Meet our Brilliant Minds
Ken Robertson
Ken Robertson’s background in the event and exhibition industry started back in New Zealand with Carlton Hire Group in 1998. With an initial start as warehouse manager before moving onto operations then project management and finally branch manager before taking up an offer with Moreton Hire (Brisbane) in Australia in 2005.
Originally starting as a field supervisor followed by a position as stock controller for their Major Projects Team. From here he progressed to a project management position for the same division, managing events such as AJC racing carnivals, Queensland Mining Expo, and Avalon Air Show to name but a few. In 2011 he undertook a move to Excel Event Equipment Hire as operations manager before departing in 2013 to take up a new challenge with James Murray in a business partnership and in 2014 with Birkenhead Johnson.
James Murray
James Murray also started at Carlton Hire Group in 1999 as a field operator and finished in 2005 as a supervisor. At Moreton Hire as a senior supervisor, he was a key member in the formation of the operations crew for the Moreton Major Projects Team and has been at the forefront of many events from Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006 to a multitude of large and varied events over time. An opportunity to move forward in 2013 in a partnership with Ken Robertson then Birkenhead Johnson in 2014 was not to be missed and duly taken.
Birkenhead Johnson
Birkenhead Johnson is from the same background, starting as a field crew staff member in 1995 where he promptly worked his way up and was a key team member before finishing as a site supervisor with Carlton Hire Group in 2005. During this time he took the opportunity to spend two months supervising a contracting crew for the principal contractor Generalle Location at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. A new opportunity saw a move to the Big Tent Company as project manager in 2005 with the Lions rugby tour being a highlight during his tenure. He successfully continued through an ownership change when the big Tent Company was procured by Hirequip (New Zealand’s largest hire company) in 2007.
A chance to move back to Australia in 2008 was taken with a position as supervisor with Event Construction Specialists in Sydney. This move provided the opportunity to learn in detail the contracting side of the event industry where he quickly earned himself a reputation with many clients as being an efficient leader with many skills and an eye for detail when it counted.
After 7 years in the contracting side of the event industry with Event Construction Specialists and many shows completed such as the Sydney Royal Easter Show, the Big Day Out and many V8 Supercar events behind him, Birkenhead was fast becoming ‘the face of the company’. In June 2014, Birkenhead took the opportunity to join Clearspan Constructions as a business partner.
