92 | Over four decades for M.W. Lissette M.W. Lissette CONTRACTING Cornelius Nuku Excavator on Burden Road Waipunga. M.W. Lissette is built for the kind of work that demands experience, adaptability, and a serious amount of machinery. For more than 45 years, the Hawke’s Bay family business has been moving earth, building forestry roads, developing landfill infrastructure, managing quarries, and taking on large-scale civil work across the region. Founded by Max Lissette in 1979, the company remains family owned and operated, with Max’s grandson Warrick Frogley and his wife Annie at the helm. Warrick has spent more than 30 years with the business, starting as an excavator operator straight out of high school and working his way through virtually every aspect of the operation. The next generation is already being brought into the business, with long-serving employee Kayne Warner recently joining Warrick and Annie as a business partner. Together with landfill operations manager Mike Powell, they coordinate more than 40 staff and a substantial fleet from the company’s Omahu Road base in Hastings. That capability is spread across a diverse range of work. M.W. Lissette is responsible for developing and maintaining the Omarunui Landfill for Hastings District Council, while also building and upgrading forestry roads, constructing landings and hauler pads, undertaking rehabilitation work, and carrying out land development for planting. The company also manages more than a dozen quarries for Pan Pac Forest Products, with blasting and metal extraction overseen by two qualified B grade quarry managers and another manager in training. Its machinery fleet includes excavators ranging from 12 to 50 tonnes, bulldozers, loaders, graders, rollers, dump trucks, metal trucks, transporters, screening and crushing equipment, and specialist HDPE pipe welding equipment. Staff development is another important part of the operation, with training through Competenz, Connexis, and McInnes Training supporting employees to gain specialist licences and NZQA qualifications. Safety remains a major focus, alongside modern equipment and a strong emphasis on looking after the people behind the machinery. The breadth of its capability has helped M.W. Lissette navigate changing market conditions, including the disruption of Covid 19 and the difficult operating environment that followed. The company retained its staff through the pandemic and has continued to invest in training, safety, machinery, and the development of its people. That resilience was central to the company’s Surviving in 25 mindset last year, reflecting a practical approach to a challenging market. Rather than relying on a single sector, M.W. Lissette continues to build strength through the combination of forestry, quarrying, landfill, and general earthworks. The family’s reach extends further through sister company Kimberly Contractors, acquired in 2014 and operating throughout Tairāwhiti. Specialising in forestry road construction and log harvesting, Kimberly employs more than 20 local staff across two crews working in the ngahere. The Gisborne operation has strengthened the family’s connection with the East Coast, while providing opportunities to support the local community through sponsorship of marae, schools, grassroots sports, Gisborne School Lunches, and Ngāti Porou rugby. Across both businesses, the focus remains on skilled people, reliable equipment, safe systems, and the ability to adapt. With decades of experience behind it and a new generation helping shape its future, M.W. Lissette is well positioned to keep delivering the large-scale work Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti require. HITACHI delivers the performance, reliability, and uptime that operators demand. Supported by a nationwide network and round-the-clock service, CablePrice are with you every step of the way. NZ’s #1 Mid-Sized Excavator* – For a Reason. Proudly supporting M.W. Lissette Ltd Proud to support and supply tyres & servicing to M.W. Lissette Ltd T T Kelly Deeks
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