Meet The Team

Sam has been in the building since 2007 and has a wealth of experience in an array of  building work.

​

Outside of work Sam enjoys diving for kaimoana, classic cars, taking his nieces & nephews fishing, building lego & the odd reno project.

​

Find out more about Sam.

Alex has been building since 2010 and has an array of experience in a variety of work including architectural new builds, renovations & insurance repairs. With over 12 years experience in the industry he prides himself of the work he does and is always looking for the next challenge. 

Alex recently relocated from Christchurch to the beautiful Wairarapa with his partner. In his spare time he loves the outdoors including fishing, diving & surfing - even making his own surfboards. 

Willie joined Ihaka Construction in June 2022 having been building for 4 years. Prior to entering the building industry Willie worked in the window joinery industry which gave him some good experience to enter the trade. 

 

Outside of work Willie spends time with his partner & kids, and enjoys going the beach for fishing & diving. 

Josh started with the team in early 2023 after completing his last year of highschool doing work experience with Ihaka Construction. During this time he developed a good relationship with the team who were happy to have him on board in a full-time capacity. 

 

Josh has an array of hobbies that keep him busy in the Wairarapa including horse riding, rugby, fishing & surfing. ​​​​

Lewis has more than 15 years of experience in the construction industry. Completing a qualification in Hard Landscaping in Wellington. He moved on to residential building. Working on a range of projects with a balance of new build and renovation work. Lewis became qualified in late 2020 and since then he has run a wide variety of jobs including building a tennis court, bespoke pole sheds and his own High Performance Home. 

Lewis's strongly believes in making sure the clients journey through a project as enjoyable and smoothly as possible. 

​

In his spare time. Lewis enjoys listening to music and podcasts, cooking and spending time with his wife and tending to his lifestyle block.

Charlie started with the Ihaka team at the beginning of 2025 as an apprentice builder.

​

He attended Wairarapa College and played a variety of sports.

​

Charlie enjoys surfing, diving, basketball, rugby, travelling & camping with mates. 

​

​

​

​

James joined the team in early 2023 as a foreman, bringing a vast amount of experience in running sites for residential new builds & renovations. He has previously worked in the Wellington region where he developed his skills on high end jobs. 

 

James enjoys the outdoors and is a keen surfer. He also plays rugby and you'll usually find him with his dog Fletcher in tow who is often seen on Ihaka sites. 

Manu spent two and a half years working in the building industry before joining the Ihaka team in 2026, having previously worked as a shepherd. He has experience in residential building, working on projects across the Wairarapa. 

He enjoys an active outdoor lifestyle and, when he’s not working, you’ll often find him hunting, fishing, diving, or making the most of the outdoors.  

Sam is a dedicated building professional with over 15 years of hands-on experience across the construction industry. Beginning his career in 2011, he worked his way from labourer to apprentice, foreman, and project management, earning a reputation for reliability, skill, and steady leadership. His project experience spans architectural builds, home renovations, and specialised formwork and concreting, where his technical capability and practical problem‑solving consistently stand out.

Away from work, he is a committed family man — happily married to his wife Jess for seven years and a proud father to Carter and Ayla‑Rose. He is deeply involved in the community through coaching multiple age groups of rugby, and he enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending quality time with his family.

Connor's interest in building started during his time at Kuranui College, where he enjoyed taking on small projects such as coffee tables, folding chairs and plenty of other hands-on creations. In his final year of college, he completed work experience in the building industry, before starting a building course at UCOL then starting with the Ihaka team in 2026. 

​

Outside of work, Connor enjoys making the most of the outdoors. His weekends are often spent fishing, boating, hunting, hiking or taking part in the Saturday morning parkrun. He also enjoys photography, growing vegetables in his garden, camping and catching up with mates.

​

​

​