S3.EP8: Kiwi Icons | How 3 Generations Of The Hoppers Built An Empire

How does a family go from running the Arkles Bay post office to creating Pauanui and some of New Zealand’s most iconic waterfront communities?Shana Hopper-McCully from Hopper Developments joins Alex at Marsden Cove to share the remarkable story of the Hopper family and the responsibility of carrying a 70-year Kiwi property legacy into its next generation.This episode came about after Alex mentioned Hoppertunity Knocks, the story of Shana’s great-grandmother Edith Hopper, during an earlier episode. A couple of days later, Shana messaged him on Instagram: “That’s my family.”In this episode:Ken and Edith Hopper’s move from Yorkshire to New ZealandThe six-hour journey to remote Arkles BayHow hard work, stubbornness and spotting opportunities shaped the familyThe beginnings of Hopper Developments in the 1950sWhy people thought developing Pauanui was madnessBuyers camping overnight and fighting over section markersUsing the Pauanui airstrip to fly prospective buyers inThe vision behind Pauanui, Whitianga and Marsden Cove WaterwaysGrowing up inside a multigenerational family businessThe pressure to protect the Hopper name and not stuff it upWhy relationships and reputation matter more than the saleRMA reform, bureaucracy and what’s holding NZ construction backWhether property is still New Zealand’s best path to wealthIt’s a story about vision, resilience, family legacy and backing an idea long before anyone else can see it.Hopper Developments:https://www.hoppers.co.nz/The Hopper family history:https://www.hoppers.co.nz/about-us/hoppers-history/Marsden Cove:https://www.marsdencove.co.nz/Connect with Shana:https://nz.linkedin.com/in/shana-hopper-mccully-2bab1855Subscribe to The Puzzle Factory for more honest conversations about New Zealand trades, business and culture.Powered by NZ Trade Group.