M.W. Lissette Ltd is an earthmoving company that has been operating in Hawke’s Bay for over 45 years, specialising in forestry earthworks, landfill developments, and general earthworks. 

The company, started by Max Lissette in 1979, subsequently owned by Max’s son Bruce, was bought by Max’s grandson Warrick and his wife Annie in 2008. Most recently, with view to the future, Warrick and Annie have welcomed onboard their business partner Kayne Warner.

As Managing Director, Warrick has been involved in all aspects of the company for over 30 years; himself an experienced operator, having started at the grassroots level driving excavators fresh out of high school.  Similarly, Kayne is also a long serving Lissette employee, proficient on multiple machines.

Together with Mike Powell (Landfill Operations Manager), Warrick and Kayne coordinate the daily operations of more than 40 staff members and a large fleet of earthmoving equipment and machinery out in the field. A capable workshop and administration team keep things ticking over back at the sizeable Omahu Road yard in Hastings.

Aside from developing and maintaining the Omarunui Landfill and building forestry roads throughout several Hawke’s Bay forests, M.W. Lissette is responsible for blasting and metal extraction throughout Hawke’s Bay, overseen by the company’s two qualified B grade quarry managers with one more in training.

M.W. Lissette Ltd. has a reputation as a solid and reliable company renowned for excellent workmanship, skilled operators, and unquestionable integrity. The company prides itself on being a company that cares – about the work they do and the people they employ.

Lissettes encourages the personal development, safety, and skill building of its staff, and uses Competenz, Connexis, and McInnes Training to provide training and education to assist employees to gain specialty licences and NZQA Qualifications.

Lissettes is known for treating their staff well – genuinely caring about their staff, paying competitive rates, and running modern and tidy machinery and fleet vehicles.

In recent times, navigating a worldwide pandemic has provided a challenge that M.W. Lissette has successfully worked through; retaining all staff during lockdowns, paying maximum subsidies where applicable, and supporting employees and their families through covid-19.