Lockwood Homes founder dies aged 98
House building pioneer Joe La Grouw who founded Lockwood Homes has died at age 98 in Rotorua.
House building pioneer Joe La Grouw who founded Lockwood Homes has died at age 98 in Rotorua.
The past couple of years may have been difficult ones for building companies. But Mr La Grouw successfully steered Lockwood through numerous property cycles since he founded it with partner Johannes Van Loghem in 1951. Lockwood became a household name as a leading contender in the industry.
Like many post war entrepreneurs they introduced new ways of doing things when they recognised the potential in importing prefabricated homes from the Netherlands at a time when house construction was at a low ebb in New Zealand.
Soon they began manufacturing in this country. The name Lockwood comes from the method of interlocking timber joints that characterised the company’s innovative building methods.
The patented system, combined with the use of vertical tie rods in the walls, has a reputation for withstanding earthquakes and typhoons while flexible enough to cope with temperature extremes from Russia to the Middle East where it has built homes.
High points over the years included providing many homes in Darwin after the destructive 1974 cyclone there. In 2003 the company sold 300 homes in Iraq. An exhibition in Rotorua in 2006 acknowledged the contribution of Mr La Grouw to New Zealand business. The company also supports artists through its annual Lockwood Aria awards.
Mr La Grouw is survived by a wide extended family. His son, Joe La Grouw Jnr , 71, is now Lockwood’s executive chairman and a strong supporter of business in the Rotorua area.
Chris Hutching
Thu, 22 Sep 2011
Thu, 22 Sep 2011
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Lockwood Homes founder dies aged 98
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