2023 NORTH HARBOUR BUSINESS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
Takapuna resident, Engineer and Developer Kerry Dines has enjoyed an impressive business career spanning over five decades.
Prior to founding The Dines Group in 1981, the former Mt Albert Grammar student and Auckland premier Rugby League player completed an engineering cadetship with KRTA, a large Civil Engineering consultancy specialising in subdivision design and construction.
At age 21, young Kerry Dines moved to Wilson Rothery, an Auckland Civil construction, quarrying and transport business with a staff of 100, that he was managing by age 25.
He went on to set up his own civil construction business Kerry Dines Limited in the early 80’s – the forerunner to The Dines Group. Along the way Kerry acquired Sheetmetals Limited (1983), an established engineering manufacturing business.
In 1985, an Investment and Development business was established and The Dines Group moved into Land development with a 360 lot residential subdivision in West Harbour and a further 180 lot development in Glenfield.
From 1988 to 2005 The Dines Group developed a home base for its business divisions in Mt Wellington and was involved in several office, retail and industrial developments in the Albany area, including the acquisition and development of 40 hectares of industrial land. It also completed a major residential re-development of Glendowie’s ‘Mad Ave’ and developed a 58 hectare industrial site near Auckland airport.
Under Kerry’s leadership The Dines Group has become one of Auckland’s largest subdivisional contractors, with projects including the North Shore’s Rosedale industrial precinct, Massey University and North Harbour Stadium siteworks, stages of Millwater and Milldale, Long Bay and Unsworth Heights.
Kerry has been married to Linda for 52 years, they have 2 children and 4 grandchildren. He credits a great deal of their success to their strong partnership.
While the Dines family treasure their privacy, this success has seen the formation of ‘The Dines Family Charitable Trust’ an entity that is a substantial donor to organisations associated with medicine, medical research, education and addressing poverty. Organisations they support include Auckland University and, in the North Harbour Region, YES Disability since it’s inception, and Shore Junction Youth Innovation Hub as the Technology Pillar Sponsor. Harbour Hospice has also been a recipient, as is First Foundation supporting students from low decile schools.
The nominator of Kerry for this recognition described him as “a quiet philanthropist that has formed a Charitable Trust that supports many worthy projects and organisations”.
In 2005 Dines Group identified Pokeno as a major opportunity for residential and industrial development. 270 hectares of largely rural land was purchased and rezoned with 1800 residential lots having been constructed and sold, and more to come.
The latest venture involves an offshore project with land and residential building developments being undertaken in Ottawa, Canada.
Kerry says that all of this has been achieved through a series of strategic partnerships and a strong base provided by the construction company, which is now in the process of being passed on to key employees.
The Dines Group currently employs over 200 staff with the construction and property activities based on the North Shore.
Kerry Dines, a hugely deserving 2023 inductee into the North Harbour Business Hall of Fame.