| 39 PROUDLY SUPPORTING AND BEEN SUPPORTED BY 2 TYRE TRACKS AND HIRE LTD Southland: Fordes Petfood 2021 2 Tyre Tracks and Hire REGIONAL DEVELOMENT Serious car crash leads to petfood business Proud to be associated with Fordes Petfood FULL WORKSHOP • Diagnostic Scan Tools • W.O.F • Major/Minor repairs • Tyre Repair/Replacement • Heavy Brake Rollers • Ryco Hydraulic Hose Fittings 51 Great North Road, Winton Ph 03 236 8701 • 021 225 6235 • www.gillrepairs.co.nz Cars-4WD-Farm Vehicles & Machinery-Trucks-Tractors A serious car crash which led Cam Moir to changing his work situation resulted in him becoming the new owner of Fordes Petfood in July last year. Cam is enjoying the cut and thrust of his new work life and the challenges of running the Central Southland-based business. He comes from a forestry background and has a Bachelor of Forestry Science degree. “My previous occupations were all forest management.” Before buying Fordes Petfood he had plenty of time to consider his options having had his back, femur and pelvis broken in the crash. Laid up for nearly two years, Cam took the opportunity to complete post-graduate studies in marketing, finance and environmental science during this time, but despite a good recovery he found it difficult to get past an employment health questionnaire. Consequently he and his partner, Kara Toimata who works in the dairy industry, started looking for business opportunities around Southland.” “We moved here five years ago and loved Southland, we didn’t want to leave. There was a few businesses for sale and this one really spun my wheels so we got into it.” “I like rolling up my sleeves and doing a bit of hard work each day. I have a lot of rural upbringing, my partner’s in farming and I enjoy with the farming community which we think is quite valuable for this business.” Other drawcards were that the business is well-established, having operated for more than 25 years, is centrally located in Southland and is the only pet food producer in the province. A member of the New Zealand Pet Food Association, its range includes beef, lamb and wild game, with 85% of meat sourced from dairy cows. “We will go and pick up stock that are unsuitable for meat [processing] sites and for transportation off farms.” This is a win-win situation for the farmer, who can have stock easily and safely disposed of and for Fordes Petfood which has a reliable supply of meat from the dairy industry. About 80% of the meat is sold wholesale for further processing by other pet food manufacturers. The balance is processed into Fordes Petfood’s own brand, Petfood Express, which is a frozen, preservative free, additive-free pet food sold in Foodstuff’s stores throughout the South Island. This is available in beef, rabbit/beef mix, lamb and steak and kidney and beef supreme. Its in-house beef range sold from its on-site shop includes trim, bones, mince and dog roll while wild game options are venison, possum, rabbit and hare sourced from approved suppliers and sold in mince and pieces. The dog roll is 100% beef, comprising meat, heart and tongue and has no fillers. Stock can be killed on behalf of farmers and the frozen carcasses band sawn into chunks which is a popular option. Strong ongoing demand for Fordes Petfood’s products and services means Cam is looking to upgrade its plant over time which will include an automatic boning machine and new blast freezers. “The intention is to get the plant up to a maintained spec then bring in the new gear which is probably 24 months out yet.” T T Russell Fredric “There was a few businesses for sale and this one really spun my wheels so we got into it.” rates. A Seadoo jetski is even available for hire as a fun reward after all the hard work is done. “I guess our niche is that there are no minimums for our hourly rate. “We keep it competitively priced to make it affordable for everyone.” “Business has been pretty consistent, it’s steadily growing, we are still picking up new customers every day of the week.” Sales and service to the forestry industry is now a significant part of the business. “It’s significant gear, it’s a big investment; it’s market leading equipment that we’re bringing into the country.”
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