Kingston Building was featured in the Newcastle Herald on 3 October 2026.

Kingston Building proved size doesn’t matter at the 2026 MBA Newcastle Excellence in Building Awards, claiming a massive five-category sweep.

“We don’t try to be the biggest builder, but we do want to be one of the best,” Managing Director John Tonkin said. “We often compete against much larger organisations, including Tier 1 builders, and these results show that our team perform at that level. We have very capable people who genuinely care about the finished product and take personal responsibility for delivering the best possible outcome.”

The high level of care translated into wins across five vastly different categories: Restoration of a Historic Building – Under $3 Million for the Civic Theatre; Apartment Developments – Under $5 Million for the Cyan project at Nelson Bay; Public Buildings – Under $2 Million for Cessnock High School and Best Use of Timber (featuring 16 kilometres of timber); and Industrial Buildings for the Maxwell Recruitment project.

Since taking over in 2021, John and co-owner Matt Howard have grown the business and expanded upon the company’s 20-year history of success. Today, supported by a 45-strong team, Kingston’s purpose is to create quality buildings and spaces that deliver lasting value for their clients and the communities that use them.

Primary services span commercial construction projects across industrial, public, education, residential, seniors living, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), heritage restoration and refurbishment. Kingston operates under both construct-only and design-and-construct models, while placing a growing focus on the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) delivery model.

“ECI allows us to contribute our construction knowledge before work starts on site,” John said. “We work with the client and design team to improve buildability, establish realistic budgets, manage risk and develop a clear pathway into construction. We believe this early collaboration produces better outcomes for everyone involved.”

Kingston’s business success relies on three core values: People, Planet and Performance.

By prioritising People, the company empowers employees and fosters strong relationships with clients, subcontractors and the community. The Planet pillar drives sustainable practices, resource management and waste reduction. Performance ensures consistent delivery of safe, high-quality projects on time and within budget.

“Supported by long-standing Federal Safety and ISO accreditations, Kingston combines strong operational systems with good people, transparent communication and continuous learning to maintain high standards without complacency,” John said.

Reflecting on the 2026 awards sweep – which follows Kingston being named the MBA Newcastle and Regional Commercial Builder of the Year in 2025 – John sees the results as momentum for what lies ahead.

“We are stoked with what we achieved, but we see it as motivation to keep improving and continue delivering projects that our clients, our staff and the community can value,” John said.