The Evolution of the NZL Group 
1949 - Present Day
Photo Gallery Celebrating the past 60 Years
Founding of New Zealand Lumber Company
The New Zealand Lumber Company was founded in 1949 by Mr Bert Godfrey, Mr Lyn McKenzie and Mr Wally Salter with less than 1000 pounds capital, one truck, one forklift and a straddle loader and was setup on
Company Ownership
In 1950 Mr Salter transferred his shares to the other two directors of NZ Lumber. Mr McKenzie resigned in 1963, selling his shares to Mr Godfrey. In 1974 Anchor Milk Supplies Limited bought 
shares in NZ Lumber. In 1983 the Shipping Corporation of NZ became a shareholder of the company. Mr Godfrey formally resigned from NZ Lumber in 1985. In 1986, NZ Lumber was owned jointly by New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Company, The Shipping Corporation of
Further information on NZL Lumber Company
Company Development
The New Zealand Lumber Company became a major transport operator in central 
The Company’s operation became multifaceted, offering a variety of services – transport, heavy haulage, general storage, marshalling, stevedoring, customs, bonded storage, shipping, equipment hire, shipping container handling and repairs.
The Growth of New Zealand Lumber Company
In the 1950’s, NZ Lumber bought an old house on the corner of Hull Road and Totara Street, Mount Maunganui. In 1962, the company moved to Dive Crescent. To own land near the port, companies needed to be involved in port services. Mr Godfrey was given permission to extend New Zealand Lumber Company Land.
By 1969, NZ Lumber has 100,000 square feet of storage space and its own rail sidings. Because of its involvement in shipping agencies, NZ Lumber built Lumber House on the corner of Hull Road and Tasman Quay. Union Steamship was the first tenant. By 1982, NZ Lumber was controlling a lot of assets and 135 staff.
Influences on Development
Growth in Other Industries
New Zealand Lumber Company expansion was influenced by other industries’ developments – forestry, pulp and paper and dairy products in particular, which led to increasing overseas trade.
Port Development
Company growth paralleled the Port of Tauranga’s development and expansion. – as both organisations tried to keep pace with an increasing export trade, whilst providing appropriate services to exporters and importers.
Kawerau Pulp and Paper Mill
Products from Tasman Pulp and Paper Company’s new Kawerau mill established in 1953 were shipped either through Tauranga or Whakatane. Choosing Tauranga led to NZ Lumber striking a deal to transport these products – and to the Mount Maunganui Wharf development
Lifting Equipment and Transport Development
Over time, NZ Lumber had to increasingly handle heavier loads of more diverse product range. Company policy was always to own the equipment and keep it maintained. The growing export trade demanded the new equipment replace old gear that was not always purpose-built. See the lifting equipment that NZ Lumber Company owned in the early days.
Mr Godfrey obtained the first workshop building for Mount Maunganui, by exchanging a caravan.
From One truck in 1949, the fleet rapidly expanded to accommodate increasing trade. Waipa Mill, Rotorua to Tauranga could take three to seven hours on the unsealed, dusty pumice road. Mr Reg Piesse, a previous employee, says NZ Lumber built the first commercial truck trailers in the BOP, and owned the first articulated trucks. The axles of the first trailers were manufactured from ex-army gun barrels. See the trucks from the early days of NZ Lumber.
Subsidiary Companies
New Zealand Lumber Company was able to more easily purchase equipment, enter new markets and facilitate the shipping of goods through purchasing several subsidiary companies. Click here for the list of Subsidiary Companies.
The 90s
In the 1990s the head office was based at Waitomo House, Hull Road, Mount Maunganui and was officially called NZL Group. P & O Ports took over ownership in 1993 and Leacock Transport was purchased in Wellington to extend coverage to the whole of the North Island.
NZL Group also branched out into Storage and Warehousing and in 1997, the Watersiders’ share of NZ Marshalling and Stevedoring was bought out, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary. Container Repairs and Storage and Warehousing in Auckland was consolidated into NZL Group in 1998.
When P & O put NZL Group up for sale in 2006 3 New Zealand investment groups joined together, stepped up and grabbed this exciting opportunity. With one investment group entirely made up of NZL Group Senior Managers returning NZL Group to 100% kiwi owned and operated was an opportunity too good to turn down.
Modern Day NZL Group Ltd
It is truly remarkable that the vision from 1949 has carried into modern day NZL Group. With the Internet and other inventions over the last 60 years that have had a huge impact on how business is done today, the history of New Zealand Lumber still lives on. Proud of its innovative founders NZL Group Ltd is still facing challenges head on and coming up with new and improved ways of handling transport and other elements of the supply chain.
The best thing about NZL Group is it has kept its approach to business the same but works with investment in technology that complements the old ways with the new way of doing business and enhances what we have available in business today. This visionary approach to transport and logistics makes good business sense and helps develop strong relationships throughout New Zealand.