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One of Mahurangi’s most established civil engineering firms has changed hands.
After 20 years, Colin Ashby has sold to Kerikeri-based firm Haigh Workman, which is jointly owned by partners John Papesch, John McLaren and Phil Workman.
Mr Papesch says Ashby Consulting has a good reputation and the name will be retained.
“Haigh Workman runs a very similar type of business in the north so Ashby’s is a good fit,” he says. “We have a
team of young engineers and are keen to grow the Warkworth business to the next level.”
Residential and light commercial engineering will remain the mainstay of firm’s work.
Mr Papesch says when people approach a new house project or extension timely advice can be a money saver.
For instance, a geo-technical report will identify any underlining sub-surface issues. Sometimes it’s just a matter of shifting the house a few metres to save several thousand dollars, he says.
“Navigating through all the Council rules and regulations can be a real challenge, even for extensions. Adding an extra room, for instance, could mean having to increase the size of the wastewater system. Likewise, the rules around impervious surfaces can mean additional work to manage stormwater.
“Looking at these engineering issues early in the project is certainly the best advice we can give people.”
Mr Papesch says he is looking forward to getting to know the Mahurangi district better.
“We did a 20-lot rural subdivision, just out of Orewa, recently and as a keen scuba diver, I have dived at Goat Island many times, but the area is growing quickly so there has been a lot of change.”
Meanwhile, Mr Ashby will continue his business in Christchurch, providing background support in Warkworth when needed.
Mr Ashby moved to Christchurch in 2010 when he volunteered with Civil Defence after the first earthquake struck and stayed on to assist with the rebuild.
