Waikato philanthropists, Mitch and Kate Plaw were the toast of the equestrian world in early 2018 when they hosted a new showjumping event on their picturesque Takapoto Farm which fronts onto a three-kilometre stretch of Lake Karapiro.
Heralded as the dawn of a new era for show jumping in New Zealand, the Takapoto Estate Show attracted 430 horses and 240 riders competing for $70,000 in prize money. Offering four days of upmarket hospitality on the 227ha where beef, sheep and deer are farmed, the publicity-shy Plaws have indicated they will beef up the prize money and extend the event in 2019.
As the owners of New Zealand’s largest manufacturer of aluminium joinery, which includes brands like Vantage and Altherm, Mitch and his reclusive sister Robin have progressively built up the business founded in 1971 by their late parents Ian and Val.
In a perfect position to capitalise on the construction boom, Hamilton-based Architectural Profiles Ltd (APL) is one of the Waikato’s biggest employers and runs a vertically integrated operation that includes aluminum extrusion, anodising and distribution to a network of more than 70 manufacturers around the country.
APL is also well known for its support of various sports including the Vantage Black Sticks Men and Women, Kiwi rowing pair Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, the Magic netball team and the Waikato Chiefs.
The Plaws also came to public attention in 2017 when their historic Hamilton Hotel was chosen as the site for a new $55 million Waikato regional theatre. The 94-year-old category 2 building closed its doors in 1980 and served as the Left Bank Theatre for several years before falling into disrepair and Mitch says he looks forward to working with the theatre project team “to create the best outcome for the Waikato region and Hamilton CBD.”
While his sister still lives in the original family home in Hamilton, Mitch and his family own a number of residential properties and holiday homes around New Zealand including a $19m mansion in the Auckland suburb of Remuera.