The Stevenson Group was formed when William Stevenson and his two sons William (later to become Sir William) and Jim set out with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows in 1912.
Having sold its 13,000 ha Lochinvar Station to members of the Spencer family in late 2015, the Stevenson Group has been concentrating on its core businesses of mining, quarrying and aggregates.
But it is now looking to sell its construction materials business to Fulton Hogan, a process which is now held up by a Commerce Commission investigation.
The Group is also focused on its Drury South redevelopment on 361ha in the Drury Basin next to its quarry, which will include a 45ha housing estate, 180ha industrial park, designed specifically for construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade and distribution activities, and 130ha for community facilities and parks.
Meanwhile, HBH Senior Living (formerly called Howick Baptist Healthcare) last year bought Stevenson Village, a 36-unit complex providing low-cost housing for older people. The village opened in 1975 as a charitable joint venture between the Howick RSA and Sir William and Lady Stevenson, to provide accommodation for returned servicemen and more recently for older people who require social housing.
However, Stevenson Village Trust decided it was time to hand over the mission of the Village to another.
In 1917 William registered the company W Stevenson & Sons Ltd and since that time, it has been involved in roading and infrastructure projects and is a major player in the country’s construction industry.
Sir William’s three sons, Bill, Jack and Ross all worked in the company, managing various parts of the business.
Of the next generation David and Phillip (pictured) Stevenson are both directors on the board of Stevenson Group. David has had lifelong experience around the Stevenson Group operations, with time spent at management and board level in the group’s quarrying, mining and agricultural operations. He has been a director since 1995 and is also involved in the shareholder governance structure, as a Family Council member and was a trustee of the Stevenson Foundation and its predecessor, the W A Stevenson Charitable Trust, for many years.
Phillip is also chairman of the Family Council. He started his working life in the Stevenson Group, initially in the agricultural sector of the company at Lochinver Station, before attending university in the 1970s where he graduated with a diploma in agriculture.
Phillip’s experience in the company has not only been in agriculture but also includes working in both the quarrying and building products divisions. In the 1990s he was appointed general manager of its readymix concrete operations, during which time he also achieved a diploma in management from Auckland University.
The W A Stevenson Charitable Trust set up by Sir William more than 50 years ago, now known as the Stevenson Foundation, has provided support to a number of major community charitable projects and causes.
The foundation funds medical research through the Auckland University Medical School, is a key sponsor of the Auckland War Memorial Museum and provides grants to the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust among others. Group operating companies also support their local communities through smaller educational and sporting sponsorship grants.
The Stevenson Foundation’s main focus is in the Auckland region.