History
Schaffer Corporation Limited – originally named Calsil Pty Ltd – was incorporated in April 1955 by Mr George Schaffer AM and a group of enthusiastic shareholders and supporters including Mr Albert Jobling. Calsil’s primary business was the production and sale of a new building material for Western Australia, sand-lime bricks.
Calsil listed on the Perth stock exchange in November 1963 and started growing as a national brick and later paving company. For the historians amongst us, it should be recorded that Calsil was the first Western Australian public company to establish manufacturing branches in the Eastern States (1966).
With incredible determination, energy and a “never say die” attitude, George Schaffer AM, together with his two children, Danielle Blain and John Schaffer, built and grew the company. George Schaffer retired from an executive role in 1987, however remained as Chairman until his passing in 1988. Calsil's core business – bricks and paving – were sold to Boral Limited on 30 June 1988 (along with the Calsil name) when the Board received an offer too good to pass up.
The company was subsequently renamed Schaffer Corporation Limited, in honour of its founder, the late Mr George Schaffer AM.
Current Chairman and Managing Director, Mr John Schaffer started with the company in 1972 and was appointed to the role of Managing Director in 1987 and Chairman in 1988. Danielle Blain joined the company in 1984 and became a director in 1987. Mrs Blain was a full time executive director of Howe Automotive Ltd, Schaffer's Leather Division) from 1993 to 2001. Mrs Blain is currently a non-executive director of Schaffer Corporation.
Schaffer Corporation has managed to make annual dividend payments to shareholders in every one of its years as a publicly listed company.
The company's core businesses are now:
- Building materials
- Automotive Leather
- Property
The Schaffer Building Materials Division
Consisting of:
- Urbanstone Central Pty Ltd
- Urbanstone Pty Ltd
- Limestone Resources Pty Ltd
- Archistone Pty Limited
- Delta Corporation Limited
manufacturers and retails niche products and design solutions for the construction and landscaping markets throughout Australia. The businesses have grown throughout the past 15 years both organically and via acquisition.
The Schaffer Leather Division
Consisting of:
- Howe Automotive Limited (HAL)
Schaffer Corporation made the first move into leather in 1984, but major growth did not begin until 1994, with the acquisition of Howe & Company Pty Ltd of Melbourne. The automotive leather business has been a core driver of profitability in past years and this has been substantially due to our partnership with HAL Managing Director, Mr Anton Mayer (who is also a Director of Schaffer Corporation Limited). The leather division suppl;ies quality automotive leather to a global customer base, including well known automobile brands such as Ford, GM, Volkswagon, Audi and Land Rover.
The Schaffer Property Division
The Schaffer Property Division consists of a range of wholly owned and joint-venture property investments predominantly in Western Australia . This division has grown substantially in the past 10 years and is a consistent and stable driver of earnings with a return on capital in excess of our benchmark 15% hurdle rate.
Our People
The success of the Schaffer Group lies in the many hundreds, in fact thousands of loyal employees and directors who have worked for the company over the past 50 plus years, employees such as Frank Vesic, Jack Love and Kel Webster, to name but a few, and the shareholders who have remained with us. It is interesting to note that today, there still remain a number of our very first shareholders on our register – a testament to the longevity of this great company and its supporters.
We are very proud of our 50 plus year heritage, and we salute our founders, our shareholders and our employees for their wonderful support. Companies are only as good as their people, and Schaffer Corporation is fortunate to have a close-knit group of employees, staff and directors all working in the best interest of our company, our shareholders and the community.