History of Hugh Green Group

(Formerly known as Green & McCahill Group)

The Hugh Green Group evolved from the Green & McCahill Group of companies. The Group is comprised of a number of privately owned companies which develop and sell residential sections, retain Commercial and Retail property for lease, and farm large tracts of land in the Auckland and Waikato region. Other operations include a finance company, livestock saleyards and a quarry.

The strength of the Hugh Green Group can be traced back over 60 years. In 1949 Hugh Green left his native Ireland at the age of 17 and worked in Scotland and England before moving to Australia where he met Barney McCahill, a fellow Irishman in his early twenties. They formed the Donegal Construction Company with two other Irishmen and, from 1950 to 1952, worked in Melbourne laying watermains for the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works.

In 1952, Hugh and Barney arrived in Wellington, New Zealand as a first step on a journey home to Ireland where they formed a new partnership that recruited a gang of Irishmen to lay cables for the Post and Telegraph Department. In 1953, they moved to Auckland and formed Green & McCahill Contractors Limited, the first of the fifty plus companies that became renowned as Green & McCahill Group of companies.

The 1950's saw the formation of the Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Board and the North Shore Drainage Board, and for 10 to 15 years these local bodies let a succession of contracts for pipe-laying (in trenches, in tunnels, and over the ground). Green & McCahill Contractors Limited made major contributions to these contracts, particularly in tunnelling work and the more difficult trenching work in rock and soft earth. Towards the end of the decade the firm had acquired earthmoving equipment and had begun constructing subdivisions on a contract basis.

The first major roading job was the Hamilton arterial route for the Ministry of Works carried out in 1960-1961.

The next 20 years was the heyday of earthmoving in New Zealand, and Green & McCahill made a name for itself all over the country. In the 1980’s "think big" projects dominated the New Zealand construction industry and Green & McCahill adapted itself accordingly to the new challenges.

The company was widely known for its part in such major works as Marsden Point, the New Zealand Steel Mill in Glenbrook, the Te Marua storage lakes near Wellington, and the restoration of the collapsed Ruahihi Hydro Scheme.

The Group’s founder, Hugh Green, had a passion for cattle dealing and farming resulting in the acquisition of farmland since the 1970's.

For around 25 years the Group also held significant interests in a number of public companies such as Hellaby Holdings Limited (takeover by Bapcor in 2017), Turners Automotive Group Limited (formerly Dorchester Pacific Limited and divested in 2017) and AFFCO Holdings Limited (divested in 2010).

The Hugh Green Group has maintained an interest in engineering construction through the staged development year on year of residential subdivisions throughout the wider Auckland area as well as Tauranga.

In addition the Group owns and develops purpose built industrial warehousing and offices for lease on its industrial land at Wiri. Developments have been completed for Penske Commercial Vehicles NZ, Owens Transport, Thermo King, Cummins Engine Company, UD Trucks and Jamestrong. The Group also has Childcare Centres in Flat Bush, Manukau, Retail Centres in Flat Bush and Pinehill, Albany, a Palmers Garden Centre and Pinehill Central Retail Centre (which includes a Countdown supermarket) in Pinehill.

The Hugh Green Foundation was established in 1998, to be the vehicle for Hugh's charitable giving which started as early as 1968. Hugh had quietly given away a lot of money throughout his life to those less fortunate than himself.

The Foundation was formed in Hugh's later years to formalise his donation process and to encourage other businesses to do the same.

If the success of the Hugh Green Group over the years could be put down to anything it must be its philosophy and ability to evolve with the times. This philosophy is what drives the Group today.

The Group prides itself in keeping abreast of, and adapting to, changes in the country and the market.

With one eye on the future and both feet firmly grounded in the present, the Hugh Green Group is set to maintain its position at the forefront of private enterprise in New Zealand.

