When a young Ron Taggart set up in business in 1953 it’s a fair bet he wouldn’t have expected the company to a) last for more than 70 years, b) have grown out of all proportion from its modest beginnings and c) all those years later still be owned and managed by his family – but that’s the case with Christchurch-based Taggart, prominent in several sectors, including civil construction, demolition and three waters.

Previously known as Taggart Earthmoving, in 2017 the company was rebranded to better reflect this wider range of competencies.

Ron wasn’t the most enthusiastic of students at Papanui Tech (now Papanui High), so when at 15-years-old he rode his motorcycle into the school and along a corridor, expulsion was the inevitable outcome.

“As an exit strategy it was well-worked,” jokes son Paul, now general manager of the firm.