Liam Stretch

LOC Construction, a true family business, was founded by Les O’Connell in 1991. His son, Tom, started as an apprentice under his father’s guidance, and together, they’ve grown the business.

Playing to their strengths, Tom handles project acquisition and nurturing client, supplier, and subcontractor relationships until project initiation. After that, capable foremen and a skilled team take charge of the ongoing projects. Les works directly with the foremen, overseeing all projects, ensuring the highest standard of work across all sites and setting a remarkable example with his unwavering work ethic.

This family-oriented approach extends to the entire team, which has now grown to eight members. Every year, LOC Construction offers work experience to two students from St Bede’s College in Papanui. Currently, six team members hail from the same college.

“For apprentices, it’s all about whether they can work hard. If they have a good work ethic and common sense and are actually committed to wanting to build, they won’t get a better start in the trade.”

Specialising in high-end and hilltop architectural homes valued between $1 million and $3 million, LOC Construction has made a name for itself, amassing numerous awards. Most recently, it claimed the Supreme House of the Year award at the Registered Master Builder House of the Year Awards for Mid and South Canterbury.

The award-winning property is a new build located in Prebbleton.

The angular 356m2 property sits perfectly in its semi-rural setting with a combination of Rockcote masonry cladding and LMA Timber on the exterior. The large floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with natural light and take in the views of the extensive property, which the owners landscaped prior to the build.

It’s these features and the smaller details that Tom attributes to their success.

“There was one ceiling right through the house, and there were no breaks in the ceiling. In any other house, in the bedroom, for example, there would be a separate ceiling but here, the doors go right up with no reveals. Essentially, we had a 400-square-metre ceiling. It had to be millimetre perfect.”

The interior offers spacious and luxurious living, with four bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, and two living rooms on a large lifestyle block. The bespoke Palazzo kitchen, with contrasting black and white tones, exemplifies meticulous attention to detail.

The LOC Construction website documents the many beautiful projects they have completed over the years along with the consistent Gold regional and National awards won in the Registered Master Builders House of the Year. Notably, 2023 is the third year of being included in the Top 100 Houses in NZ.

Commenting on the key to their continued success, Tom highlights Les’s commitment to delivering top-quality work.

“Les doesn’t accept anything less than perfection. He ensures that the team adheres to his high standards, and he’s not afraid to redo things to achieve perfection.”

A reputation like theirs has ensured LOC Construction has had a busy few years and is nearly fully booked for 2024. Tom encourages clients interested in starting late next year or the following year to get in touch.

@locconstruction | locconstruction.co.nz

Golden rule