Growing up in New Zealand, John received his education at Auckland Grammar School, Wanganui Boys College and North Sydney Technical College, Australia.
After gaining his Florida General Contractor’s License in 1982, he worked in the capacity of superintendent and project manager for some of the areas largest commercial General Contractors including EE ‘Gene’ Simmons, Half Acre Construction and Tandem Construction, gaining both valuable corporate and construction experience.
John established Southern Cross Contracting in 1989. During the past 22 years Southern Cross has been responsible for the construction of restaurants, professional offices, industrial and educational facilities, medical offices and retail spaces, contributing much to the texture and growth of the Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice area.
Southern Cross Contracting has established itself as a respected and dependable company in the local construction industry and for the past four years been named in the area’s top twenty contractors by Gulf Coast Business Review.
Steve received his Associates Degree in Building Construction at Manatee Community College. He continued with specialized training and certifications which include State Certified Plumbing Contractor, OSHA, Concrete Testing Institute, Green Building Systems, Arxx Building Systems, and Liquid Propane Gas Piping. He is a Florida State Certified General Contractor.
His twenty-eight years in the construction industry have made him knowledgeable in all aspects of managing a construction related company from Estimating and Managing Projects, to Budgeting and Accounting. His strong computer knowledge includes Quick Books Pro, Auto-Cad, Microsoft Project, Excel and Word.
Steve has been an invaluable contributor to the growth and development of Southern Cross Contracting since 1998.