Building downturn sees 8 Timaru jobs go

Timaru company Thompson Construction and Engineering has made eight staff redundant amid the economic fallout of Covid-19.

General manager Mark Baird confirmed the job losses yesterday, saying the eight Timaru positions would be disestablished at the end of the first round of the wage subsidy scheme.

Two engineers, four construction staff and two administration roles would go. That would leave 90 staff on the company’s books, he said.

‘‘It’s just sad as we have had to let some valued employees go. It’s not something we take lightly, it has been forced on us a wee bit.

‘‘It’s not something we had wanted to do, we’d rather be employing people than disestablishing roles,’’ Baird said.

He said the company had been in talks with the affected employees for the past fortnight.

‘‘We are supporting them.’’

He said it had been a stressful time

Thompson general manager

for the company.

‘‘At this stage it is looking tighter for work. No-one knows what the future holds.

‘‘I hope there will be no more jobs losses. At this stage I can say there won’t be, but that all depends on Covid19.’’

Baird said there were a lot of construction companies around the world forced into a similar position.

‘‘It’s due to the downturn in work in 2020 and 2021. There has just been a general slowdown in work.’’

Baird said their work on projects outside of South Canterbury had differed as a result of Covid-19, but work locally had remained steady – with no projects affected to date.

He would not be drawn on which projects had differed or where those projects were, stating the information was commercially sensitive.

‘‘At the end of the day, it’s about protecting the business. Hopefully in the future when things pick up, we can look to grow again.’’

Thompson, one of South Canterbury’s largest design and construction companies, was established by Lyndon Thompson in 1978.

His sons Craig and Vaughn took over the business in 2002 when it employed several people.

The company has been involved in some big-ticket projects over the years including the new tank farm at Timaru’s port, PrimePort Timaru’s No 1 wharf upgrade and multiple Rooney Earthmoving developments.

In recent years the company has undertaken construction of warehouses, freight depots, factories, office blocks, showrooms and kitsets; hangars, workshops and storage buildings.

‘‘It’s about protecting the business. Hopefully in the future when things pick up, we can look to grow again.’’ Mark Baird