Ian Kearney ONZOM

Ian was first appointed to the board in September 2008 and became chairperson in 2011.

He has been a Director of a number of local and national companies including the Cawthron Institute, Nelson Airport, and Network Tasman and other companies associated with farming, manufacturing, and housing construction. Ian has also been a Trustee of a number of charitable organisations associated with the arts, youth, fishing, and charities. He was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2014 for his contribution to the community and to business.

Ian was drawn to serve on the Taylors Contracting board because he considered the business to be well managed, with good systems in place. “The shareholders also recognised the benefit of having some independent views on their business. I also like the construction business; you can see the projects you have finished and there is a sense of tangible achievement.

“Taylors Contracting has a strong family focus and concern for its employees as part of the extended family, for example Charlie and Matt know the names of most of their employees and chat to them in the break room. There is a concern for employees with support systems such as medical care and health checks and they support the Brightwater and Tasman District communities where they are based, again considering it to be part of the extended family.

“Health and safety was a strong focus when I first became a Director, well before it became a requirement of legislation. The business also has a strong focus on environmental issues with all projects receiving environmental risk analysis. They have a commitment to using resources wisely, such as utilising solar energy to provide most of the head office’s electricity.”