30 | Southland: Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd - Invercargill T T Richard Loader Helping farmers blossom and grow “Ballance places a lot of importance on developing leadership,” says Operations Manager Neil Harrison. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT T T to page 32 In its various forms, Ballance Agri-Nutrients Awarua manufacturing and distribution plant has been in the business of helping Kiwi farmers grow for over half a century, providing a diverse range of superphosphate and other fertiliser products to meet diverse farming conditions and needs. While originally established in 1958 to provide farmers in the Southland, West and Central Otago regions with a reliable supply of superphosphate, the business has evolved to encompass the entire South Island farming community, including sheep & beef, dairy, arable, horticulture, viticulture and even floriculture. Operations Manager Neil Harrison has been with the site since 1982, commencing as a trainee laboratory technician, qualifying, and continuing to develop his career, matching his career growth with the growth of the business. As Operations Manager, Neil is responsible for the manufacturing/blending and distribution side of the process at Awarua. “It is about 60% manufactured locally and 40% imported. Some of the imported products are blended in with the locally manufactured product, and some is sold directly as they are. “The Awarua plant can blend almost any range of nutrient materials in different ratios, to meet specific regions, growing conditions and requirements. “It’s all very scientific how nutrients are applied in a particularly area and for a particular purpose. With soil testing and other forms of analysis completed by our Nutrient Specialists team, a recommendation comes to the manufacturing plant for a particular blend of nutrients. We can mix and match many different products to meet the clients’ needs.” Neil says that while the physical manufacturing and blending of fertiliser is quite traditional, it is all driven by computer and logic controllers, as opposed to switches and knobs. “Thirty years ago no one would have used computers here, now almost everyone does. In the manufacturing side of our business during the peak season, which Spring through to Autumn the following year, we operate two shifts, twenty-four hours a day, five days a week. It then goes back to a single shift and we use that time for off-season training and maintenance.” While the company’s value proposition is to have a ready supply of high-quality nutrient products that growers need for their particular business, bringing that proposition to life are the people. Neil’s operations team is comprised of sixty staff, including management and administration, a laboratory team testing product quality and environmental outputs, a manufacturing team, despatch and distribution bagging teams and a maintenance team. “The lab team have laboratory technician qualifications. Some will have university degrees, but they don’t necessarily need that to do the work. The skills to manufacture fertiliser are very specific to our industry. “The manufacturing and despatch team also need to be able to drive twenty-tonne frontend loaders and large equipment like that. The maintenance people have mechanical and electrical trades, to keep the plant operating.” Complementing Neil’s team are the sales and nutrient specialist staff, who come from various backgrounds including farming, and some have agricultural degrees or diplomas from Lincoln or Massey University. 2/192 Spey Street, Invercargill 9840 Ph (03) 218 9488 E. office@donaldsonconstruction.co.nz Proud to support Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd Machining • • Pressing • Cutting • Structural • Architectural • General HEAVY FABRICATION PROFILE CUTTING METAL WORKS STRUCTURAL STEEL FREEPHONE: 0800 200 522 CALL: 03 218 7096 190 Mersey Street, Invercargill EMAIL: reception@jks.co.nz www.jks.co.nz
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