Thriving business taps talent pool

The Whanganui branch of an international engineering consultancy firm is continuing to build after a strong 2020.

WSP has hired three new employees in the last few months as demand for services in the region grows.

Whanganui business manager Jenny Harrison said Whanganui as a town has been on the up.

"We already have a good, strong, diverse team of different disciplines and we have the full range from experienced engineers down to the recent graduates.

"The skill sets these three have will only add to that and round out our team."

Civil engineer Matthew Wenborn has been in Whanganui since August last year, after an extensive stint in Papua New Guinea.

When his contract was nearing an end, and with uncertainty around the world with Covid-19, Wenborn thought it would be a good time to re-establish roots in New Zealand.

With his wife's family in Whanganui, the pair thought it was a good time to settle down into a smaller community.

"We're enjoying it. Pretty relaxing environment and have met plenty of friends so far."

After recently finishing his engineering degree in Canterbury, Jack Pilet has joined the team full-time after interning at the firm during his studies.

A former Whanganui High School student, Pilet has been in the office for the last four weeks.

"Whanganui is a really good place and I've never wanted to go to the cities so I was always going to be in the regions.

"I'm really enjoying it. I'm not sure what main role I will have, but I'm enjoying the variety of work I'm doing."

Joining the ecology team, Alex Reid moved up from Wellington just a few weeks ago.

"They paved the way for me to join the planning team as an ecologist. I've got to work all over the place."

Working primarily as a freshwater and marine ecologist, he is enjoying his new home and is looking forward to exploring the region the more he settles in.

"It's a really beautiful place," Reid said.

Harrison said despite being a large international organisation, their focus is in the Whanganui community.

"We operate in the community. We live here and have been here for a significant number of years. The continual growth and variety of work makes it an interesting place to work.

"Whanganui is proving to be a really attractive place to live."

Logan Tutty
Whanganui Chronicle 25/2/21