56 | 75 years of service One-stopwood shop Kelly Deeks Kelly Deeks Whangarei’s farming community has long relied on family-owned contractors to keep operations running smoothly, and few embody that commitment like McQuinn Spreading & Cartage. Managed by Peter McQuinn, the business has been a fixture in Northland agriculture for more than 75 years, providing spreading and cartage services that help local farmers maintain productive land in the face of mounting industry challenges. Peter’s connection to the trade runs deep. “I was born and bred in a manure spreader,” he says. “At 16, I got my heavy truck licence through a special government grant. The policeman who took me for my test didn’t even take me for a drive because he’d seen me driving trucks around the quarry for years. It’s just something I grew up doing.” The business traces its roots to 1947, when Peter’s father, Tim McQuinn, returned from war with a wooden leg and a determination to provide for his family. Starting with general carrying in Pipiwai, Tim eventually built a thriving operation centred on the family’s passion for machinery and farming. Over the decades, Peter and his brothers expanded the enterprise into lime and fertiliser spreading, with Peter taking the helm of the spreading side, while his late brother Rex managed general carrying. Today, McQuinn Spreading & Cartage remains firmly grounded in those family values, offering precision spreading and reliable cartage for farms across Northland. The business has adapted as the region’s landscape has changed, responding to subdivisions, lifestyle blocks, and more recently, the spread of pine forests. Woodwards Firewood is keeping Taranaki homes and farms well supplied with fuel for the fire and bedding for livestock Based in Bell Block, New Plymouth, the long-running business has grown from a straightforward firewood yard into a one-stop shop for a variety of wood products delivered across the region. When asked who his clients are, owner Heath Priest is straight-up: “Well, anyone that’s got a fire. And, for the farmers, we do animal bedding for calf sheds and herd homes.” The company’s reach extends throughout Taranaki. A local trucking firm delivers in bulk to farms, while Woodwards runs its own trucks for household orders. The team also has an eight-wheeler with a crane, giving them the flexibility to collect full logs directly from contractors for processing at the yard. Woodwards deals primarily in pine and gum, with macrocarpa available when supply allows. Many customers opt for freshly split green wood in summer, storing it away to dry at home. “That’s the most economical way to buy it,” Heath says. Another key product is kiln-dried pine blocks sourced from a local sawmill. Uniform in size and ready to use, these blocks have become a popular choice for households wanting reliable, easy-burning firewood. “They’re clean, they’re dry – that’s what people like about them,” Heath says. “They’re just ready to put in your fire.” One of the company’s unique features is its expansive dry storage shed, which allows RURAL SERVICES » McQuinn Spreading and Cartage / Woodwards 2008 Ltd “The pine trees are affecting everyone’s work,” Peter explains. “This year alone, we’ve lost 620 hectares of local land to forestry. A lot of this land is going overseas, being planted for carbon credits. The forestry industry is highly mechanised now which means fewer jobs, and it’s having devastating effects on farming and fertiliser supply.” Rising costs are another challenge. Fertiliser prices have soared, making careful application more important than ever. Peter emphasises the value of experienced contractors in this environment. “The days of throwing fertiliser around willy-nilly are gone. Proper application is about knowing your products and your land.” McQuinn Spreading & Cartage operates with a small but capable team. Alongside Peter is Dave Calloway, whose growing expertise helps manage operations, and a casual crew who step in when workloads peak. Together, they deliver services that range from the even application of lime and nutrients to the cartage of agricultural materials, supporting farms of all sizes across the region. Through floods, droughts, industry shifts, and technological change, Peter says the key has always been adaptability and commitment. “Even back in the ’80s when interest rates went from three percent to 20%, there was always a challenge to be had. You just deal with it and keep moving.” For Northland farmers, McQuinn Spreading & Cartage is more than a service provider - it’s a trusted partner with deep roots in the community. Peter McQuinn’s story is a testament to the resilience of family businesses in New Zealand’s farming sector, a reminder that decades of experience, local knowledge, and a hands-on approach remain invaluable in keeping farms productive and sustainable. customers to drive in with a trailer or even just the boot of a car and load their own wood, year-round. “That convenience is something that makes us stand out from everybody else,” Heath says. Heath says new customers often find their way to Woodwards after a bad experience elsewhere. “People come in and they go, ‘Oh, we’ve just bought some bloody wood off Facebook and we can’t burn it,’” he says. Instead, they end up leaving with dry stacks from Heath and his team. “It happens all the time.” In 2014, Woodwards expanded into animal bedding, turning a growing pile of wood waste into a new product. Investing in a grinder from the United States, the team began producing chip suitable for everything from calf pens to herd homes. “We have customers that are just rearing two calves right up to farms that have hundreds of cows needing 1000 to 1500 cubic metres at a time,” Heath says. It’s become a steady sideline, alongside a smaller offering of garden mulch. The business itself has been part of the Taranaki landscape for decades. Heath and a partner purchased it 17 years ago, but he now runs it as sole owner. Before firewood, Heath’s career was spent outdoors with the Department of Conservation, where he worked as a goat hunter for 24 years. Looking for a new challenge, he seized the chance to buy into the business. Woodwards supports a team of seven staff, some of whom have been with the business for many years. The crew takes care of everything from collecting logs and offcuts to processing, stacking, deliveries, and customer service. Peter McQuinn: “The pine trees are affecting everyone’s work. This year alone, we’ve lost 620 hectares of local land to forestry. A lot of this land is going overseas, being planted for carbon credits.” PETER McQUINN GROUNDSPREAD NORTHLAND GROUNDSPREAD NORTHLAND Phone Peter - Mobile: 0274 931 894 WE SOW IT, YOU GROW IT • Lime / Fertiliser • Muck / Waste Spreading , Avoca – where better soil means better results. Contact Avoca 09 433 5720 email: sales@avocagroup.co.nz www.avocagroup.co.nz - Specialists in customised fertiliser blends - Correct your soil pH - Maximise return on your fertiliser spend Wouldn’t it be convenient if one company handled all your lime and fertiliser needs? We are a locally owned and operated transportation business specialising in the cartage of bulk goods such as palm kernel, blended stock feed and fertiliser, along with the general farm freight of items such as bagged calf feed and hay/silage Taranaki wide. » BULK CARTAGE » HI-AB DELIVERY SERVICE » GENERAL FREIGHT SERVICE michielsenstransport.co.nz | 027 340 6273 | Michielsens Transport Woodwards deals primarily in pine, gum and macrocarpa when supply allows.
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