When he started with Clements Contractors three years ago, Liam Taylor had never operated heavy machinery. Today there’s nothing on site he can’t handle and his rapid rise to award-winning trainee has impressed even Northland’s most experienced operators.

After leaving school and training to become a boilermaker, then dabbling in building, a temporary health setback made Liam realise that life was too short not to chase his dream, leading him to make the move into civil construction.

“I’ve just always wanted to drive diggers. I used to look at a digger or bulldozer and think I’d rather be driving one than welding or building houses.”

As luck would have it, the Whangārei man had a friend whose father worked for Clements Contractors and helped him get a foot in the door.

“That was my window in. I just let my work kind of speak for itself. I want to be the best digger and bulldozer operator in Northland.”

It’s safe to say Liam’s work has been speaking volumes, after being named Trainee Award winner at the Civil Contractors New Zealand Northland Branch Awards in June.

Building skills – one machine at a time

His colleagues describe him as “the kind of guy every crew wants” and it’s easy to see why. Starting with just a car licence and zero experience, he’s on a mission to systematically master every piece of machinery Clements Contractors has on board.

“My passion is diggers and bulldozers, but I just like being as versatile as possible. I’ve driven most of the gear that we have at Clements.”

The 27-year-old says he takes a practical approach to learning new skills.

“I look at who’s on site, find who’s the best operator and then I try and replicate what they’re doing.”

His approach has been paying off, with Liam smashing out his Certificate in Civil Infrastructure (Level Three) and New Zealand Apprenticeship in Infrastructure Works (Civil) with a strand in Earthworks (Level Four), earning his truck driving licence and Wheels Tracks and Rollers endorsement, plus becoming proficient on all types of machinery from rollers to bulldozers.

Learning from legends

Liam’s favourite project was the LMJ Stage Two residential housing development on Austin Road in Whangārei, a major earthworks job that surrounded him with some of Northland’s most skilled operators.

The team had more than 100 years of civil infrastructure experience between them and included legendary operator and colleague Doug Watene, who won the Leadership Award at the recent CCNZ Northland Branch Awards.

“The stuff that I learned on that job was phenomenal and it helped get me to the level I needed to win the Trainee Award.”

He says he loves talking to clients, understanding their vision for a project and “bringing people’s dreams to life”.

“My biggest passion is earthworks – that’s what makes me tick. I could do earthworks for the rest of my days and I’d be happy.”

Liam says he wants to inspire others to believe they can get to the same level of achievement as him, supporting junior colleagues in the same way as mentors like Doug Watene have helped him.

“Knowledge is just useless and wasted if you don’t pass it on.”

For school leavers or people considering changing careers Liam’s advice is simple.

“Come with the right attitude and an open mind. Just get in there and be willing to muck in. It’s such a cool industry and I think a lot of people overlook it.”

He’s now following in the footsteps of his mentors, working his way towards a supervisor role. His ultimate goal is to gain the skills he needs to one day start his own business – that way it’s only up to him when it’s time to get out of his excavator.

Clements Contractors CEO Sarra Ali says Liam’s drive to learn and outstanding work ethic qualifies him as the “future of civil construction in Northland” – and she reckons he’s only just getting warmed up.

From childhood dreams to award-winning reality, Liam’s story proves that in civil construction, the only limit to how far you can go is your own ambition.