| 59 High Country Contracting Plant test teams focus on wilding tree control while other teams focus on animal pest control. CONTRACTING Thirteen years ago the Malcolm family identi ied a need to source a diverse range of top-quality tools and equipment for arborists, professional landscapers and gardeners, e ectively illing a market void. Headed by Paul Malcolm, and his three sons, Ken, Hamish and Jethro, MetroGreen has continued to thrive and evolve by responding to customer requirements with agility, expanding on both product range and client base and never compromising on quality. “When people are working in remote locations, they need tools and equipment they can rely on to do the job, and won’t break down,” says Hamish, MetroGreen’s Sales Manager. “They’re a long way to get back into town. Dad used to be an engineer, and he has always had this philosophy that you buy it right the irst time, and we’ve all adopted that same philosophy to the products we stock.” With a warehouse and showroom/retail outlet in Washdyke, at the northern end of Timaru, customers can either call and buy direct, or procure equipment on-line. “We’re selling from Blu to Kaitaia, but we also have a lot of sales into Australia, the Chatham Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Niue, and Cook Islands.” The diverse product range includes arborist equipment such as climbing gear, harnesses, ropes and carabiners, and general pruning equipment; forestry equipment including chainsaw chaps, pants, Equipment you can rely on boots, helmets, gloves and goggles, and chainsaw chains; and landscape gardening equipment including spades, shovels, rakes and hoes, and lawn care equipment. A line of insulated poles and loppers provide essential protection for lines company employees trimming vegetation close to powerlines. Many of MetroGreen’s customers include keen home gardeners looking for tools that will last. Providing a quality service and lexibility is one of the key success factors for MetroGreen, as demonstrated when High Country Contracting requested hunting boots. “We never envisaged stocking hunting boots and now we sell a lot of them with a number of brands. People come to us because they know we stock a wide range of sizes from 36 right up to 50. So that’s how our customer list has grown; they know we carry the stock. People contact us for products that may not even be in the country, and we have usually been able to get it for them. Through trial and error we’ve identi ied the top quality brands that we choose to stock and supply to our customers.” Synonymous with top quality, brands stocked include WOLF Garten from Germany, Jameson from the United States, Clogger from New Zealand, ARS cutting equipment from Japan, Bulldog from England and Fitwell chainsaw and hunting boots from Italy. www.metrogreen.co.nz • Arborist & landscape equipment • Protective safety clothing • Chainsawprotective boots • Hiking/hunting boots • Pruning saws • Secateurs and loppers • Axes, machetes, knives • Kit and rope bags • Wedges, belts, hammers 31 Laughton Street, Timaru - Ph: 0800 89 27 26 Monday to Friday, and they work very long weeks, and that’s because they really want to make a difference. Maintaining a very high standard has contributed to the clients seeing value in what we do. “Every role has a requirement to deliver above the line and that’s about customer service, communication, the presentation of what we plan to do and how we plan to do it, the pre-and post-operation communications. “Then there’s the respectfulness amongst the team towards landowners, clients, and the public. If we bring someone new into the business, they are mentored so that they can provide that same level of service. That’s how we have got to where we are now.” In February of this year High Country Contractors was purchased by Rentokil Initial, which Kuran says will enhance the company’s ability to innovate, apply technology and further resource the company. “We’re proud of what we do, proud of making a difference and proud of our team. Looking to the future, we still want to grow and grow our bases.” DEMONSTRATIONS AVAILABLE
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