About us

MANAGING DIRECTOR & DRAINLAYER

Dylan is the owner of Chethams & Co Drainlaying, and the one keeping all the cogs in motion. You won’t find him sitting in an air-conditioned office with his feet up - when he’s not organising jobs, visiting clients and pricing plans, he’s getting down and dirty in the trenches with the rest of the team. The most down-to-earth ‘boss’ you’ll ever meet, he loves to keep his finger on the pulse and being on the tools is his happy place.

Dylan is a Certified Drainlayer with over 13 years experience in the industry, having worked under Terry Westley’s leadership before purchasing this business from him back in 2021.

Dylan’s weekends are filled with quality family time (when he’s not perfecting his snooker strategy). He also loves to fish, is a big fan of old-school music, can whip up a mean feast in the bbq and will never say no to a chess match.

CO-OWNER & OFFICE MANAGER

Laura is the co-owner of Chethams & Co, and the one who keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes. She’s not so good on the end of a shovel or operating a digger, but her marketing and management degree, exceptional eye for detail and ability to organise every aspect of the business makes her a pretty helpful addition to the team.

Laura’s background is in marketing, campaign management, content creation, social media and website administration. She is enjoying the challenge of being involved at a more strategic level and working across all aspects of our business from accounting through to rebranding.

In her down-time, Laura enjoys spending time with her family, getting creative, organising the pantry over and over again, travelling New Zealand and spending time outdoors.

DRAINLAYING FOREMAN

Rex is a treasured part of the furniture at Chethams & Co Drainlaying, having worked for the business under its previous ownership alongside his brothers for over 23 years. His loyalty to our team and his passion for what he does is admirable and even after all this time, he’s still the first to arrive at work in the morning and the last to leave at night.

Rex brings a wealth of skill and knowledge to our team as a Certified Drainlayer, with over 40 years experience in the industry. He can co-ordinate jobs of all sizes, get to the bottom of any drainage problem you throw his way, and drive a digger in his sleep (not really, but yes he’s that good).

When he’s off the clock, you’ll find Rex at the yard anyway. But if he’s not there, he’s probably at the speedway track, out fishing or trying to teach his parrot to say things it shouldn’t.

DRAINLAYER

Anthony is another long-standing employee of Chethams & Co, having worked for the business under it’s previous ownership for over 8 years. A very talented drainlayer and mathematician, Anthony is a great asset to our team and can calculate falls and gradients quicker than anyone we know. He’s always keen to get stuck into a new challenge, and we’re pretty sure he’s been built with Energizer batteries.

Anthony spends his spare time working on his rural property, tending to his animals and watching sport.

DRAINLAYING APPRENTICE

Logan is one of our second year drainlaying apprentices, and is so dedicated to his job he even took on the company name (just kidding, he was born into it). Having spent most of his working life in the Tapawera hop fields, Logan joined us looking to become qualified in a trade and establish his career. He’s what we call our silent weapon - softly-spoken but a quick thinker and an extremely hard worker.

Outside of work, Logan loves to watch sport and be in the great outdoors, whether that be for camping, fishing or kayaking.

DRAINLAYING APPRENTICE

Joel is another one of our second year drainlaying apprentices, joining us after seeking a change of pace from his previous life swinging through the trees. With a background as an arborist, Joel sure knows what a hard day’s work looks like and brings the same level of determination and enthusiasm to his apprenticeship and to the Chethams & Co team.

In his down-time, you’ll find Joel hurtling down some of Nelson Tasman’s best mountain-biking trails, setting up camp somewhere remote or out prospecting for gold.

BOSS IN TRAINING

Riley is the newest member of the Chethams & Co team, but has his sights firmly set on leading the charge one day. A true tradie at heart, he’s a big fan of diggers, trucks and all things with wheels.

Riley loves dressing up in his hi-vis jacket, hard hat and flashing blue gumboots to visit the yard, although he spends most of his time here playing on the computer, bossing the team around and helping himself to their lunches.