58 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Broadbridge Transport Trucking on after 75 years The Renwick-based trucking firm are experts in livestock transport and over the years have gained a reputation for their high level of service. T T Rosa Watson After 75 in business, family-owned Broadbridge Transport is continuing to serve the Marlborough region with the next generation taking the business forward. The Renwick-based trucking firm are experts in livestock transport and over the years have gained a reputation for their high level of service. Rachel Marfell and her brother Adam Broadbridge, grandchildren of founder Cyril Broadbridge, have recently taken on more responsibility alongside their father, Weir. “It’s obviously still his company but he’s sort of leaving us in charge. He wants to step away a bit,” Rachel explains to Business South. Weir now plans to play more tennis and spend more time with his grandchildren. Weir started working for his father’s company straight out of school, and as a schoolboy had carried out odd jobs in school holidays. Weir and his brothers eventually took the helm of the business, navigating it through the various changes in the Marborough economy. Ninety-nine percent of the company’s cartage is South Island, but they do get the odd North Island job come up, mainly when working in with another firm, Rachel said. They cart stock to Alliance, ANZCO and Silver Fern Farms around the South Island. In previous times they carried out freight, but in 2009, they sold the freight part of the business to local company Renwick Transport. “Now we just purely do livestock and then we own the yard there,” Rachel said. There are four truck units and a small and “quite handy” truck known as the Flea, “for when we do odd jobs or if you do a lifestyle block that doesn’t have the facilities to get a big truck in”. Three full-time drivers are employed, one part-timer and a contract driver, and Rachel takes care of the administration side of things. With changes in land use in the Marlborough region, many converting farms to vineyards, declining stock numbers had affected the business, Rachel said. “When I first started 10 years ago we had five fulltime drivers. Now we have three. “There was a lot more stock but obviously with being such a wine region there’s lots of farms that are now vineyards. “It’s unfortunate but we understand, the price you receive per hectare for grapes is a lot more than stock” Rachel said the key behind the company’s success was its communication. “If we’re going to be late, we let clients know. But we’re very seldom late. It’s only if there’s a road issue or something has happened with stock at the previous farm. “That’s probably our biggest thing. We pride ourselves on our service. We are lucky to have excellent drivers and stock handlers.” Team members all had individual strengths that complimented each other. She and her brother worked well together. “We’re not in competition with each other. We both liaise regular to ensure we are on the same page” Their generation was embracing technological advancements while maintaining tried and true operations. “I guess it’s quite good to have the younger and older generations working together. “Back in the day, jobs for the day were written in a diary. Now they go straight to the driver’s phone via an app. You enter the job in and it’ll just automatically go to the drivers and they can see what they’ve got on for the day.” The Broadbridge generations continue to be involved, with Cyril’s great-grandchildren riding in the truck on occasion. “Adam’s kids go in the truck all the time, so they get a bit of a taste for it.” Proud to Support Broadbridge Transport 10 Horton Street, Blenheim P: 03 578 9239 M: 021 954 274 E: parts@automarine.co.nz
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