Downer Group is an integrated services company active in Australia and New Zealand. Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and New Zealand Stock Exchange as Downer EDI (DOW), Downer is an ASX 200 company. Downer Group employs approximately 33,000 people across more than 300 sites, primarily in Australia and New Zealand, but also in the Asia-Pacific region, South America and southern Africa. History Downer's foundations were laid in the 19th century, when Walkers Limited and Clyde Engineering were founded in Australia, and the Public Works Department and Electrical Telegraph Department were founded in New Zealand. They merged in the 20th century to form parts of the Downer Group. The 20th century also saw the purchase of companies that now make up Downer's core divisions: railway manufacturer Evans Deakin & Company (EDI) and mining contractor Roche Brothers. In 1933, the Downer Group was founded in New Zealand by Arnold Fielder Downer, as Downer & Co, focusing on providing engineering and construction services to the public and private infrastructure sectors in New Zealand, including the New Zealand Public Works Department. In 1954, Downer & Co merged with William Cable Holdings and, in 1964, with A & G Price, to form Cable Price Downer. In 1994, Downer merged with Hong Kong-based Paul YITC. In 1996, the company purchased Works Corporation, the state-owned enterprise civil construction arm of the New Zealand Ministry of Works & Development. In 1997, mining contractor Roche Brothers was acquired. In 1998, Downer purchased major roads contractor Technic Group, and was first listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. In 2000, road-sealing business Bitumix was acquired from BP. In 2001, Downer merged with Evans Deakin Industries to form Downer EDI. Between 2003 and 2008, Downer also acquired Stork, QCC, Snowden, Emoleum and Excell Corporation. In October 2014, the construction assets of Tenix were acquired. In March 2017, Downer acquired Hawkins, one of New Zealand's largest builders, and in June 2017, took majority ownership of Spotless Group Holdings through a hostile takeover. It took full ownership of Spotless for $1.27 billion in October 2020. The Spotless acquisition was the largest in Downer's history. Major projects Projects undertaken by the company have included: Homer Tunnel (1935–1940) Rimutaka Tunnel in partnership with Morrison-Knudsen (1951–1955) Cook Strait Ferry Terminal for passenger and freight operations (1960) Lower Nihotupu Reservoir (1948) Lower Wairarapa Valley flood prevention scheme (1964–1984) New Plymouth Power Station (1972) City Rail Link, Auckland