McKay returns to South Island to establish permanent office in Queenstown Lakes District
McKay is proud to announce that the Queenstown Lakes District Council has awarded McKay Ltd a up to eight year contract
to maintain and renew both QLDC and NZTA street and amenity lighting across the district. The contract is to start on
the 1st of May 2019 and will see the company bring new skills and jobs to the growing region.
This contract follows the McKay’s team success in the completion of an upgrade to 1900 P-CAT streetlights to energy
efficient LED’s for QLDC over the past 6 months. The council sought responses for the lighting maintenance and renewals
in January 2019, and awarded the contract to McKay in April 2019. Part of McKay’s original LED upgrade required McKay to
obtain the necessary certificates and approval to work on the local lines authorities network, which the streetlights
are connected to. Through the 20 years of industry experience and existing streetlight contracts held by McKay in the
North Island, the process was executed quickly and without delay.
The new branch is expected to create at least five jobs for the local area and McKay is eager to recruit people who are
passionate about electrotechnology.
McKay’s Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Edwards, is delighted to steer forward McKay’s continued growth. “The award of
the QLDC contract signifies McKay’s position as New Zealand’s premier streetlight maintenance provider, with eight
current long term maintenance contracts with Councils currently being delivered across the North and South Islands. We
look forward to delivering a great service to Council and the people of the Queenstown Lakes district.”
The contract will see McKay establish permanent operations in the region, enabling McKay’s existing and new South Island
customers to access all of McKay services on a regular basis. In addition to McKay’s line mechanics and street lighting
crews, McKay will look to establish a branch that will offer services in:
• Electrical engineering
• Marine electrical engineering services
• Automation and Controls systems engineering
• General electrical contracting
This contract signals McKay’s return to the South Island after 43 years and represents an exciting time for the company.
McKay previously had operations in the South Island following the construction of the Aluminium smelter in Bluff in
which McKay provided the original Electrical construction work. During this time McKay considered opening a branch in
Queenstown in 1976 but decided against the decision, turning down the purchase of a property for as little as £500.
McKay Ltd is originally a Northland based company with head office in Whangarei, and offices across the North Island
including Northland, Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Kawerau, and Gisborne.
As a multi-disciplined electrotechnology company providing industrial, infrastructure, commercial and marine services,
McKay recently debut on the EY Top Ten Companies to Watch list, as a result of over 52% growth in recent years. With
more than 400 staff operating in New Zealand and overseas, McKay is considered New Zealand’s largest and most successful
privately owned electrical contracting business. McKay has largely been driven by significant new business in New
Zealand across all of the McKay market sectors, showcasing organic growth through long term maintenance contracts and
key strategic capital projects.