Anthony Leighs - Leighs Construction
Anthony and his company, Leighs Construction, have emerged as one of the true leaders in the resurgence of Christchurch. His success, in part, can be attributed to "feeling the fear and doing it anyway," or more aptly, stepping into challenges others shied from. In the early years, he says this approach stemmed from a combination of enthusiasm, ignorance, and lots of hard work – all paired with having good people around him.
Anthony says he didn’t enjoy school and initially wanted to join the Army. But his grandfather, a former Navy captain, persuaded him to consider a different path. Anthony enrolled at the then Christchurch Polytechnic, where he studied a course covering architecture, vertical construction, and quantity surveying. It was here that he decided construction was his calling and in 1992, at the young age of 21, he founded Leighs Construction.
At the same time, the young Anthony had a passion for motor racing, but a lack of funds quickly put a stop to this. As finances became less of an issue, he returned to the sport and has since raced on some of the world’s finest racetracks.
From the outside, the strategic growth of Leighs Construction might not be immediately evident. Anthony explained that their journey can be divided into four distinct periods. The first decade was hard graft construction, which laid the foundation but had its limits.
Reflecting on Leighs’ motto of "stepping into places where others fear to tread," Anthony described how the second decade solidified their reputation for tackling tough jobs. After completing a project in Africa for the New Zealand Government, they successfully tendered for the rebuild of the Hillary Field Centre in Antarctica. Competing against several major construction companies, Leighs’ willingness to take on the perceived risks gave them a unique edge. This was followed by numerous other Antarctic projects, and the New Zealand Embassy in East Timor. Anthony credited his team’s ability to focus on the key risks and excellent “coal face” planning as an advantage, enabling them to superbly deliver these international projects.
Anthony identified the third period as a time of significant growth. However, he discovered a puzzling perception that Leighs was not committed to the Christchurch market, despite over half their projects being based there. He speculated that this reputation arose from their newsletter marketing, which often highlighted their international ventures rather than local projects. Determined to change this view, the company worked hard to shift that perception throughout 2009. It meant that when the Christchurch earthquakes struck, Leighs was well-positioned to take up the myriad opportunities. During this time, Leighs safely and efficiently demolished some of the largest buildings in the central business district (CBD), paving the way for the rebuild, in which they were significantly involved.
One of their notable contributions during this time was the Re:START Container Mall, a symbol of Christchurch’s resilience. Few people know that Anthony and Leighs Construction took on the financial risk of purchasing the containers before the Re:START Trust had secured funding. If they hadn’t, the project would not have been completed by the Trust’s deadline of October 29, 2011.
Anthony attributes Leighs’ sustainable growth to the guidance of a strong board of directors. In hindsight, he believes appointing a board earlier in the company’s development would have been beneficial. In 2015, Leighs expanded into the Auckland market, taking on high-profile projects such as the Middlemore and Starship hospitals, Mt Eden Prison and many others.
Looking to the future, Anthony shared his vision for the fourth phase of the company’s journey. A key project is the construction of a highly sustainable building at 211 High Street. This development, which is targeting Greenstar 6 and Nabers 5 ratings, will use structural materials designed to minimise embodied carbon, reducing the building’s carbon footprint by approximately 80% compared to traditional concrete or steel structures. Anthony believes sustainable construction represents the future and is excited about the building’s location near the new stadium on the former Excelsior site. There is a combination of office, hospitality and retail space available to lease in this special building.
Anthony’s story highlights the power of embracing challenges, strategic planning, and continuous evolution in achieving long-term success and his contribution to our city’s rebuild is on every horizon.
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