Construction Ute Setup: Richard Mills' BYD Shark Centurion Canopy Build

A Utemaster customer who knows what matters.

“It took me a while to land on a job that I love. But if you can find something that makes you happy at least every other day, then you’re probably doing alright.” 

Richard grew up right on the shores of Lake Rotorua, and as you might expect, it was a hands-on, outdoorsy upbringing. Damming up the local creeks, building huts, horse riding, and roaming the bush were daily activities. It’s what Richard describes as the classic Kiwi childhood. His dad ran a civil construction company, so job sites became a second playground. Back before the days of health and safety. 

Back then, diggers and motor scrapers felt more like fun jungle gyms than serious heavy machinery. School holidays and weekends were often spent at the old family farm in Reporoa, following his cousins and uncle around while they built and fixed nearly anything that needed attention.  

Richard admits he wasn’t the most hands-on kid at the time, but you couldn’t deny that he was raised around people who just got stuff done and made things work. 

In hindsight, it’s no surprise that he was destined to end up working with his hands, even if it took some time to get there.  

Forging His Path

After high school, he followed his parents’ best wishes and enrolled at Waikato University, studying arts and film. It wasn’t his first choice, following his passion in snowboarding was far more appealing, but university felt like the safer bet. So he leaned in, earned his degree, and got it done. 

But those years opened other doors. He leveraged the degree to pursue snowboarding, made a handful of snowboard films, and went on to spend more than a decade in the film industry. He’s worked on big advertising productions, travelled the world with shows like The Amazing Race, and built a solid career behind the scenes. 

On paper, it was a dream run. But over time, the long hours, intense deadlines, and long stretches either overseas or behind a computer wore thin. He started asking himself whether it was sustainable, especially with starting a family in mind. 

“There was always something missing,” Richard says. “I just couldn't see how you'd make it work with a kid.” 

The Shift

Eventually, Richard realised the film industry wasn't a fit for him anymore. He stepped away from the screen and into a new chapter, taking the opportunity to help out his cousin on a massive geothermal project in Taupō. That gig lasted a couple of years, and it led to another turning point. With a baby on the way back in Auckland, he decided to move north and renovate a property he owned. The thing was, he didn’t have the building skills yet. 

So he got a job with a builder mate, learned the basics, and got to work. That first renovation took nearly three times longer than expected, but it was a major turning point. “I was proud of what I was able to do. It all came together in the end.” 

“I don't know what it is about working with my hands, but it just really clicks. When I was stuck behind a computer there was always something missing. I get a lot of satisfaction out of completing a job by the end of the day, and plus I get to justify spending money on tools,” he grins. 

For a while, he split his time, spending weekdays on building sites and weekends working on the family home. But that came at a cost. “I realised I wasn’t spending any quality time with my young family.” 

Then COVID hit. Everything stopped, and the pause gave him a rare chance to reflect. That’s when the idea for Living Improvements was born. He wasn’t a qualified builder, but he had the tools and enough skills to offer something useful… a reliable handyman service, filling the gap for the jobs most tradies didn’t want... 

Mastering Life Balance

Living Improvements took off quickly. After COVID, there was plenty of work and not enough builders for the small stuff. That became Richard’s sweet spot. 

But after a couple of years in Auckland, the pace once again wore thin. Long hours, traffic, and less time with his growing kids pushed him and his wife to make a change. They moved to the Bay of Plenty for a better lifestyle and more family time. 

The work still matters, as he says himself, he loves working with his hands. But what matters more is what happens after hours. 

“Having a job that gives me the freedom to do the things I love has always been a massive priority,” Richard says. “But now it’s about sharing those things with my family.” 

“Growing up we got to have so many experiences outdoors, so it's really important to me to get my kids away from the screens. Whether that's heading out on the jet ski, going snowboarding, or visiting the hunting hut. Those are the sort of things my kids will always remember.”

The Centurion Difference

To make his lifestyle work, Richard needed a construction ute setup that could keep up on site and switch to weekend mode without missing a beat. For him, a ute over a van was never really a question.

The Utemaster Centurion Canopy has been the constant through two vehicles. He ran it on his Amarok first. When it came time to upgrade to a BYD Shark, the first call he made was to the Utemaster team - not to the dealership.

"One of the big deciding factors on whether or not I was going to buy this ute was if I could get another Centurion like I had on my Amarok."

That's how much the setup matters to how he works.

"Previously I had a traditional canopy with small side windows. With the Centurion, I can open up all the doors and unload my tools in under five minutes. Then I'm packed and ready for the mountain, or the farm, or the beach."

Security matters just as much as access. Richard carries his entire livelihood in the back of that ute - power tools, hand tools, everything the business runs on.

"Like most tradies, I carry around my entire livelihood in the back of my ute, so security was my primary concern when I was looking to upgrade to Centurion. Knowing that my gear is well protected is worth its weight in gold."

Doing More of What Matters

Richard’s story is one of those slow-burn journeys that makes perfect sense in hindsight. A kid surrounded by people who got stuff done. A film career that took him around the world. And finally, finding a way to build something for himself… a lifestyle that actually fits. 

What’s Richard’s advice? “It took me a while to land on a job that I love. But if you can find something that makes you happy at least every other day, then you’re probably doing alright.” 

This is Richard Mills. He’s built more than just decks, fences and houses. He’s built a life with the perfect balance between work and the things that matter most. 

This is Doing More of What Matters. 

@livingimprovements