HamiltonJet has appointed Sam Hamilton as chairman of its board of directors, making him the fourth generation of the family to lead the New Zealand waterjet manufacturer. The transition follows a handover at Irishman Creek Station, with his father, Mike Hamilton, remaining on the board as governing director.
The transition took place during an extraordinary meeting of the board at Irishman Creek Station in the Mackenzie Basin. That remote high-country station marks the exact spot where founder Bill Hamilton began the business in 1939, and where the company hosted its first annual general meeting in 1946. Sam Hamilton succeeds his father, Mike Hamilton, who served as chairman beginning in 2000 and spent fifty years involved with the firm.
Mike Hamilton explained that he wanted his son to take on the chairmanship while he was still able to provide guidance. Sam Hamilton has served on the board since 2019 and holds the title of technical director. Following the handover, the leadership line stretches directly from Bill Hamilton through Jon Hamilton and Mike Hamilton to the fourth generation.
Mike Hamilton Stays on the Board as Governing Director
To ensure continuity, the outgoing chairman will remain involved. Mike Hamilton stays on the board in the role of governing director, mirroring the position his own father, Jon Hamilton, held after handing the chair to Mike. Sam Hamilton expressed gratitude for the arrangement.
Dad remaining as Governing Director means we keep his experience while I learn the chair role, and I’m grateful for that.
Sam Hamilton
Managing director Ben Reed noted that the transition reflects the long-term perspective that underpins the manufacturer’s operational strategy. Four generations of family leadership is rare anywhere in the world
, he observed, adding that stability remains a priority for the firm’s clients and global network.
“Family ownership lets us plan in decades, not quarters, and that is exactly how we intend to keep operating.”
Ben Reed, Managing Director
Christchurch Factory and Global Marine Reach
The company maintains its headquarters and manufacturing operations in Christchurch, New Zealand. Sam Hamilton will lead the board from a new office facility on Lunns Road, which opens this month on the site the company has occupied since 1944. That footprint includes a 7,500sq m factory.
Despite ongoing international interest, HamiltonJet remains privately owned, mainly by the Hamilton family. The firm specializes in designing and building waterjet propulsion systems for commercial, defence, rescue and patrol vessels. Regional offices in Singapore, Seattle, London and Perth coordinate a worldwide distributor network that supports the brand’s core mission to continually optimise performance, efficiency and safety through innovation
.
“Bill built this company on resourcefulness, trustworthy engineering, resilience and looking after people. Those values have carried us for more than 80 years, and can be seen in the way people here design, make and back our products every day.”
Sam Hamilton
