Marking the end of an era in local business, one of the region's oldest and best-known companies, the iconic construction service and supply company Cleary Bros, has been sold after nearly 110 years. The sale price was $172 million.
The new owner is the Maas Group, based in Dubbo and owned by former South Sydney rugby league player Wes Maas. The Maas Group was started 23 years ago when Mass retired from football with a single bobcat and $14,000. It now has an estimated worth of $1.5 billion.
Maas Group said the acquisition of Cleary Bros would provide the opportunity for strategic expansion into key growth corridors, including the Illawarra region, and give them greater access to the Sydney market. The company has already been involved in large projects in NSW, including Snowy Hydro 2.0 and WestConnex.
A spokesman for Maas confirmed to The Illawarra Flame that the famous Cleary Bros name and strong branding would continue, and as far as local operations were concerned "it's business as usual". The Flame understands that, other than changes at a senior management level, most of the other 300 staff have stayed on after the transition in ownership last month.
Established in 1916
Cleary Bros was registered as a company in 1916 by John Joseph Cleary and two of his brothers. At the time they specialised in transport and timber-getting. These days Cleary's is better known as a quarry and trucking business.
For decades, Clearly Bros has been recognisable across the region, not just through the company's distinct yellow trucks, but for the contribution the business has made to many facets of community life in the Illawarra.
The company's biggest growth phase began in the 1960s when Denis Cleary, with his brothers John and Brian, and sister Jill, began evolving the business. Their first initiative was to start the company's main quarry at Albion Park, then establish a sand operation near Gerroa soon after.
With the outputs of both providing the components of concrete, it wasn't long before the business set up batching plants, originally at Bombo and Albion Park, then later at Coniston and Bomaderry.
In 2018 Cleary Bros won a national award for innovative environmental management for using new techniques to recreate rainforest communities on previously cleared land at its Albion Park quarry.
Generous contributions to community
The influence of Cleary Bros on the local skyline has been significant over the years, so too their contribution to the wider community.
Cleary Bros always carried the 'proudly local' tag as a badge of honour and the business has supported dozens of local sporting, community and charity organisations. Rugby league has always had a friend in the Cleary's, especially the late John Cleary. The organisation provided generous support for the Illawarra Steelers and Wollongong Showground Trust (where you'll find the John Cleary Hill), Illawarra and Group 7 referees and in netball for the South Coast Blaze. Cleary's have always been huge supporters of the i98 Convoy, and the list goes on.
It's not known what will become of Cleary Bros museum, located on the site of its Port Kembla headquarters in Five Islands Road. In the past, they've held open days that have supported charity to show off their 30 pieces of restored machinery and equipment, including historic tractors, Caterpillars and NR Macks.