Business South November 2021

58 | PROUDLY SUPPORTING WAIMEA CONTRACT CARRIERS bridgestonetyres.co.nz FORESTRY Waimea Contract Carriers Safety, sustainability key to success Richard Loader “The system has been in the field and it works and it’s now just in the final refinement stages. As well as ACC, WorkSafe are watching the development closely so it will be very exciting for the industry.” W ith four decades in the business of carting logs from forests to ports and local sawmills, Waimea Contract Carrier’s ethos is all about working safely, the sustainability of their operation and providing a high level of service. Established in 1980 by Simon McIntyre, the business is now in the safe hands of his chil- dren Jenny and Peter, in the roles of CEO and Executive Director of Engineering, respectively. From a foundation of six logging trucks, the business has grown over the years to sixty-two logging trucks and five heavy haulage vehicles, with more logging trucks on order. Operating from Eden Road, Hope, Waimea Contract Carriers predominantly operates in the Top of the South, but also picks up logs from Kaikoura and the West Coast of the South Island, delivering to Port Nelson and Port Marlborough in Picton, along with a number of mills in the Marlborough/Nelson regions. Last year the company carted well over one million tonnes of logs but has carted signifi- cantly more than that in previous years. “The last couple of years have been softer, driven by COVID and the market,” says Jenny. “About 40% of the logs we cart go to the ports for export.” Waimea Contract Carriers’ approach to business sustainability reflects the profile of its work and a balance between logs from corporate forestry companies and the smaller woodlots typically owned by farmers and smaller investors. “The ideal work profile for us is to have a market share of corporate forests and not be so exposed to woodlots that are more dependent upon when the farmer decides the price is right to harvest and therefore more variable.” Employing around 65 drivers, Waimea is heavily invested in training people, often recruiting good young people who might only have a car license and taking them through their heavy traffic license. “We might have young people that have only been with us for a couple of years and they’re driving a 58-tonne log truck very suc- cessfully. “We can never get enough drivers and cur- rently require 70 in the team.” Rather than something that has developed because of compliance with health and safety 1512B State Highway 10, Kerikeri PO Box 196 Kerikeri, 0245 M: 0274840999 E: terrainnorthland@xtra.co.nz Safety Shop Wire Rope Warehouse Forestry & Rigging Services proud supplier to Waimea Contract Carriers