Auckland region

Operating from two branches for over a decade, Devonport, established in 2007, and Penrose, established in the early 2010s, Auckland has evolved into a key operational hub within McKay’s upper North Island footprint, combining specialist marine and defence expertise with large-scale commercial and infrastructure capability.

As New Zealand’s largest city and economic centre, Auckland presents both scale and complexity, requiring electrical partners capable of delivering across a wide range of industries and environments.

The Devonport branch, positioned within the Royal New Zealand Navy base, provides specialist electrical expertise in one of the country’s most secure and technically demanding environments. Overseen by Manager – NZDF Marine, Tristan Hunt, the branch supports critical defence and marine infrastructure where precision, compliance, and deep technical capability are essential. The work undertaken there reinforces McKay’s reputation for delivering in complex and highly regulated environments, supporting naval assets and infrastructure that are vital to New Zealand’s defence capability.

While Devonport anchors McKay’s marine and defence capability, the Penrose branch represents McKay’s broader commercial and infrastructure presence across the region. A defining milestone in its growth came with the acquisition of Ward Chandler Electrical Limited. The move significantly expanded McKay’s Auckland operations and brought more than 70 skilled employees into the business, strengthening its capability to deliver major electrical projects throughout the city.

Ward Chandler had built a strong reputation over more than 50 years delivering commercial electrical work across Auckland. The integration allowed McKay to enter the region’s commercial market while combining complementary strengths – McKay’s expertise in design, automation and heavy industrial electrical engineering alongside Ward Chandler’s established project portfolio and client relationships. The acquisition also strengthened McKay’s ability to deliver larger and more complex projects by bringing together additional technical capability, experienced project teams, and a broader client base.

The integration was managed carefully to preserve continuity for staff and customers. By 2025, the process reached its final stage when Ward Chandler was formally absorbed into McKay as the parent company. Systems, teams and operations were unified under a single brand, creating a streamlined structure that strengthened governance, safety standards and delivery capability across the Auckland region while retaining the experience and relationships built over decades.

Today, the Penrose branch is overseen by Branch Manager Ben Marsh, who also serves as Auckland and South Pacific Regional Manager. Together with the Devonport operation led by Tristan Hunt, Manager – NZFD Marine, the two branches form a strong regional presence that supports a wide range of infrastructure, industrial, and defence-related projects.

For nearly 20 years, McKay have contributed to some of the region’s most important infrastructure developments, including upgrades to streetlighting networks, airport facilities, and major projects across water and wastewater treatment plants that underpin the city’s essential services.

Through this work, McKay has built a reputation as a trusted delivery partner capable of operating across diverse and technically demanding environments. From defence and marine infrastructure at Devonport to large-scale commercial and infrastructure projects delivered through Penrose, the region demonstrates McKay’s ability to combine specialist expertise with large-scale project capability.