Joe Edwards has joined the Taylors Contracting board, replacing retiring director Steve Hart.
Joe has a particular passion for workplace health and safety and says that one of the aspects of Taylors Contracting that he has long admired has been the way that the company cares for its staff.
“A lot of my background has been in underground operations so I’ve seen the worst of workplace poor conditions and subsequent fatalities,” says Joe.
Joe has served with Taylors Contracting CEO Charlie Taylor on several boards and is currently on the Contrafed Publishing board with him. Joe is also current chairperson of MinEx – the extractives industry safety council – and chairperson of the New Zealand Mines Rescue Trust.
“Charlie and I have both served on the New Zealand Contractors Federation executive and both of us have been President. I’ve always admired the way that Charlie and Taylors have focused on innovative and new ideas.”
Joe is looking forward to getting to know the Taylors Contracting business better.
“I’m in the part of my career where I’m trying to put back into industry more than take out,” he says. “I’m keen to continue supporting the business and the industry to get on top of workplace injuries, and to get everyone to understand what workplace health means.”
Joe says that the industry’s statistics for workplace fatalities are not good and there is so much more to do to ensure that procedures and risk assessments are in place and followed.
“We can’t be complacent,” he says.
Taylors Contracting Chairperson Ian Kearney said that Joe brings depth of experience and a valuable industry perspective to his role as director.
“We are really pleased to have attracted someone of Joe’s calibre to join the board,” says Ian. “We thank Steve for his work over many years and warmly welcome Joe.”
Joe’s first Taylors Contracting board meeting was in September 2023. Directors are appointed for a three-year term with the opportunity to renew for a further term.