Peter McGuinness - image supplied by family
We are sorry to share the news that Peter McGuinness died on Sunday 26 November 2023.
In 2020 Peter was made an Honorary Fellow of the Institute, an honour only five others currently hold. Honorary Fellow’s are given out to people who hold positions of distinction in the building and construction industry to acknowledge the significant contribution they have made. Peter certainly met these criteria and was held in a very high regard in the industry and by the Institute.
We are thinking of Peter’s family and all those at LT McGuinness. We wanted to share a few things about Peter to help honour his life and contribution to the industry.
Peter McGuinness’s father Laurie established LT McGuinness in 1950, with Peter and his brothers Brian and Jim taking over in the 1970s. Today, the third generation of McGuinness’s are at the helm.
With his civil engineering background and high degree of personal confidence, Peter was instrumental in LT McGuinness being the success story it is today. His adage of “good people build good buildings” was underpinned by a number of key philosophies, including attention to detail, emphasis on health and safety, a continual drive for quality and doing what you said you would.
When Peter received his Honorary Fellow award in 2020, he acknowledged his father, Lawrence Thomas (LT) McGuinness and brothers. “He established the company 70 years ago and was the inspiration for my career, while providing a solid foundation for the company he founded. I would like to acknowledge also, the support of my brothers Brian and Jim over my career within the family business. It has been very satisfying to be one of the team that have helped build LT McGuinness into the respected construction company it is today.”
He also added, “I feel privileged to be an Honorary Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Building, and to join a select group of people who have made such a great contribution to the construction industry”.
Until very recently, though officially retired, Peter remained a director of LT McGuinness while continuing to contribute through hands-on roles with housing trusts and advisory work on seismic strengthening.
Past President of the Institute Bob Hall says, “Peter was a true construction gentleman who loved both his family and the industry in equal amounts. His legacy will be his contribution in the making of LTM the business it is today. Peter McGuinness will be sadly missed by all of his colleagues in the wider construction industry.”
Past President of the Institute Gina Jones adds, "LTM were the first contractors I ever worked with - they were great at taking time to explain to me (a student at that stage) what was going on, and the whys. I have been fortunate enough to work with Pete’s generation as well as the next gen on a large number of projects over the years - they have all been wonderful to work with. They have always been about the team on a project. They certainly instill a real sense of family with their whole LTM team. I have such good and positive memories of Pete."
His obituary published in the NZ Herald says, “He had many friends and acquaintances and will be fondly remembered within the Wellington construction industry. It goes without saying that Peter enjoyed a full life…Peter was a generous contributor to many charities and societies within the Wellington Region. Many will remember Peter as a big man with a big laugh and big heart who found more joy in giving than receiving.”
