Our Award-Winning Team
Home Our Team
Founded by Managing Director Clive Barrington, Clive Barrington Construction is large enough to provide the expertise and resources for high-end architectural builds and Commercial Fit Outs, but small enough to forge personal connections with our clients.
We have 50 staff, who we also think of as extended family. Our Foremen and Leading Hands/Carpenters are all qualified tradesmen and Licensed Building Practitioners. To provide the craftsmanship we're known for, we only use our in-house Carpenters - we don't contract out.
Click on the photos below to see Management Team Bios.
Clive began his career early: reassembling his cot, and smoothing his porridge with a spirit level. His drive for perfection continues - resulting in Clive Barrington Construction winning more national awards than any other New Zealand building company.
Clive pushes for excellence across the building sector - his contribution to the industry is considered unparalleled in Canterbury. He also supports the Apprentice of the Year Awards, is a past President of the Master Builders Association and is a Judge for the Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards.
Building Tiny Houses has become another passion - but in true Clive fashion, elevating tiny house build quality to his exceptionally high standards.
Never one to do things by halves, Clive grew his own grapes and planted a forest, so that there's never a shortage of seriously good wood or wine. "The best part is always that bit where you sit down with the client at the end of the build over a bottle of wine and know you're both happy with the result," he says.
David has lived and breathed Clive Barrington Construction for more than 31 years. He's living proof that the best foremen make the best project managers and operations managers.
David oversees the planning and execution of every aspect of our work. He has an innate ability to work with complex architectural plans and help us turn them into masterpieces of construction.
Our clients love David, we love his organisational skills and 'old school' work ethic of sheer hard work. After burning through a phone battery every six months, he's cut back to working a mere 23 hours a day.
Behind every successful construction company, there's usually an extraordinary woman calling the shots. For us, it's Margaret. Financial tracking, administration, making sure teams are up, dressed and on site on time, are all part of Margaret's multi-faceted role (ok, maybe not the dressed part).
Those foolish enough to doubt where the real power lies within Clive Barrington Construction, only make that mistake once … Margaret found having staples inserted backwards in their staple guns for a week, usually sorts them out.
Blair has project managed some of our most spectacular architectural builds, including 'The Rocks' in Sumner. He's known for his skill, dedication (and downright bloody mindedness) when it comes to delivering on builds deemed near impossible by other builders.
One of our top-performing foremen, Blair re-joined Clive Barrington Construction in 2016. Rumours that he had previously left for the French Foreign Legion for respite care after years of working for Clive, have never been proven.
Well respected in the industry, Blair is also a skilled negotiator. If all else fails, a reminder that he holds a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Karate, could be a clinching argument.
In his former life as the owner of a residential building business for 20 years, Brad was also project manager, foreman and carpenter on every project. We're very fortunate that he became part of Clive Barrington Construction.
Brad's abiding interest in architecture includes designing and installing trap doors on our building sites to welcome Clive, who can pop up unexpectedly. This also explains why when Brad's not seeing projects through to completion for delighted clients, he can be found some evenings at home in the garage, testing trip-wires. A small price to pay, he says, for working at one of the most respected construction companies in New Zealand.
Jason ('JP') planned to be an architect but luckily for us, decided to be a builder. He joined our team in 2008 - progressing to Foreman, then Project Manager. "It's a drawcard that the company encourages promotion from within," says Jason.
Career highlights with us, include a Governors Bay home - winner of a Registered Master Builders New Homes $1 million - $2 million award ... And his first project as Foreman (no pressure eh JP!): the strikingly modern rebuild of Homebush - the Deans Homestead, which won an architectural award. "I enjoy the complexity and problem-solving aspects of architectural building," he explains.
Jason loves family time with his 'party of five' and is an avid sports fan, including greyhound racing and playing football at competitive level. His Manchester United screensaver at work causes much banter (and is a yellow card offense, according to our GM Andrew - a keen Liverpool supporter).
Steve’s working career didn’t initially start as a Quantity Survey. He had worked in various diverse occupations before being drawn into the role several years ago. “I had several high-pressure jobs, however being a quantity surveyor has given me the right high-level challenge while still maintaining a work life balance”
No one day is the same, each build is different, budget considerations and client expectations all vary. His Quantity Surveying experience started with a group home housing company, then to a move into a QS role with a project management company involved with Christchurch Earthquake rebuild. A lifestyle change prompted a north island move. Gaining more QS experience, however the call of family became great, which resulted in a move back to the hometown.
“In pricing each build, we put our builder’s hat on so as to achieve the best outcome for our clients. All staff at Clive Barrington Construction are very experienced, professional and a pleasure to work with”.
He does like to travel and there are several boxes in Europe that still need to be ticked.
Wendy does so much in the business for so many, where do we start! She calls herself the Old Duck, but to us, she's Camp Mother. Wendy has a lovely way of gaining rapport with our extended family - right through from young apprentices, to clients.
Despite having a mind like a steel trap for numbers, Wendy says she has worked in Law/Banking/ Administration roles for longer than she can remember; from the days of manual typewriters. "I love bringing order and simplicity to admin processes and I like Excel spreadsheets more than I'm willing to admit," laughs Wendy.
Wendy grew up on the Canterbury plains near Lincoln, as have six generations of her family. From researching her genealogy, she discovered she also has Scottish, Royal Stewart DNA (perhaps we should call her Your Highness, or Ma'am?).
Out of work, Wendy loves gardening, knitting and time with her beloved grandchildren.