| 89 Comprehensive services Thriving business Johnstone Contracting: the art of contracting is all about balancing demands. Karen Phelps Kelly Deeks RURAL SERVICES » Johnstone Contracting Ltd / Redwood Fencing According to Daryl Johnstone, director of Southland based Johnstone Contracting, the art of contracting is all about balancing demands. “Every season is different. It’s about being able to go with mother nature and make the most of it when the opportunities are there,” he says. “It’s about balancing client needs, staff, equipment and being able to get the job done when the weather’s right.” Based in Tokanui, the second-generation family business, also owned by Daryl’s wife Nicola, offers a comprehensive range of services including baleage and hay production, full cultivation work, seeding and fencing. With more than two decades of operation under its belt, the company brings valuable local knowledge to every job it undertakes. “All that history and local experience adds real value to our clients’ farming operations,” explains Daryl. “We know the land, region, conditions and what farmers are trying to achieve and challenges they might face.” This deep understanding proves invaluable when adapting to Southland’s notoriously changeable weather patterns. The past season highlighted these challenges, with wet spring conditions drastically reducing grass growth before Christmas, followed by an extended period of fine autumn weather that enabled baleage production to continue into April. “That comes with its challenges as sometimes the windows to get things done aren’t very big. So then we have to gear up and be able to move and adapt,” says Daryl. The company has a team of approximately five casual staff and invests in modern equipment to ensure it can respond quickly when conditions are right. This agility is crucial to its continued success in an industry where timing is everything, says Daryl. With a background firmly rooted in agriculture and a passion for practical, high-quality solutions, Joe Redwood has built a thriving rural fencing business from the ground up. Based in Oxford and servicing the wider Canterbury region, Redwood Fencing has become a go-to name for farmers needing durable and efficient fencing. For Joe, it all comes back to combining good, honest work with a strong understanding of the land. “We’re here to help farmers make their properties safer, more efficient, and better to work on,” he says. “That’s what it’s all about.” Joe grew up on farms in Marlborough and South Canterbury before heading to Lincoln University to study agricultural commerce. After university, Joe spent three years overseas, alternating six-month stints back home working with six months travelling. “I worked for a fencer during my time back home, then started fencing overseas as well, building elk fencing in Colorado and New Mexico. It was a great learning curve and when I came home for good, I decided to give it a go for myself.” Taking a gamble, Joe invested in gear and started calling up his farming mates to see who needed work done. He struck gold with his timing, with Ngai Tahu undertaking a wave of dairy conversions in the Oxford area, and Redwood Fencing was soon brought on board. “That gave me a big foot in the door, and we’re still working with them to this day.” Redwood Fencing was officially established in 2014 and grew rapidly. Joe hired his first staff members straight away and today runs two experienced crews of two. “That’s the sweet spot Coordination as a fundamental element of the business: “There is a lot of organisation and scheduling, communication with staff and clients. This is where history and experience matters to continue to do a quality safe job, especially when demand is high.” The business was founded by Daryl’s parents, Ernie and Anne Johnstone with Ernie bringing an impressive 50 years of contracting experience to the operation. While Daryl now leads the company, Ernie, while retired, remains involved, sharing his valuable knowledge and moving staff or resources when needed. Embracing technological advancement has been key to the company’s longevity. It utilises modern equipment including two McHale Fusion integrated baler wrappers with film-on-film technology providing higher quality baleage with better oxygen exclusion. “We operate modern reliable gear so we can consistently deliver to our clients’ expectations and, most importantly, continue to do this year on year,” says Daryl who contributes to the wider industry as a board member of Rural Contractors New Zealand, representing zone 4. Despite acknowledging the economic challenges of recent years, he maintains an optimistic outlook: “There is great positivity out there now with the commodity prices rising so things are looking up.” For Johnstone Contracting, successfully navigating these cyclical challenges has become second nature. “That’s the cycle of farming – it goes in lows and highs and that’s a challenge for us, helping our customers ride those waves. At Johnstone Contracting we are extremely excited about what lies ahead while the agricultural sector gets itself back on its feet with current higher payouts for everyone.” for maximum efficiency,” he says. Site foreman and 2IC Anton Van Heuven is a qualified plumber and roofer who had also done a couple of year’s fencing before joining Redwood Fencing more than eight years ago, and brings construction skills and materials knowledge as well as strong leadership, communication, and organisational skills. Joe is now leasing about 200ha and where he runs beef cattle and dairy grazers, and his deep understanding of farm systems has been key to his success. “I always think from the farmer’s perspective - the guy who’s paying the bill. I want to make sure they’re getting real value and something that’s going to work practically for their operation.” That includes thoughtful design input when building cattle and sheep yards, helping to ensure a smooth flow of animals and less stress for stock and farmers alike. The team also constructs pole sheds, giving them some nice variety in their workload. Redwood Fencing has remained consistently busy, even through a couple of tough years for the rural sector, during which Joe and his partner Kim welcomed a beautiful daughter, Poppy. “We’ve been lucky with the great clients we’ve got. A lot of them just kept going with their projects, which helped us stay busy while others slowed down.” The Redwood Fencing team covers a wide territory, from the flats of North Canterbury to the more challenging high country jobs in areas like Mt Somers. “We do a real mix, from lifestyle block fencing to the harder, more remote work where everything has to be done by hand. There’s not many who want to do that sort of work anymore, but we enjoy it. Wouldn’t want to do it every day, but the odd camp out job keeps things interesting.” • Agricultural • Vulcanizing • Cars & 4X4 • Motorcycles & ATV • Alloy and Steel Rims • Wheel Alignments • Puncture Repairs 100% SOUTHLAND OWNED AND OPERATED 159 Northland Rd, Invercargill Ph: 0800 642 624 | E: sales@alltyresltd.co.nz | www.alltyres.co.nz FOR ALL YOUR TYRE NEEDS Professional approach with quality service and utilising the LATEST TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS we can help you add value to your business Daryl & Nicola Johnstone Mobile: 027 454 9024 Email: daryl@johnstone.co.nz - www.johnstone.co.nz for all your Cultivation, Sowing, Baleage & Hay needs in Southland AVAILABLE NOW • CRATES • DUNNAGE • TIMBER • PALLETS • MDF/PLY • BINS • POSTS • STAKES / PEGS • SHREDDED CHIP / SAWDUST • TIMBER TREATMENT • CONTRACT MILLING 027 427 8180 JOEREDWOODFENCING@GMAIL.COM Joe Redwood Fencing CANTERBURY
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