Keith Mackenzie has been building new homes for more than 40 years. He has seen a few building booms come and go, and particularly large ones in Queenstown and Wanaka, but the current market in his home town of Cromwell is like nothing he has seen before.
Keith left school aged 15 to start his carpentry apprenticeship in Tapanui in 1975, and went on to work on significant projects like the Clyde Dam in the 1980s.
He established Keith Mackenzie Builder in 1995 and has worked mainly on new housing in and around Cromwell since.
His dedicated team have earned a reputation for their high quality builds and fastidious attention to detail.
Keith Mackenzie Builder joined Registered Master Builders in 2006, and by 2007 was first recognised with an award in the House of the Year competition.
Further Master Builders awards followed in 2009 with a gold and local category winner, and in 2015 Keith Mackenzie Builder had not one but two gold award and category winning homes at the Master Builders Southern Region House of the Year awards.
Last year the company took out a gold award in the category Nulook New Home $700,000 – $1 million.
The mono pitched home overlooking Lake Dunstan had a unique design and a beautiful location. The owners were people who didn’t compromise on quality,” Keith says.
“The home had oak skirtings, window reveals, and trims, and in the kitchen, three different types of benchtop were used with stainless steel, wooden laminate, and marble.”
Keith Mackenzie Builder sticks to two or three new builds per year, and Keith likes to be in charge of the entire job. “Then I know it’s going to come out properly,” he says.
“I don’t want someone else coming to put the floor down, the chippy putting the frames and trusses up, someone else putting the windows in, and someone else putting the gib on.
“Between all of these things, things can fall down. We box up our own floors, we stand up our own frames and trusses, and we put in our own windows. Because of that, it’s done properly.”
Keith is very particular about his work. He applies great attention to detail and superb finishing to his projects. His current three apprentices are receiving top of the line training under the tutelage of Keith and his two foremen.
Keith is hot on looking after his staff of five builders and one office administrator. “If I don’t have the staff, I don’t have a business,” he says.
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Keith Mackenzie Builder won a gold award in the 2017 Registered Master Builders awards for this mono pitched home overlooking Lake Dunstan.
