The 1960s were a decade of growth and transformation for McKay, alongside a rapidly changing New Zealand. The introduction of black-and-white television in 1961 drove a surge in electricity use, boosting demand for electrical goods and supporting McKay’s retail growth in Dargaville. Industrial expansion also created major opportunities: the Marsden Point Oil Refinery in 1962 and the Tīwai Point Aluminium Smelter in the mid-1960s marked McKay’s first major heavy-industrial projects, growing the workforce from 20 to over 100 and establishing enduring industry relationships.

By 1966, managing operations across three Whangārei locations had become increasingly difficult, prompting shareholders Tom McKay, Joe Faithfull, and Colin Stephens to consolidate the business premises into a purpose-built building in Water Street, taking over the old gas works site. Completed by Jeeves Builders, the building was one of the largest and most modern in the region, with facilities comparable to those of leading Auckland contractors. Its size and design reflected both the company’s ambition and the wider wave of construction in Whangārei during the 1960s, driven by industrial growth and infrastructure projects such as the Marsden Point refinery and the HVDC transmission line from Benmore. The new premises allowed McKay to coordinate large-scale industrial projects more effectively while continuing to expand its retail operations, setting the company on a path to becoming a leading provider of complex electrical services in a modernising New Zealand.

KEY LEADERSHIP OF THE DECADE

KEY PROJECTS OF THE DECADE