and Alice Stanley, Don, Colin and Garry Stanley
1960	Stanley expands yet again, adding another office alongside the existing workshop
1962	First major design and build project - Matamata Motors 1962 Ltd - at Arawa Street South. This was the start of a long relationship with A.H. Croad. The company constructs many buildings for him over a number of years, including a number of commercial retail buildings and a gate factory
1963	John F. Kennedy assassinated
1964	Another stand for the Matamata Racing Club. Design and build
1967	First human heart transplant
1968	First contract with Dominion Breweries Ltd to build Waharoa Tavern. Subsequently built DB Mt Maunganui Hotel and taverns at Cambridge and Reporoa
1969	Neil Armstrong walks on the moon Tom Stanley made an Honorary Member of Waikato Master Builders Association
1970	The late 60s and 70s are a busy time for Stanley. Projects include the Matamata Motor Inn, a supermarket in Arawa Street, Pohlen Hospital, a gate factory and extensive work at the Matamata Club New Stanley office and hardware shop are completed
1972	Tom Stanley dies The company structure changes. Colin leaves the company; Don and Garry take over his shares
1978	First IVF birth Stanley builds the Waharoa coolstores for NZ Dairy Board.
1979	Cell phones invented
1980	Compact disc invented Stanley sells the Matamata corner site to KFC and relocates to 70 Firth Street, a site still occupied by the company Three-story government department built in Whakatane Extensive additions to the Whakapapa Skotel
1985	Kevin Stanley acquires share in the company
1986	Soviet nuclear disaster at Chernobyl
1988	RAL Knoll Ridge and workshop – the first project of many on Mt Ruapehu
1989	Berlin Wall comes down RAL Iwikau workshop and staff quarters on Ruapehu New National Bank for Morrinsville
1990	Pohlen Hospital additions, Tokoroa RSA, Transpower microwave sites, Tatua Dairy Co.
1991	Gulf War The World Wide Web invented Einstein Ranked one of the most influential persons in history Upgrades of 23 BNZ branches, Ruru transmission tower for TV3
1994	Nelson Mandela is elected President of South Africa
1996	DOC 10 bridge project in Tongariro National Park - replacement following Cave Creek disaster Morrinsville Sports Centre, KFC Napier
1997	Britain turns Hong Kong over to China RAL Ski Shop, United Matamata Sports Club, Ohura Prison redevelopment
1998	Extensions to the Wairakei Resort Hotel Stanley Construction is awarded the contract for the new maths and science three-storey 4,000m2 block at Tauranga Girls’ College. It was ground-breaking because the Ministry of Education hadn’t built three-story buildings in a long time
1999	Einstein was named “person of the century” by Time magazine
2000	Whangamata Memorial Hall upgrade, Thames Tuscany Motel, St Peters School auditorium, Waihi Mine Head structure, CHH Kinleith
2001	September 11 hijacking and World Trade Centre tragedy DOC Structure upgrades, Grand Chateau villas, National Trout Centre, Pohlen Hospital Medical Centre
2002	Major shareholding restructure; Brendan and Craig acquire a 50% interest Whakapapa Tavern, Grand Chateau lounge upgrade, NZMP – various, Matamata Racing Club stables Establishment of Modular factory
2003	War in Iraq Restaurant Brands - Stanley builds or refurbishes KFC, Pizza Hutt and Starbucks sites from Kaitaia to Invercargill New wing for the Grand Chateau, built to match existing architecture. First five-storey modular project in New Zealand Whangamata Apartments
2004	Projects for Fonterra at Hautapu, Reporoa, Litchfield - ethanol silo, Scuf Redline, Tanker CIP New premises for Fairview Motors in Matamata MPDC- hazardous wastes shed Burwood Road developments
2005	The Kyoto Protocol comes into effect Ahuriri modular New 1100 m2 joinery factory for Stanley Joinery Starbucks- Mt Maunganui, Lower Hut, Queenstown, Nelson Broadway Motel Matamata, MPDC Mokena Pools- Te Aroha KFC- New Lynn, Taihape, Mangere New World – Rototuna. Fonterra- Reporoa. TeRapa, Waitoa
2006	Stretton clothing factory, Morrinsville. Specialty bakery, Tirau New World Supermarket, Turangi. Turoa Ski field café Wairakei Resort, upgrade 40 luxury units. KFC, Pakuranga Pizza Hut - Otara, New Lynn, Napier
2007	US mortgage crisis Turoa ski field High Noon Express chairlift, Mt Ruapehu Delegates Wines Ngata College – modular CHH Whangarei Mill Matamata College lecture theatre Turtle Pool, Turangi DOC Kauaeranga Valley
2008	Sir Edmund Hillary dies Bell Tea Hobbs Wharf New World Heaphy Terrace, Hamilton Qantas Lounges – refurbishment and upgrade. Albany High School – modular Cape Reinga toilet block TSB Takapuna fitout
2009	World recession, Swine ‘flu KFC Whakatane Cambridge High School gymnasium RAL – Whakapapa ski area fire damage Temporary Knoll Ridge café New World supermarket, Morrinsville Aero Apartments – cladding remediation Pak ‘n’ Save, Rotorua

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