Mr. Nelson Speirs

The third recipient is a name known to all of our young men, and in fact to all those who have been through the school since 2002, thanks to his support of the wonderful performing arts building that bears his name – the Speirs Centre.

Nelson began at Boys’ High in 1951, where he was in form IIIA with Ron Eglinton, a future Chairman of the PNBHS Board of Trustees, and Jonathan Hunt, future Minister of the Crown and High Commissioner to the UK.

Nelson was a fine all-round pupil at Boys’ High: he was a regular in the Albion 4 by 100 yards relay team and he was runner-up in the Junior 100 yards in 1951. He won the 75 yards in 8.25 seconds in 1955 and was awarded a School Blue for athletics in his final year, 1955. He also played rugby: 4th XV in 1954 and in the 2nd XV in 1955, along with one of our guests this evening, and fellow Business Alumni member, Mr Barry Clevely. Nelson has a noteworthy performance against Napier BHS: “In the second half”, the Palmerstonian tells us, “Speirs scored two magnificent tries near the touchline” in the team’s 9-3 win. (To the young chaps – Gents, tries were worth only three points in those days).

Nelson was also an accomplished musician, playing the trombone in the school band for several years. He was a Sgt. Major of the Band, Headquarters company in the School Cadet Battalion. He achieved School Certificate, University Entrance and Endorsed School Certificate as well as Higher School Certificate in 1955 and was a College House as well as a School Prefect.

Nelson joined his father’s timber and joinery business after leaving school, and he was the joint CEO of that business from 1958. From 1963-79 he was CEO and Director of MSD-Speirs Ltd (sawmillers, builders’ suppliers, housing construction, property developers) which was listed on NZX in 1976. In 1976 the company partnered with Canterbury Timber Products Ltd, pioneering a fibreboard product known as “Customwood’.

In 1976 the company received a successful takeover bid from NZ Forest Products. Nelson established and became the Director of Speirs Group Ltd in 1966. From 1967-80 Speirs Foods had a chain of 12 fast-food restaurants branded ‘Big Tex’, which were sold in 1980 with arrival of McDonald’s in New Zealand. Since 1980, Speirs Foods has produced and distributed fresh salads across the country to both New Zealand supermarket chains, for retail sale in delicatessens and produce departments, and to the industrial market.

Speirs Finance was established in 1978 to provide finance to small and medium scale business enterprises, primarily to fund vehicle fleets. Funding was provided largely from borrowings from the public and financial institutions, supported by an A1+ credit rating granted by Standard and Poor’s.

In 2008 Speirs Finance was sold to an NZX company but was repurchased by Speirs Group in 2012 in partnership with three merchant banks. Speirs Group maintains a minority shareholding. Speirs Finance continues to provide facilities to business enterprises, large and small, primarily for their funding of vehicles and heavy machinery and equipment. Speirs Finance is a significant participant in the NZ commercial asset financing sector. Nelson is a director of the parent company, Equipment Leasing and Finance Holdings Limited, also encompassing AB Equipment, a nationwide heavy, mobile equipment supplier.

Nelson has been active in the community for many years and has been a member of Lions International since 1964 and has been a great supporter of PNBHS – the Speirs Centre being testament to this. He married Mary Bibby, and has three children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.