36 | Stock crates that go the distance The company builds crates primarily for sheep and cattle transport operators, but it’s prepared to look at specialist crates for other livestock. Total Stockcrates T T Hugh de Lacy “Our aim from the get-go was to produce stock crates that outlasted the ones on the market, including the ones we were building.” MANUFACTURING A group of five mates in Feilding reckoned they could build better stock crates than the outfit they were working for could, so they set up Total Stockcrates 23 years ago with its own factory, and today it boasts a staff of 17 and its crates are in use throughout the country. “We just felt we could do a better job than we were being asked to do where we were working at the time, and we got together and decided we should do more than just bitch about it among ourselves,” says Robin Fellingham, one of the original group and now managing director. “So we arranged finance, and set up a workshop in rented space, and it grew from there. Eight years ago we moved into our own 1200sqm purpose-built premises on Turners Road, where we’ve got a drive-through bay for repairs that can take a truck and trailer at the same time.” Two other members of the founding five, Troy Hill and Kevin Jacobs, are still with Total Stockcrates. The company builds crates primarily for sheep and cattle transport operators, but it’s prepared to look at specialist crates for other livestock, such as deer and alpacas. “We build 35 to 40 new cattle and sheep crates a year, and that’s our main business, but we’re always open to doing one-offs,” Robin says. Total Stockcrates usually has three people working on repairs, while the rest of the staff produce single and multi-level stockcrates: one or two decks for cattle, and up to four decks for sheep, and its truck and trailer units can carry up to 600 lambs between them at a time. “Our aim from the get-go was to produce stock crates that outlasted the ones on the market, including the ones we were building,” Robin says. “The crates back then had an average lifespan of just seven to eight years, while ours last for more than 20 – and we back that up with a five-year guarantee.” Given the buoyant state of the dairy and red meat markets you would think stock crate demand from the transport companies would be surging, but Robin says that’s not yet the case. “The market for our crates is a bit depressed at the moment, but the farmers have had a brilliant year, and eventually they’ll shake the moths out of their wallets and start spending, and that will have a flow-on effect for us. “But it hasn’t happened yet, and on the downside we’re seeing a lot of farms being planted out in pine trees to solve a problem that doesn’t exist,” he says. “We’ve yet to see the impact that will have, not only on our business and the road transport industry, let alone in the wider economy as the two main livestock industries go into shrinkage mode. “Pines take the better part of 30 years to mature to the point where they can be harvested and pay a dividend. Sheep and cattle pay a bigger dividend and do it every year.” a ll about people Well done Karl & Jess, farming success built on heart and hard work! TOTAL TRUCK SPRAY PANELBEATING & SPRAYPAINTING Proudly Supporting Total Stockcrates Ph: 06 355 4100 Fax: 06 355 4603 totaltruckspray@gmail.com CONTACT US
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