His handiwork graces thousands of Canterbury homes and now - after a lifetime in the plastering business - it’s tools down for Keith Cochrane and his highly successful contracting company, Cochrane and Associates. 

Since opening its doors 35 years ago, Cochrane and Associates has blazed a trail, cementing its place as one of Ōtautahi Christchurch’s most respected drywall contractors. Keith, and wife Moira, couldn’t be prouder. 

“We feel proudest of the reputation we’ve built in the industry and our ability to keep staff – some of them have been with us for 20 odd years,” says Keith. “In fact, when all the health and safety stuff came in and we had to fill out the SSSP (Site-Specific Safety Plan) we discovered that collectively our staff had experience in the vicinity of 500 to 600 years!” 

But it’s not just Keith’s team who have stayed by his side; so too have his clients. 

“We’ve worked with the likes of Orange Homes and Peter Ray Homes for over 26 years, and they’ve stuck with us all the way through. Group builders like that have been pivotal to our success.” 

What keeps them loyal? Quality, honesty and integrity. 

“In my experience, that’s what a lot of the group builders look for. You’ve got to keep your workmanship to a high standard otherwise you’ll get dumped, and you’ve got to be honest. Don’t tell them you’re coming tomorrow unless you’re actually coming tomorrow.” 

And most importantly, own your mistakes. 

“I always tell my guys it’s not so much the mistakes you make, it’s what you do about them.  So many people these days are made of Teflon, nothing sticks and they blame everyone else! If you make a mistake the trick is to own it and put it right, that’s how you turn a negative into a positive.” 

It’s sage advice from an industry stalwart who has been in the business for over half a century. 

“I left school in 1973 at the age of 15, and got a job with Wardrops Fibrous Plaster, so I’ve been in plastering all my life. I did my time there fixing and stopping, later working for them as a foreman and contracts manager.” 

After a stint working for GIB® Board Services (a contracting arm of Winstone Wallboards at the time), Keith returned to fibrous plaster, buying a small factory that made cornices and ornamental products in 1990. 

“I saw a need to install, so we also started up Cochrane and Associates. Life was pretty busy running two businesses, so in 1992 we sold Plaster Products to pour all our energy into Cochrane and Associates.” 

It was a smart move and business boomed.  

“Some years we’d be doing well over 150 houses a year, and a couple of years we did 320. I must have worked on in excess of 5000 houses in my career, easily.” 

Over the years Keith has become a household name in the industry, winning a coveted Golden Trowel for his workmanship and becoming one of the first-ever Club GIB® Installers – both of which he cites as career highlights. Keeping up with technology, and staying ahead of the times, has been a key driver in his success. 

“Plastering now is completely different than what it was 20 years ago. We used to use a trowel and a hawk, but nowadays machines do it all. A friend of mine came back from a few years plastering in Australia and he taught us a lot about all the new technology – we were early adopters of that in Canterbury. 

“We were also the first in the region to set up a maintenance division. I realised there was a need for it when I’d have salespeople ringing me up stressed because an electrician had shifted a few lights or the plumber had made a hole for something but the new owners were waiting to move in. We started going in and fixing things like that free of charge for our group builders, taking the pressure off for them. Of course, now everyone does it!” 

A trailblazer with a heart of gold, Keith – and Cochrane and Associates – will be missed by many. But while it’s the end of an era, the couple are excited to embark on their next chapter. 

“We’ve had the business for over half our lives - it’s time to let it go and do other things, like travel and spend more time with family.” 

Does he think he’ll miss plastering? “No, I’ll be too busy! We’ve just built a new house so we’ve got to do all the grounds, plus one of my daughters wants me to build a deck and a studio for her nail and beauty business.  

“Luckily I love doing all that stuff. To be honest, I can’t wait!"