Hiremaster Liquidation Successfully Concludes With New Owner Secured
The Wellington owned and operated event and party hire company has been a stalwart of service to the region since 1948, and will continue trading after a successful sale of the business.
Adele Hicks, liquidator and partner at Grant Thornton New Zealand says, “This is a fantastic outcome for a business that’s so integral to the Wellington events industry.
“The new owners are local Wellingtonians which means Hiremaster’s legacy of well over seventy years will continue.”
“It also means Hiremaster will be retaining its core team as well as a number of staff members.”
Staff members who were not able to be retained will receive their full preferential entitlement, and unsecured creditors will see a partial return.
Hicks says, “Although some staff losses and losses for unsecured creditors are common in these scenarios, the overall result for Hiremaster is the best possible outcome for a business fighting to survive in tough industry conditions.”
Grant Thornton New Zealand was appointed liquidator for Hiremaster on 14 August 2025 due to a sharp downturn in the Wellington Hospitality industry and an unsuccessful campaign to sell the business.
About Grant Thornton International Ltd*
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*All references to Grant Thornton International in the press release and this “Notes to editor” section are to Grant Thornton International Ltd. Grant Thornton International Ltd is a non-practicing, international umbrella entity organized as a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales.
About Grant Thornton New Zealand Ltd
Grant Thornton New Zealand has more than 300 people working in offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. We combine service breadth, depth of expertise and industry insight with an approachable client and people first mindset, and a broad commercial perspective.
In the New Zealand context only, the use of the term ‘Grant Thornton’ may refer to Grant Thornton New Zealand Limited and its New Zealand related entities.
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