E. Hayes & Sons

About

Home of the World's Fastest Indian - Invercargill's leading Hardware store - Hammer Hardware Invercargill

Story

E Hayes and Sons is a family business. It is a company built around the strong family principles which our pioneering forefathers brought to Southland in the late 1800's.

With them came a rich spirit of innovation, inventiveness and hard work which has grown in reputation, just as Southland itself has grown.

Since our earliest beginnings E Hayes and Sons have continued a proud family tradition of putting the needs of our customers first.

Our commitment to quality, service and expertise continues to underline that tradition providing leading Southland industries, trade customers and the general public with an extensive range of hardware, engineering and homeware products and services.

From tools, hardware, engineering, automotive, paint, chainsaws, powertools, lawnmowers, pumps and fasteners through to camping equipment, home ware, kitchen ware, gifts and workware it's a continually expanding range that must be seen to be believed.

But step inside the doors of our Dee Street store and you will soon see we are so much more than just a hardware store and engineering shop.

Proudly displayed throughout our store and free for all to view, is an eclectic range of world-renown classic and vintage motorcycles, automobiles, engines, equipment and memorabilia which today makes up the E Hayes Motorworks Collection.

The collection is a legacy of a family passion for ingenuity, innovation and determination to go beyond the expected boundaries of convention and performance. Nothing demonstrates this more clearly than the centerpiece of the collection - Burt Munro's legendary record breaking "World's Fastest Indian"

We are proud of our reputation with many visitors to the city from around New Zealand and around the world making a point of calling in.

We invite you to share that spirit with us and look forward to seeing you instore soon.

History
E Hayes and Sons Ltd has a long and proud history in New Zealand.

The name Hayes is synonymous with farming and engineering with many of the Hayes original inventions found on farms throughout New Zealand to this present day.

Ernest Hayes originally started business in the township of Oturehua in Central Otago in the late 1800’s developing numerous new products using his pioneering engineering skills. One of his most significant inventions was the development of the Hayes permanent fence strainer in 1905 - a product still manufactured today and used on nearly every farm in New Zealand.

Irving Hayes, one of the sons of Ernest Hayes, opened the Invercargill branch of E Hayes and Sons in Leven Street in 1934 located in premises leased from the Railways Department. The original rent was 28/6 ($2.85) per week.

The grandson of Irving Hayes is the current General Manager Neville Hayes who started with the company in 1972, following in the footsteps of his father Norman Hayes who was with the company for over 60 years. Like his father, Neville began work “on the bike” and initially drove the delivery van. He is the fourth generation of the family to be involved in the business. Neville’s son Jarn and daughter Clelia continue this proud history being the fifth generation of the family to work in the family business.

The initial part of the present Dee Street, Invercargill premises was built in 1956 and with the acquisition of the adjoining building the shop now fills an entire city block from front to rear. The tool wall is in excess of 100 metres long with an enormous array of tools.

Many of the highly experienced people employed have a long association with the company. E Hayes and Sons also has a strong affiliation with Hammer Hardware and the TradeZone Industrial Group that allows it to service both the specialist industrial market and the home user markets.

E Hayes and Sons is committed to what could now be considered old fashioned values of good quality as well as exceptional service and advice. All E Hayes and Sons staff look forward to being of service to the people and industries of Southland for many years to come.