Business Rural North Summer 2021

| 49 RURAL PEOPLE » HeliAg Heli spraying for farmers by farmers Team members Matt Wilson, Lisa Chittick, John Chittick and Ben Kluts. Spring fertiliser application (below left) and blackberry spraying (below right.) Karen Phelps B eing ex farmers, new owners of HeliAg under- stand the needs of their customers well. John and Lisa Chittick farmed for over two decades so they know the pressures farmers face and the importance of timing when it comes to agricultural and horticultural spraying, fertiliser application, frost protection and lifting items such as fencing supplies, water tanks and farm gear. “We really understand farmers’ needs. We know how farms run and the business aspects behind the operations so we ensure we deliver our service in the best and most cost effective way,” says John. “Because we know how farms work we can prioritise our jobs to ensure farmers get the service they need when they need it,” adds Lisa. Alongside farming John had always had a pas- sion for helicopters, which saw him attain his Pilot license in 2010. Initially operating under HeliAg’s license, it was in 2020 that he and Lisa got the op- portunity to purchase the company. Since then it’s grown considerably and they have invested in a new AS350 B2 Squirrel to join their SD1 Squirrel to keep up with demand as well as take on larger jobs. They operate a small, dedicated team, which includes the former owner of the company, Matt Wilson, who is the chief pilot with a Grade 1 Pilot license and 12 years flying experience. Lisa is He- liAg’s SMS Manager and boasts 10 years helicopter loader driver experience. The team is rounded out by HeliAg’s loader driv- ers Tony Farquharson, who comes from a farming background and has experience in tractor driving, heavy machine and truck driving, and Ben Kluts who has his PPL and is a budding helicopter ag pilot. HeliAg is also CAA Part 137 Certified and SMS Part 100 Certified, which ensure the highest stand- ards of health and safety for clients and crew. Pilots and ground crew are Growsafe and Handler accredited. It is also VFR night rated for frost protection. HeliAg works in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne. Lisa says this is a real advantage to their clients. Rather than have all their customers in one climatic area and having to squeeze all their jobs into a small window as everyone needs the same things done at once in response to weather conditions and sea- sonal timing, they can split the workload between the regions. This means they can be more responsive to clients’ needs. Having two Squirrels and two pilots they can tackle large jobs and get things done quickly and efficiently. HeliAg uses TracMap Online, a cloud based management system. Farmers receive proof of placement at the end of their job. “This means that farmers are simply emailed a link then they can draw maps of the areas they need maintained, mark out hazards and assign job details and email it back to us. We can then wirelessly send all the information to our pilots from our desktop or mobile device to ensure they are in the right place, doing the right job,” explains John. An increasingly popular service is liquid and slurry fertiliser application. Because HeliAg can combine fertiliser with thistle spraying it makes for a very cost effective service for farmers as well as helping them meet environmental obligations. HeliAg can also supply chemicals making for a complete service. “Farmers are simply emailed a link then they can draw maps of the areas they need maintained, mark out hazards and assign job details.” Proud to work with Heli Ag Our Farming Growth rural division is all about supporting rural businesses. We understand farming, the challenges and what it takes to succeed. 06 876 8124 info@pkfcs.co.nz pkfcs.co.nz Rural Accounting Specialists PKF and the Farming Growth team are proud to support HeliAg