30 years supporting Aotearoa
The story of PAE New Zealand starts on a ski field in the Austrian Alps in the 1970’s. Founding Director Ian Robertson was working as a ski instructor and one of his students turned out to be a manager within PAE – a global facilities management company. Ski instructing soon gave way to a facilities management role at a US military base in Germany.
A decade later, on the advice of the New Zealand Government, it was concluded that New Zealand’s armed forces should focus on military activities and outsource support services. Sensing an opportunity, Ian approached PAE (global), and initiated a joint approach to win the contract.
In 1991 PAE was awarded its first military contract and PAE New Zealand the company was born.
As the saying goes, success breeds success – along with a tonne of hard work – and PAE NZ has been on a path of continuous growth ever since.
Defence contracts have been complemented by contracts with the police, district councils, hospitals, schools and tertiary institutions, big dairy and supporting the US Antarctic Programme, allowing us to become one of the largest facilities management companies in New Zealand.
Throughout three decades, what’s sustained the organisation is our local leadership and people, who all share a drive for excellence in service delivery. With Kiwis running the show from Wellington, and trusted employees and subcontractors in every region, the company has been able to diversify its services and support its communities.
PAE New Zealand has always operated as a standalone company in Aotearoa, with shareholding held for 30 years by global corporations PAE LLC and Stantec. On 27 June, 2025, we became 100% New Zealand owned, with shareholding transitioning to Kā te Rama Switched On Group – majority owned by Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira.
The strategic move to New Zealand shareholding and operating as a Māori-owned enterprise marks an exciting chapter for PAE New Zealand, with a strengthened national presence and specialist social and community housing maintenance expertise adding to our local legacy through this new partnership.
Our acquisition creates a uniquely iwi and New Zealand-owned Group with the scale and experience to deliver end-to-end facilities management, asset management, and maintenance services nationwide across both the public and private sectors. It brings a Māori-owned Group forward as a national provider, creating significant opportunities for the future of PAE New Zealand.
