Built locally. Designed to last.
“Thistle has been part of our lives since 2007. We still believe in doing things simply – building beautiful homes, looking after our clients, and being proud of every home we put our name to.“
Owners, Thistle Building Company.
The name Thistle comes from a silver thistle pendant given to Sophie by her grandfather.
It’s an emblem of pride and heritage – a piece of Sophie’s Scottish roots that she carried with her to New Zealand.
The thistle has been Scotland’s national emblem for centuries, and for us it represents exactly that: where we come from, what we stand for, and the craftsmanship we bring to every home we build.
Meet the team behind Thistle
We’ve got a small crew of experienced, skilled tradespeople who genuinely care about creating homes our clients love.
With more than 70 years of combined building experience, we’re a close-knit, down-to-earth team who take real pride in every home we build. We get to know our clients, listen to what matters to them and work together to create a home that feels right for the way they want to live.
Simon Griffith, Director & Builder
Born and raised in Masterton, Simon completed his building apprenticeship in Scotland, where he won Scottish Apprentice of the Year. He returned home to the Wairarapa to build a business around doing what he loves – creating beautiful, quality homes and working with good people. More than 20 years on, he’s still very much hands-on and there’s nowhere he’d rather be building.
Sophie Stewart, Director
Originally from Scotland, Sophie moved to New Zealand with Simon in 2007. A former intensive care nurse, she now works behind the scenes helping run the business, supporting the team and bringing plenty of care and attention to detail to Thistle.
Matt Tuckwell, Operations Manager
Originally from Australia, Matt brings a wealth of building industry experience to Thistle and is a key part of everything we do. From meeting clients and working through their ideas, to pricing, operations and quality control, Matt is involved right through the process – making sure every home is well looked after from the first conversation to the finished build.
Zac Wilkie, Project Manager
A Masterton local, Zac started with Thistle as a builder before moving into project management. His hands-on experience gives him a great understanding of every stage of the build, and he enjoys working with our clients to bring their new homes together and keep everything running smoothly along the way.
Yvette Woodall, Accounts & Administration
A long-standing member of the Thistle team, Yvette keeps the accounts and admin running smoothly for our clients, subcontractors and suppliers. She’s the steady hand in the office – organised, thorough, and always on top of the details.
A few things people tell us they appreciate
We’re a small team – and that’s intentional
We don’t take on more than we can look after properly. That means your build gets proper attention, and you’re dealing with the same people throughout.
We look after our clients
A lot of our work comes through people who’ve built with us before, or been recommended by someone who has. That tells us something. We stay in touch after handover – if something needs sorting, we’re not hard to find.
We know the Wairarapa
We’ve been building here since 2007. We know the sites, the councils, the conditions. That experience makes a difference when things don’t go exactly to plan – which, in building, they sometimes don’t.
We are proud to work with leading industry partners...
