| |
| |
| |
Hi $[UD:FIRST_NAME||]$
Boom – 50 years of Sansom!
A golden jubilee for any business in the New Zealand construction industry is a significant milestone achieved only by businesses that are valuable contributors in their specific niche and have had a bit of good luck along the way. All Sansom staff would like to thank all of our customers who have selected and trusted Sansom to undertake works for them. As 90% of our work is for repeat customers, we really appreciate your loyalty. | |
Sansom management and staff have been a great mix of characters over the years. Sadly, some of them have passed away already, including key long-service staff members like Jude Voigt (26 years), Ron Wells (20+ years), and Max Edkins (APR). Thank you to all staff who have contributed over the years to our successful enterprise. | | | |
From the earliest days, Ernst Sansom, Neville Sturmfels and Peter Emson, the directors, targeted difficult work and strived to source and complete this work to the highest standard. Steven van Rhoon and I remember being coached with the mantra of: “Target the best work! Then price it with enough budget to be able to complete it well.” This is no secret formula, but it has served us well, and it is something we occasionally hear ourselves saying to the younger commercial team now.
Sincerely, Elton Sturmfels Director | |
| |
Protecting Auckland's Buildings | |
| |
| |
| |
Sansom Through the Decades | |
This month marks 50 years since Sansom Contract Services Limited was incorporated by Ernst Sansom. Neville Sturmfels joined not long after, and the two of them set out to solve the building industry's toughest problems by introducing innovative structure-saving techniques and contributing to Auckland's ongoing development.
This month, we're celebrating 50 years in business by looking at how Sansom has evolved through the decades. | |
| |
In the early 1980s, Sansom became one of New Zealand's early adopters of epoxy injection technology, leading to projects like the Huntly Power Station (we were invited back in the early 2000s for more remedial works), Mokohinau Lighthouse, and Kawau Island Coppermine chimney restoration. We also expanded into resin injection and waterproofing work.
| | | |
Other Important Projects
Our early large-scale projects included repainting the Farmers’ car park building in central Auckland, under tight deadlines, and applying epoxy floor coatings and carrying out floor repairs at Fisher & Paykel’s factory over many years. | |
| |
Sansom maintained a size of about 20-25 people during the 90s and participated in several significant heritage restoration projects throughout the decade, including the Auckland Town Hall, Civic Theatre, and St. Patrick's Cathedral.
We also worked on three of our most iconic projects: the Auckland Harbour Bridge Moveable Barrier, the Sky Tower and Skycity.
| | | |
Overseas Projects While primarily working in Auckland, our team also took on projects in the Pacific region, including work in Fiji (a sugar factory floor), Tonga (King's stadium repairs after a cyclone), Samoa (US Embassy building strengthening, and podium remedial work on the ACC building in Apia), and even a job in Hong Kong. We also worked in Australia on Fisher & Paykel's Brisbane factory. | |
| |
In the early 2000s, Sansom had grown to about 30 employees. Our main services then included concrete repairs, coatings, roof membranes, building repairs, joint sealing, epoxy floor coatings, and grouting works. We primarily focused on repairing water-damaged buildings, both large and small, while developing a percentage of new work in tanking, roofing membranes, and precast panel baffle jointing systems.
| | | |
Interesting Projects This included Great Mercury Island (2000), Vero Centre (2002), Auckland Museum Exhibit Basement (2003), Vodafone House (2004), Stamford Plaza (2005), Microsoft House (2006), Kelly Tarlton’s in 2007 (being bumped by sharks while paddling a dinghy on top of the shark tank), Stamford Plaza, the seal enclosure at Auckland Zoo and Golden Bay Cement (all in 2008), Auckland Museum (2009), and the Auckland Art Gallery (2011) and the Eden Park south stand before the 2011 Rugby World Cup. | |
| |
Moving into the 2010s, Sansom began emerging as an industry leader in new mega project construction, tanking, waterproofing, facades and concrete repairs. This included work for large asset owners, such as the University of Auckland, Commercial Bay Development and large infrastructure projects like the Victoria Park Tunnel and Waterview Tunnel. This led to massive growth in staff numbers due to the size of contracts. | | | |
Significant Projects In addition to Commercial Bay (2016) and the Victoria Park (2011) and Waterview Tunnels (2013), we also worked on Golden Bay Eastport (2010), Middlemore Hospital (2013), Wairau and Hobson St GXPs (2015), Queens Residence and Tower Insurance (both in 2017), before our involvement in CRL (2019 - Present). | |
| |
Sansom’s growth continued into the 2020s, and we now have over 150 staff across four divisions.
Few companies survive to reach their 50th anniversary, and even fewer successfully transition from the original founders to new ownership and maintain their values and ethos - something we're immensely proud of.
| | | |
Key Projects While the various stages of CRL have kept us busy, the team also worked on Pacifica (2020), Auckland Central Library (2021), Costco (2022), University of Auckland Rec Centre (2022-25), St Stephen's School (2024), Mercy Hospital and Auckland Hospital (both 2025) and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare's new headquarters, which is ongoing. | |
| |
Use the buttons below to follow our social media channels and stay up to date with everything Sansom
| |
| |
| |
.png)
.jpg)
