| 9 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT China Business Awards: Waikato Milking Systems Recognition for China team’s efforts T T Richard Loader Waikato Milking Systems recently launched of its small ruminants (goat) rotary milking platform into China. Te Awamutu Phone: 07 871 6781 Putaruru Phone: 07 883 3423 Otorohanga Phone: 07 873 8500 PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH Waikato Milking Systems At Stainless Design, we’re proud to be associated with Waikato Milking Systems and to offer them a wide variety of state-of-the-art processes. Waikato Milking Systems’ selection as a finalist in the HSBC NZCTA (New Zealand China Trade Association) China Business Awards was well earned recognition for its hard working team based in China. “We have a small tight knit team operating in China and they work extremely hard and very long hours for the company,” says Grant Wisnewski, GM Sales and Operations for the Asia Pacific Region. “It’s been hard over the last couple of years that we haven’t been able to get our international staff to New Zealand so that they actually feel part of the team, which we would normally do. So being selected as a finalist is recognition of the work they have all put in.” Waikato Milking Systems entered the prestigious award at the invitation of NZTE (New Zealand Trade and Enterprise). The awards target businesses and individuals that export to China, import from China, or are involved in services and/or investment between New Zealand and China. The iconic Hamilton based manufacturer of rotary and herringbone milking systems elected to enter the Yili Group Award for Innovation in Business to celebrate the launch of its small ruminants (goat) rotary milking platform into China. “We’ve been operating in China for twelve years now, selling traditional dairy milking systems, and this was a new product that we released into China about two years ago. The major thing with this product is that there’s some quite cool innovation and automation, eliminating some labour units.” While there are examples of Waikato Milking Systems’ small ruminant rotary platform operating in New Zealand and Canada, China is currently the biggest market with thirteen platforms in operation. Each platform costs around half a million dollars. “Goat milking is extremely new in China. The companies that we’re dealing with are large corporates. They really wanted to deal with international brands and we’re renowned around the world for building high quality and reliable equipment. We have a network of local dealers all around the world who are involved in the installation of the platforms along with our local teams. We have five dealers China has been identified as one of the company’s key growth markets and is currently opening a WFOE (Wholly Foreign Owned Entity). Registered in China it will be known as Waikato Milking Systems China. “In 2020 about 60% of our turnover came from the international markets but this year New Zealand has been very buoyant and that’s partly driven by the strong dairy payout. A lot of Kiwi dairy farmers are upgrading their existing machines. With New Zealand’s borders shut and farmers unable to leverage labour from overseas workers they’re looking at equipment that will reduce labour inputs. That’s a massive driver.” The company manufactures a range of herringbone and rotary platforms for cow, sheep and goat at its Hamilton plant and exports to over forty countries. Fifty two years young, Waikato Milking Systems started off making components for milking machines — mainly a milk metres — then added more components and started pulling systems together. For the last 27 years the company has been recognised as a serious player in the rotary market. “As a company we’ve made it our mission to be the number one supplier of rotary systems globally and that’s where our R&D is going. In New Zealand there’s a sway to the rotary market and that’s purely because of milking larger herd numbers and you can do it with less people. But we also supply a huge number of herringbones around the world.”
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