Lawrence Hardy (63) was appointed managing director of the company when it was set up in 1991, to replace the former council works department formed in 1989 when the Oamaru Borough, Waihemo and Waitaki County Councils merged under local body reform.
But his involvement with council works projects and contracting spans 43 years.
He served 24 years with the Oamaru Borough Council and Waitaki District Council before taking over as Whitestone's first managing director.
Since then he has guided the company from an annual turnover of $3 million to one of $20 million and staff numbers have grown from 30 to 150.
The company has also grown from serving just the Waitaki district to operating in an area stretching from Dunedin to Fairlie.
The highlights of his career were the formation of Whitestone Contracting and the way it had grown to be competitive in tendering against larger contracting companies, he said.
Mr Hardy retires on December 31 and is planning to spend more time with his family and at his Lake Hawea holiday retreat, further pursuing fishing and boating interests.
