On the 12th April 1944 Donald Hazell bought his first truck (a 5T Chevy) for 637 pounds, 5 shillings and 11 pence. He says he wanted to buy a truck because he was sick of milking cows for a living.
From small rural beginnings, this family business was envisaged by brothers Donald and Rowley Hazell in 1944. It is now operated by two of Donald's sons - Geoffrey and Robert; and has grown to become a unique Tasmanian Company.
Key Events
- 1944 Donald bought his first truck
- 1950 Donald & Gwen married
- 1967 The bushfires that devastated Tasmania stimulated growth in rebuilding the State, creating business opportunities for Hazell Bros
- 1967 Bought the first Caterpillar D4/M4 Machine
- 1970 Purchased the first Mack Truck
- 1970 Purchased the first CAP Crane
- 1975 Bought the first excavator, a JCB 807
- 1979 Established HBMI Quarry with Jack Arnold and Gordon Jennings
- 1986 Hobart Coaches developed to service Kingborough, later expanding to Huon, Tasman Peninsula, New Norfolk, Richmond, state-wide and the mainland
- 1990 Established Hazell Bros Concrete, with the first load leaving Kingston on 24 October
- 1992 The Testing Laboratory was established
- 1996 The Company relocated to Derwent Park and Fleet Maintenance capabilities expanded
- 2000 Established operations in East Timor (exiting in 2003 due to the country's independence)
- 2006 Acquired Quick Mix Concrete
- 2006 Acquired Qual Tech Testing Services
- 2006 Acquired Bells Constructions & Technologies
- 2007 Acquired Statewide Cranes
