Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Local Focus: Lockwood Homes celebrates 70 years

Delilah Whaitiri
Delilah Whaitiri
Video Journalist, Rotorua, NZH Local Focus ·NZ Herald·
31 Oct, 2021 08:24 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Lockwood Homes has built more than thirty thousand homes using only Kiwi timber.

Lockwood Homes has built more than 30,000 homes since it started in 1951.

This year it celebrates its 70-year milestone.

Managing Director Andrew La Grouw said the business began after World War ll when two refugees fled for the safety of New Zealand.

"It was founded by a couple of Dutchmen (Joe La Grouw Snr and Johannes Van Loghem) who had some experience in the Netherlands building prefabricated houses," he said.

"They were motivated to leave Europe and what they saw was going to be a difficult [time] and another war, they thought another war was looming, so they were very motivated to escape to a safe place to bring up their families and New Zealand seemed like as far away as you could possibly get from a war zone."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said one of the company's secrets to longevity was sourcing wood in Rotorua - known as New Zealand's capital of timber.

"It's the centre of the timber industry and innovation and so when Lockwood was first established in the 1950s the Kaingaroa Forest was just coming on board, so we set up shop here and we're surrounded by Kaingaroa Forest and a lot of local mills that we source our material from."

Rotorua resident Emily Johnstone said choosing Lockwood was an easy decision.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Lockwood has such a great reputation, so for me really it was a no-brainer to go with this company.

"I really love the look of the house and the wood interior."

Discover more

New Zealand

Local Focus: Rotorua's virtual Pink Walk

21 Oct 02:40 AM
New Zealand

Local Focus: Pest checks on boats are ramping up as weather warms

25 Oct 05:00 AM
New Zealand

Local Focus: 'It doesn't become a coffin until I'm in it'

02 Nov 06:46 PM
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

‘Loved by all': Family of latest Mount Maunganui landslide victim identified pay tribute

31 Jan 01:10 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

The Rotorua fishing club that's hooked hundreds of kids

30 Jan 11:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Family waits as search continues for man missing in Waioweka River

30 Jan 10:44 PM

Sponsored

Discover Australia with AAT Kings’ easy-going guided holidays 

15 Jan 12:33 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

‘Loved by all': Family of latest Mount Maunganui landslide victim identified pay tribute
Rotorua Daily Post

‘Loved by all': Family of latest Mount Maunganui landslide victim identified pay tribute

The 71-year-old property manager has been formally identified as a landslide victim.

31 Jan 01:10 AM
The Rotorua fishing club that's hooked hundreds of kids
Rotorua Daily Post

The Rotorua fishing club that's hooked hundreds of kids

30 Jan 11:00 PM
Family waits as search continues for man missing in Waioweka River
Rotorua Daily Post

Family waits as search continues for man missing in Waioweka River

30 Jan 10:44 PM


Discover Australia with AAT Kings’ easy-going guided holidays 
Sponsored

Discover Australia with AAT Kings’ easy-going guided holidays 

15 Jan 12:33 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP