Our History

Founded in 1974 by Eric and Zelma Hanley, Hanleys is built on the attention to detail, service-orientation and humble nature of the Hanley family. Now owned and operated by the next generation of family members, Lyndal & Gary Barnes and Warren Hanley, Hanleys continues to operate with the same customer service-orientation it was built upon.

Humble beginnings

Prior to establishing Hanleys, Eric was already in the industry working at a Queensland chemical manufacturer. They were both a manufacturer and supplier of other ancillary lines of supporting products of the chemicals. Due to regulations at the time, the government had dictated the business needed to derive at least 70% of its revenue from its manufacturing activities.

With customers always front-of-mind, Eric had a knack for offering the right cleaning chemicals and products for the right application. Unfortunately, at his own peril, Eric believed that these customers weren’t often best served by only being supplied with the company's own manufactured product.

His sales figures didn’t match the required 70/30 revenue split. Long story short, he was laid off and out of work - but not for long.

Opportunity & growth

Eric and Zelma saw the opportunity to go into business for themselves, where they could provide the right solutions for their customers. Hanley Industrial Enterprises (HIE) was founded on the 24th of February 1974 and for its first year Eric and Zelma ran it from their humble family abode at Kippa-Ring QLD.

From humble beginnings, big things grew. Today, Hanleys continues under the leadership of Lyndal, Gary and Warren, and runs with the support of their dedicated team.