Business Rural Autumn 2021

| 71 RURAL SERVICES » Methven Seed Cleaning Continued investment future-proofs business Sue Russell C raig Carter and wife Wendy are joint owners, along with Craig’s sister, her husband and son, of Methven Seed Cleaning Ltd, a seed and grain processing facility servicing clients from all over the Canterbury region and as far away as the North Island and Southland. Craig is proud of what has been achieved and the investment poured back into the business, located on Racecourse Road. On site are 40 x 30 tonne silos, five seed clean- ing machines and a pearler, along with approxi- mately 7,000m2 of warehousing space. “When I bought the business I invested in building an additional 4000 square metres of new sheds and I’m just in the process of building one more which is 800 square metres. We started with three staff and we now have a team of 10, including my daughters Olivia and Megan and my son-in-law who are actively involved in the company,” says Craig. Seed cleaning involves passing the seed through a series of sieves that shake assisted by air blasted through and then on to a gravity table which separates lighter and heavier seeds. “I must have a thousand different types of sieves,” says Craig. Once the seed has been processed, if it is destined for export, it must be tested at a facility in Palmerston North to ensure it complies with overseas standards and is disease free. Asked how business is, Craig says in the district he operates in there really aren’t any ‘dark clouds’. Methven Seed Cleaning Ltd supplies cereal manufacturer Hubbards, based in the North Island, with substantial volumes of grain. Through Covid, the company continued to operate as an essential service. When Rural South spoke with Craig the busiest months of the year, from January through to April, were fast approaching. Beginning with processing broad- beans followed by grasses, clovers, brassicas, carrots and red-beets. At peak, the plant is operating six days a week, with 12 hour shifts over five of these. Craig has been leasing storage space in Meth- ven, however the long-term transport costs to maintain this meant the decision to invest in more on-site space made good sense. A zoning change, from Rural B to Residential D meant a resource consent was needed to cover more of the land with buildings. “That process took six months to work through with council.” The shed is being constructed by North End Engineering from Ashburton. Craig says he feels confident most of the work will be completed by Christmas. Methven Seed Cleaning Ltd has also invested nearly $250,000 in dust extraction equipment, in order to minimise the impact of seed and grain processing on neighbours. The company is also a member of the New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade Association. And when not busy processing thousands of tonnes of grain and seed Craig enjoys his outdoor bowls and is a current member of the Canterbury squad. “I think this building we’re doing now will prob- ably be my last big project in the company and its good to have family actively engaged in it to one day take over.” “When I bought the business I invested in building an additional 4000 square metres of new sheds and I’m just in the process of building one more which is 800 square metres. We started with three staff and we now have a team of 10, including my daughters Olivia and Megan and my son-in-law who are actively involved in the company.” Methven seed cleaning processes seed and grain for clients from Southland, Canterbury and the North Island. Suppliers of structural steel for commercial and residential buildings. Specialists in seismic strengthening to existing structures. EasyFit vehicle / inspection pits, designed and fabricated by North End Engineering. 6 Range Street, Ashburton Phone: 03 308 8155 | Mobile: 0273 529 909 Email: office@nee.kiwi.nz | www.nee.nz Tel: 03 303 7266 Web: www.pmr.co.nz Email: paul@pmr.co.nz Mobile: 0274 151 390 | Email: tom@pmr.co.nz Mobile: 0275 146 606 PMR OFFER: SITE CONSTRUC TION • SUPP L Y • D ES IGN • INSTALLATION & THE RANGE OF PRODUCTS INCLUDE SILOS, FLEX FLO, MILLS, DRYING EQUIPMENT, CONVEYING & ELEVATING, SEED CLEANING EQUIPMENT, MILLING EQUIPMENT, ENGINEERING. DairyFeed and CropStorageSpecialists DairyFeed and CropStorageSpecialists