On Friday 3rd November we celebrated the life and legacy of Brian Perry at the Westpac Waikato Business Awards when he was inducted as a 2017 laureate into the Waikato Business Hall of Fame.

The story of Brian Perry is a classic Kiwi can-do tale and a true Waikato success story. It has its origins as a one-man owner-operator business which, within two decades, grew into the largest civil engineering and contracting organisation in the region.

Brian’s legacy in everything he did was to work hard, be the best you can be, treat people like you want to be treated, think of the next deal and leave something on the table for afterwards, surround yourself with good people and know what you want to achieve.

Despite the company’s evolution over the past 60+ years its values have stayed true. The Perry Group celebrates Brian Perry’s legacy with a working environment that values people, focuses on excellence and building long term relationships with customers, gives back to the community and takes pride in the company. Much of the continued success of the company is attributed to the strong culture of community and corporate responsibility that is still central in the day-to-day business practices throughout the Group.

As the Perry Group heads into the third generation, the legacy of Brian is set to continue. We can all learn much from Brian and the way he conducted himself in business and life. Brian passed away on 3 November 2011 aged 76. He was a successful businessman, generous philanthropist, a humble and much loved family man, friend and a top bloke.

Watch below for more on the Brian Perry Charitable Trust.

Photo credit: Barker Photography