Our Values
Kaupapa
Kaupapa is a Māori concept referring to a set of principles, a philosophy, or an agenda that guides an organisation or community. At LDE, our kaupapa underpins everything we do.
Titiro, whakarongo, kōrero
Look, listen, then speak.
Our Story
Kōrero
LDE was founded in Gisborne in 2004 by Georg Winkler, a young engineer from Wairoa, a renowned published engineering scholar who had strong opinions about what worked and what didn’t. The company culture grew directly from his working methods and his deep roots in the regions.
By circa 2013, the team had grown to around 12 people. Expansion came quickly: offices in Warkworth and Napier opened within months of each other, Auckland CBD grew from the Warkworth base, and Whangārei followed, often led by team members from other offices who wanted to stay close to their communities.
In 2017, Baden and Lisa Turley became owners with 25 team members. The recipe was slightly tweaked, the flavour didn’t change. Clients, projects, and the team continued to grow. In 2021, Lander Geotechnical Consultants, based in South Auckland, joined LDE, bringing new capability and depth to the group.
In 2024, LDE celebrated 20 years, a milestone built on the foundation of our regions, our people, and an enduring commitment to quality.
What We Stand For
Our Values
Generosity
We are generous with our knowledge, our time, and our energy. We share expertise openly with clients, communities, and each other, building capability rather than dependency.
Accountability
We take ownership of our work and our outcomes. When we commit to something, we deliver. Our clients trust us because we do what we say we will.
Consistent Quality
Quality is not negotiable. Every report, every investigation, every design is held to the same high standard, whether for a small residential client or a large infrastructure project.
Collaboration
Good engineering solutions come from working together, with clients, communities, and between disciplines. We listen before we speak, and we engage with humility.
Environmental Stewardship
We take our responsibility to the environment seriously. Our work considers long-term environmental outcomes alongside engineering objectives, supporting sustainable land and water use.
Cultural Awareness
We approach our work with cultural sensitivity and respect for tangata whenua. We collaborate with mana whenua and stakeholders to ensure our engineering reflects the values of the communities we serve.
Personal Responsibility
We make choices every day about how we act and interact. Owning our actions, reflecting on our experiences, and growing from them is at the heart of how each of us operates at LDE.
How We Think
Our Philosophy
LDE was built on the belief that engineering can, and should, benefit not just the client, but the communities and environments that projects touch. We don’t measure success only in delivered outcomes; we measure it in the relationships we build and the trust we earn.
We work in the regions because the regions matter. Our engineers and scientists are embedded in the communities they serve, they understand local geology, local culture, and local needs. That presence makes us better at our work and more invested in its outcomes.
Our commitment to quality means we say no to work we can’t do well, and yes to collaboration when the project needs expertise beyond our own. We are honest about what we know and humble enough to learn.
“Titiro, whakarongo, kōrero, look, listen, then speak.”
Our Workplace
Wāhi Mahi Ora
A place of wellbeing
Safe from Harm
Strong leadership, quality systems, consistent messaging, and open dialogue ensure we recognise risks and remove them. There is no rug to sweep things under.
Freedom of Expression
LDE is a safe place to express your thoughts, beliefs, and opinions on our processes and direction. Sharing ideas differs from idle gossip, we welcome the former and discourage the latter.
Ongoing Education
Continuous professional development is at the heart of our sustainability. We fund studies aligned with individual goals and company direction, because confidence in knowledge improves everything.
Flexibility & Balance
LDE was founded on the belief that flexible, balanced work produces better outcomes, long before it became fashionable. Flexibility is not an absence of commitment; it is what allows commitment to be sustained.
Transparency
We believe in the comfort of knowing what is happening in your company and direct work environment. Anything that affects you will be communicated promptly, with honesty and appropriate confidentiality.
Our Commitment
Mana Tangata
The dignity of people, every person at LDE has the right to be free from discrimination. This extends to sexual orientation, lifestyle, appearance, dress, and social and political beliefs. We safeguard each person’s autonomy over their body, their thoughts, and their identity, and we expect this respect to be reflected in how we work together and with our clients.