Meet the Team
Shane O'Brien
Managing Director
(NZCB)
Shane has been in the building industry for more than 40 years and has owned/managed Colspec for 40 years.
Over the years Shane has shaped Colspec to embody the same traits he has himself and that are manifested on our office walls.
Personal responsibility, pride, fairness, professionalism, quality, and integrity.
Shane takes care of client liaison, high level governance, financial management, and contract procurement.
Hamish O'Brien
General Manager
(Dip. Quantity Surveying)
Hamish joined Colspec as a Cadet Quantity Surveyor in 2006 after spending a year working on-site and has worked his way up.
Always available for clients, staff, and the community alike; Hamish leads by example through his natural honesty and integrity.
His role includes business strategy, project procurement, financial management, project, staff and office management, programming, and quality management.
Email: hamish@colspec.co.nz
Testimonials
“Colspec met the challenge and provided the features and quality finish we desired, met deadlines, and kept us well informed throughout the whole renovation process. Their post-completion support was excellent as well. We’d use these guys again without hesitation.”
“Colspec recently completed a new Early Childcare Centre for us in Palmerston North and we were extremely impressed throughout the project. The team at Colspec listened to what we wanted to achieve and carefully explained how that would be delivered. They kept us up to date throughout the project and delivered a very cost effective and impressive build.
We highly recommend Colspec as an efficient, reliable and astute building company who we will most certainly be using again.”
“We used Colspec Construction to design and build our regional warehouse/retail showroom spaces in Palmerston North and Hamilton. Throughout the process Shane, Hamish, and the team were excellent to deal with. Colspec will be the first construction company we think of when planning our next project.”
Dan Giles
Construction Manager
(L5 Certificate in Main Contract Supervision) (Trade Certificate)
Dan joined Colspec in 2005 and is a carpenter by trade. He is an integral part of our company and manages some of our larger and more complicated projects. Dan's leadership and ability to manage multiple projects concurrently are vital skills that are extremely valuable in our Colspec team.
Dan (and Gareth) offer a supporting role to Hamish as General Manager and form part of the management team within Colspec. Together they manage the day to day running of site crews and are involved in HR, relationship management and risk mitigation on projects.
As well as this, Dan’s position also involves site management, health and safety on-site, co-ordination of Colspec staff, co-ordination of subcontractors, and programming. Dan is heavily involved with maintaining and promoting the Colspec company culture and is energetic about doing so.
Email: dan.colspec@gmail.com
Gareth Andrews
Construction Manager
(L5 Certificate in Main Contract Supervision) (Trade Certificate)
Gareth joined Colspec in 2014 and is a carpenter by trade. His involvement in some of Colspec's largest projects demonstrates his ability to deliver on every project he undertakes. Gareth's leadership and ability to get the most out of his contractors is a huge asset to our team.
Gareth (and Dan) offer a supporting role to Hamish as General Manager and form part of the management team within Colspec. Together they manage the day to day running of site crews and are involved in HR, relationship management and risk mitigation on projects.
Gareth’s position also involves site management, health and safety on site, co-ordination of Colspec staff, co-ordination of subcontractors, and programming. He also plays an integral role in maintaining and promoting the company culture and moral and is passionate when doing so.
Email: gareth.colspec@gmail.com
Steve Hirst
Technical / Health & Safety Manager
(Advanced Trade Certificate)
Affectionately known as “The Oracle” around the office, Steve is the man to see for any “how-to” help.
His role includes project, staff and office management, health and safety, quantity surveying, programming, and subcontract co-ordination.
Steve has been in the building industry for 40+ years and has been with Colspec for over 35 years.
Email: steve@colspec.co.nz
Andrew West
Quantity Surveyor
(BSc) (Dip. Quantity Surveying)
Andrew joined our team in 2017 and has completed his Diploma in Quantity Surveying.
He is passionate about building strong relationships with clients, subcontractors and his colleagues. This ensures that each and every project that Andrew is involved in, is delivered to the high standards Colspec set.
Andrews role involves quantity surveying, project management, contract management, tender management, and subcontractor co-ordination.
Email: andrew@colspec.co.nz
Laurence Hayden
Quantity Surveyor
(Dip. Quantity Surveying)
Laurence joined the Colspec team in 2019 and has completed his Diploma in Quantity Surveying.
A mixture of a people and numbers person, Laurence is as much at home on site working through project items as he is pricing tenders and variations.
Laurence’s role involves pricing of estimates, tenders and variations; as well as all things project management from progress reports to value engineering.
Email: laurence@colspec.co.nz
Michelle Stevenson
Accounts Manager
Michelle joined the Colspec team in October 2023 and has quickly found her feet within the role.
Colspec’s financial accounts, invoicing, and payments are handled by Michelle and our off-site accountant.
Michelle’s role entails the efficient running of the office; liaising with clients, staff and subcontractors; accounts and payroll.
Email: accounts@colspec.co.nz
Laura Martin
Contracts Administrator
Laura joined our team in 2023 and comes to us with many years experience working in the construction industry.
She works closely with every member of our Colspec team to ensure that we deliver each and every project at the consistently high level that we set.
Laura’s role involves tender, contract and general office management alongside liaising with clients, subcontractors and staff.
Email: contractsadmin@colspec.co.nz
