Firm celebrates its 30th
A company which started with five permanent staff and six part timers in Te Awamutu and Hamilton recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with a client function at the Te Awamutu office.
Today CKL has a third branch in Auckland, now its biggest with 60 staff, and a total team of 110.
From more humble beginnings as a surveying company, CKL now offers professional services as civil engineers, environmental engineers, stormwater engineers, traffic engineers, project managers, resource management planners — and land surveyors.
CKL started life as Carter Keucke and Latham, but was abbreviated to make it easier to say and remember.
It was the result of the merger of two existing survey practices, which were already well established — Rod Keucke’s practice in Hamilton and John Carter and David Latham’s Te Awamutu practice.
The wives — Gill Latham, Kay Carter and Barbara Keucke all worked in the practice.
Today Kay, Gill and David are still in the Te Awamutu office — 30 years on.
The Te Awamutu branch is managed by Hamish Ross.
He says the focus of the business has changed and developed over the years to become more inclusive of the process of land development.
“We are a multi disciplinary consultancy with a focus on land development.
“However, with our broad range of skills we also cater to many other types of projects,” says Hamish.
“The Government and councils are demanding more from developers so we have responded by hiring the professional staff required to cover all aspects of the process.”
Hamish says CKL built its business on rural work — farmers realising income potential by developing their land. Over the years that has continued, but there has also been a shift to more urban development — residential subdivisions mainly, such as the growth cells to the west and north east of Te Awamutu, but also industrial developments such as Bond Road Industrial Park.
Intensification of residential developments and changes to stormwater systems provide some of the biggest challenges — areas CKL has embraced with their team of planners and engineers.
Hamish says they are in a business which can feel the pulse of a community, and lately the team feels Te Awamutu is positive about its future.
He says that has meant it has been a busy few years in the local office — but the team of professionals and support staff, and with help from the other branches, have embraced the challenges and continued to deliver positive outcomes for clients.