| 45 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Trimax Mowing Systems T T Kelly Deeks Customer service the key for award winner Bob and Michael Sievwright - taking their mowing technology to the world Tauranga-based mower manufacturer Trimax Mowing Systems has been awarded Exporter of the Year at the 2025 ExportNZ ASB Bay of Plenty Export Awards, recognising its exceptional global growth, market strategy, and customerfocused innovation. Chief Executive Michael Sievwright says the award is a huge accolade for the 43-yearold family business, and a testament to the efforts of its large global team across New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and the US. “It’s been a few years since the last awards, so it was great to be back and to celebrate alongside so many amazing companies,” Michael says. “For Trimax, this recognition reflects the collective work of every part of our business – from R&D and manufacturing to sales, service, and logistics.” In the past five years, Trimax has tripled its revenue, driven largely by strong performance in the United States and growth across its core markets of Australia, the UK, and Europe. The company’s mower decks are now in use at high-profile locations, including England’s Windsor Castle and PGA Championship golf courses across the US. Founded in the Bay of Plenty in the 1980s by Bob Sievwright, Trimax began designing durable, low-maintenance mowers for the kiwifruit industry, before expanding into commercial turf management. Its first export market was Australia in the mid-1980s, followed by the UK in the 1990s, and the US soon after. Today, more than 33,000 Trimax mower decks are in operation worldwide. Michael says sustained growth has come from a deliberate strategy of pairing sales expansion with strong after-sales support. In its major markets, Trimax has invested in local manufacturing or assembly, service centres, and dealer networks to ensure customers have the parts and technical backup they need to keep machines running. “Our products are used commercially – often every day – so downtime can be costly for our customers,” he says. “We’ve built our reputation not just on the quality of our machines, but on making sure a customer doesn’t lose work because of a 50cent part. Service and backup are key.” Innovation is another driver, with Trimax’s R&D team focused on improving performance, safety, and ease of use. Developments range from automatic height-adjustment and diagnostic systems for mowing sports fields, to maintenancefree hinges, bearings, and bushings that save operators valuable time each day. “Sometimes, the small changes make the biggest difference,” Michael says. “If we can save a contractor half an hour a day, that’s a big gain over a year.” Trimax recently expanded its US presence, tripling the size of its manufacturing facility and employee count there. The move has improved capacity, shortened lead times, and allowed faster delivery of spare parts – crucial in the highly competitive American market. “We’ve built our reputation not just on the quality of our machines, but on making sure a customer doesn’t lose work because of a 50-cent part. Service and backup are key.” Michael says he has long believed Trimax would reach this level of recognition, and views the award as one milestone on a much longer journey. “We’ve always had a vision for international growth, and we’re only at the beginning of what we can achieve in our markets,” he says. “New Zealand has a great reputation for manufacturing and innovation, and we’re proud to carry that reputation abroad.” For Trimax, the mission remains the same as it was in the beginning – understanding customers, solving their problems, and building mowing systems that deliver year after year.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=