For many businesses, operating successfully for four decades with a reputation for staff retention signifies ultimate success – one which has been a critical priority for Macrennie Commercial Construction. Over the past five years, the company has nurtured and developed the next generation of leaders, who are now driving a strong focus on social and sustainable governance with a commitment to elevating industry standards.
The business is the latest to join forces with Keystone Trust in a sponsorship role that will provide scholarship funding, mentoring, and practical work experience opportunities for the trust’s network of students working towards qualifications in the property and construction sectors.
“Macrennie’s enduring success over 44 years underscores a remarkable synergy within the company. We are delighted to welcome them to our sponsor network, as their invaluable insights and support open doors that will greatly benefit the trust’s students,” says Amanda Stanes, general manager of Keystone Trust.
Macrennie Commercial Construction Director, 
Michael White says the business is proud its people-centric ethos has translated into an excellent work culture for team members. However, with a desire to support lifting industry standards, changes have prompted executives to investigate how it can continue to better support talent in the construction industry.
“There is such a wealth of knowledge within the company from industry stalwarts that have worked at Macrennie for twenty, thirty, thirty-five years. They have seen economic cycles, global shocks, technological developments – and the growth and development of New Zealand’s industrial, commercial, and residential skyline.
“They possess critical knowledge of New Zealand’s built environment, which is valuable intellect not only we, but the entire sector stands to benefit from tapping into before they hang up their boots.
“As talents are lost to Australia and the industry experiences a watering down of skillsets from employment-driven migration, it becomes more critical this experience is passed on through mentorship, training, and by doing what we can to remove the barriers to practical education.”
Giving a career leg-up is personal for White, who, at 19, was accepted into Macrennie’s then-cadet programme, which provided support and work experience as he completed a Bachelor of Construction Economics at Unitec. White is also a friend and university schoolmate of Keystone alumni-now-trustee Tamati Parker.
“Keystone has been on my radar since my university days with Tamati, where I saw first-hand how valuable the network, professional support, and career opportunities are to its students. There is a tangible social impact which underscores its importance and efficiency in supporting students to realise their career goals.”
White says the partnership has come at an excellent time for Macrennie, which has leveraged a more challenging economic climate to reconfigure internal frameworks and reassess channels to direct funds and professional energy.
“We realise that people are any business’s biggest asset, and we continue to evolve in line with what we see as operational vibrancy. As Macrennie has grown, we are increasingly leaning into our responsibility of reinvesting time and energy into industry competency and look forward to better supporting this mission as we move ahead as sponsors of Keystone Trust.”
For further media enquiries, please contact
Amanda Stanes
Keystone Trust – General Manager
M: 021 689 380
E: amanda@keystonetrust.org.nz
Michael White
Macrennie Commercial Construction – Managing Director
M: 027 702 9353
