Master Builders company Livingstone Building has backed home-grown leadership to steer its next phase, appointing Ash Burkhart as chief executive officer of the $200 million-plus family-owned construction company.
Burkhart moves into the role after 18 months as general manager for the upper North Island, where he led Livingstone’s teams across Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Auckland, Taupo and Rotorua. He has overseen some of the company’s most significant projects in recent years, including:
• Fonterra’s new North Bloc headquarters in Hamilton,
• The Hive student health and wellness centre for St Paul’s Collegiate,
• Taupo’s Tauhara College redevelopment for the Ministry of Education,
• Te Kete Aronui Rototuna Library for Hamilton City Council, and
• Fletcher Wood Products’ Laminex OSB plant in Taupo.
The appointment comes as Livingstone marks 79 years in business, having grown from a regional builder to a company turning over more than $200 million a year, with 55 sites currently underway from Wellington to Silverdale.
“My vision has always been for Livingstone to be the employer of choice. We’re a people business, not just a construction company, and everything we deliver depends on the people we have out on our sites every day,” Burkhart says.
“We want to keep building on the relationships that got us here and find better ways to do it for our clients, whether that’s through the people we hire, the technology we use, or how we value-engineer a project.”
Burkhart says balancing Livingstone’s family culture with the standards of a much larger operation will be central to the role.
“We want our clients to know who our teams are and to enjoy the journey with us, and that’s something we’re determined not to lose as we grow.”
Livingstone Board Chair Andrew Johnson endorses Burkhart’s appointment.
“The Board is pleased to appoint Ash Burkhart as chief executive officer. Ash is a respected leader with a great understanding of our business, our people, and the opportunities ahead. We have every confidence in his ability to lead the company through its next phase of growth and success,” Johnson says.
Livingstone’s client base spans the education, industrial, commercial and healthcare sectors. The company is currently undertaking significant project developments, including McDonald’s Central in Hamilton, Otumoetai College Design & Build in Tauranga, Kinloch Village Centre in Taupo, and Roberts Line Distribution Centre in Palmerston North.
About Livingstone Building
Livingstone Building is a family-owned construction company with 79 years’ experience delivering commercial, industrial, education and healthcare projects across the North Island.
Operating from five regional offices, the company works with a team of more than 200 people, and holds long-standing partnerships with clients including the Ministry of Education and McDonald’s.
