| 69 Gillies Group REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Drone shot of the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS). Malcolm attributes much of the Group’s longevity to its people and strong community relationships. He remains passionate about bringing investment and employment into Upper Hutt and believes the Group’s large-scale developments have helped change the city for the better. “It has always been a family-oriented business,” he says. “We’ve had good staff retention, with many long-serving team members. We’ve supported our community and, in return, our community has supported us.” That commitment includes sponsorship of local sports clubs, events and organisations such as MenzShed, as well as support for the Gillies Group Theatre at Whirinaki Whare Taonga. The Group has also helped the Reid O’Leary Charitable Trust introduce the Linewize Pulse student wellbeing platform into Upper Hutt schools. The Group’s contribution has been recognised through mayoral and regional business awards and Malcolm has received Businessman of the Year recognition and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017. Gillies Group is now expanding beyond its traditional Upper Hutt base through Plimmerton Farm, its largest project to date. The approximately 400-hectare development is planned to deliver around 3,000 homes as well as schools, retirement living, commercial areas and community infrastructure. The first homes are expected to reach the market in 2027. Closer to home, development continues at Maymorn Farm in the Mangaroa Valley, a rural-residential community surrounded by farmland, native bush and forestry. After 30 years, Malcolm’s focus remains on creating quality developments and contributing to the communities in which Gillies Group operates. “We build places where people want to stay and make the experience of buying a new home straightforward, transparent and exciting.”
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