1953

Green & McCahill (Contractors) Limited established, the first company in the Green & McCahill Group of Companies

1953-
1989

Major construction contracts (Highways, Tunnels, Dams, Canals, Reinforced Concrete, Pipelines and Earthworks) predominantly for local bodies and central government

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  • 1960

    Hamilton Arterial Route

  • 1965

    Haast Pass Road (6.7 km)

  • 1966

    Lower Huia Dam and Whau Valley Water Supply Dam

  • 1968

    Ngauranga Gorge reconstruction and Manapouri Access Road

  • 1972

    Suva to Nadi Highway in Fiji (Joint Venture)

  • 1975

    Tunnel and Shaft for No 1 West Coast Mine, Huntly

  • 1981

    Te Marua Twin Lakes Water Storage Facility

1970+

Purchased large tracts of farm land in the wider Auckland and Waikato regions to pursue Hugh's passion for cattle farming and dealing

1980+

Residential subdivision development

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  • 1992-2012

    Pinehill Estate Subdivision, East Coast Bays, 19 Stages, 674 Lots

  • 1997-2002

    Donegal Park Subdivision, Flat Bush, 3 Stages, 86 Lots

  • 1997-2007

    Glenveagh Park Subdivision, Weymouth, 9 Stages, 264 Lots

  • 1998

    Tir Conaill Country Estate Subdivision, Okura, 26 Lots

  • 2002

    Pine Tree Park Subdivision, Pinehill, 60 Lots

  • 2002-2005

    Carrick Glen Subdivision, Flat Bush, 5 Stages, 164 Lots

  • 2006-2017

    Ballintoy Park Subdivision, Tauranga, 6 Stages, 235 Lots

  • 2007

    Emerald Heights Subdivision, Mt Albert, 26 Lots

  • 2008-2010

    Point View Park Subdivision, Flat Bush, 66 Lots

  • 2010-2015

    Inishfree Park Subdivision, Papakura, 6 Stages, 134 Lots

  • 2011-2022

    Donegal Glen Subdivision, Flat Bush, 17 Stages developed to date, over 1000 Lots

  • 2015-2017

    Convoy Park Subdivision, Flat Bush, 97 Lots

  • 2018-2022

    Park Green Subdivision, Hingaia, 4 Stages developed to date, 224 Lots

  • 2018-2022

    Redhills Subdivision, Massey

1987

Established Castle Finance Limited, a non-bank finance company for property lends

1988+

Design Build Industrial Warehouses & Commercial Properties for Lease

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  • 1988

    Design Build Industrial Warehouse for Lease to Owens Transport, Langley Road, Wiri

  • 1993

    Design Build Industrial Warehouse for Lease to Premier Freight (now Thermo King), Langley Road, Wiri

  • 1997

    Design Build Industrial Warehouse for Lease to Roadfreighters (now Storage & Distribution), Langley Road, Wiri

  • 2000

    Design Build Industrial Warehouse for Lease to Cummins Engine Company, Langley Road, Wiri

  • 2001

    Design Build Service Station for Lease to Gull Petroleum at Greville Road, Pinehill

  • 2003

    Developed five Retail Shops for Lease at Greville Road, Pinehill

  • 2006

    Developed ten Retail Shops plus two Apartments for Lease at Chapel Road, Flat Bush

  • 2011

    Design Build of Childcare Facility for Lease to Kidicorp, Flatbush

  • 2012

    Design Build of Retail Premises for Lease to Palmers Garden Centre on Greville Road, Pinehill

  • 2014

    Developed five Retail Shops for Lease at Arranmore Drive, Flat Bush

  • 2015

    Design Build of Commercial Vehicle Distribution, Warehousing and Repair Facility for Lease to Penske Commercial Vehicles NZ, Langley Road, Wiri

  • 2017

    Construct Industrial Warehouse and Office with GFA of 14,220 m2 at corner Langley Road and Roscommon Road - Lease to Jamestrong

  • 2018

    Design Build of Childcare Facility for Lease to Justkidz, Flatbush

  • 2022

    Design Build of Supermarket and Retail Centre at Pinehill Central, Pinehill

1993

Established livestock auction facilities at Pukekohe and Kumeu (1997) - now Livestock Mart Auctions Limited

1993-
2017

Substantial stake held in Hellaby Holdings Limited (takeover by Bapcor in 2017)

1997-
2010

Large holding in AFFCO Holdings Limited

1998

Hugh Green Foundation established as the vehicle for charitable giving which started as early as 1968

1999-
2017

Substantial stake held in Dorchester Pacific Limited (now Turners Automotive Group Limited), divested 2017

2002

Green and McCahill interests separated and Hugh renamed the business the Hugh Green Group

2006

Established Mangatangi River Rock Limited, a quarry producing washed, uncrushed river stones from the Mangatangi Valley

2010

Purchase of Raphoe House, a three level office building on Gloucester Park Rd, Onehunga, the Hugh Green Group Head Office with other tenancies

2017

Exited Hellaby Holdings and Turners Automotive Group substantial shareholdings

2018

Divestment of the Flat Bush Retail Complex

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