Our Team behind the scenes
Our people
Meet the leadership team behind every Waiotahi project. Our directors bring industry expertise and a commitment to excellence that sets our standard and drives our success.
Spike Petersen
Managing Director
Phillip Claydon
Director/Quarries Branch Manager
Stephen Claydon
Director/Waiotahi Transport Manager
Henry claydon
Director/ Tauranga Branch Manager
Ross Pickworth
External Director / Chairman
Eric Black
Finance Manager
Hollie Atarau
People & Capability Manager
Gerard Jull
Health & Safety Manager
Richard Claydon & Robbie Petersen
Founded as Waiotahi Draglines Ltd in 1957 by brothers Buddy, George and Dick Bennett and their partner Len Gordon, the company initially had a single dragline intended for use on the Bennett Bros farm, hence the company name.
In 1962, Richard Claydon (known as ‘Father’) joined the company and over time bought the business outright.
Three years later Robbie Petersen joined the company and the duo managed the business for the next 50 years before handing the reins over to their sons Henry, Stephen, Michael, Phillip, Andrew and Spike in 2020.
Today, Richard and Robbie have stepped back from the front-line management of the business, leaving this task in the capable hands of the second generation.
quality we're proud of
Globally Recognised Management Systems
Waiotahi Group of Companies run their business in line with ISO 9001:2015 Quality, ISO 45001:2018 Health and Safety and ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems and are fully certified to these standards.
Our ISO certification assures our customers that we have robust, clearly defined procedures in place in all our business areas and strong business continuity processes.
Achieving these international standards demonstrates that Waiotahi is capable of understanding the needs of our customers to deliver a high-quality service, at the same time continuously reviewing and improving the way we work. Fire out more about ISO Standards Here.