Fences around the world

Sir William and Lady Judi Gallagher enjoying a holiday at their Whangamata bach. Photo / Alan Gibson

Since the early 1960s William Gallagher has driven the development of his family-owned company from a "10-man" firm into a global enterprise employing more than 1000 people. The 69-year-old chief executive and chairman of Hamilton's Gallagher Group - known best for its electric fence technology - has been created a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business.

Speaking from the Whangamata beachfront bach he built in 1970, Sir William said the honour was recognition for the whole team at Gallagher Group.

"You don't do all these things on your own ... I'm very honoured," he said. Sir William's father, Bill snr, began developing electric systems for controlling animals in the early 1930s when a horse named Joe began using the family car as a scratch post.

He set up an electrical circuit that charged the car, dissuading the animal from causing further damage to the vehicle. The history of Gallagher Group stretches back to the late 1930s when Bill snr began building the country's first electric fences, powered by batteries until mains power was allowed in 1961.

Sir William became chief executive of the company in the mid-1970s after his father handed over control of the firm. He died in 1990.

He said his father never had an ambition to build the company into the global entity it became under his management.

The firm had revenue of $160 million last year and sells its products - including security access systems, animal weighing devices and automatic gate openers - in more than 130 countries.

Gallagher Group's Power Fence technology is used in prisons in the United States, Australia and India, as well as European military bases.

The company has manufacturing facilities in Hamilton, Pukekohe and Marton. Asked if the firm had remained profitable through the recession, Sir William said: "Yes, very much so, and that means we can do the right thing for the community with sponsorships and that kind of thing."

He said about $1 million was given by the firm to charitable projects and organisations each year, mostly in the Waikato, such as the hospice, local rescue helicopter service and sports facilities.

Despite its size, the company remains family owned.

Sir William said the firm never had to consider a public listing as access to capital had never been a problem.

The company's private ownership structure allowed it to concentrate on its customers and staff, rather than pandering to the demands of shareholders. He followed a philosophy of "consultative management".

"You've got to empower staff to make decisions," he said.

Sir William spends a lot of time travelling the world on business and has been on a number of overseas trade missions, including one to Russia this year.

"I've only been around the world three times this year," he said. "It was five times last year."

Sir William is usually accompanied on his trips by his wife, Lady Judi, who he says is a great judge of character and contributes to commercial decisions made on the road.

She also did the interior design of the firm's Hamilton headquarters, on Kahikatea Drive, which opened in 2000.

Sir William was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to business in 1987 and a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and exporting in 1999.

He and Lady Judi have three children and nine grandchildren.

They live in Hamilton.

NEW KNIGHT

* William (Bill) Gallagher

* Appointed Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) for services to business.

* Chief executive of Hamilton firm Gallagher Group, best known for its pioneering work in electric fence technology.

* Aged 69.