| 71 nzdairy Training includes fault diagnosis and the ability to give recommendations for maintenance and improvements for all brands of milking machinery. DAIRY SERVICES » NZ Milking & Pumping Trade Association Tony Clark 0274 382 180 tony@rdsl.co.nz The dedicated teamat Rakaia Dairy Services are in the business of keeping dairy farmers pumping, ensuringmilk is in the vat. Rakaia Dairy Services, supplies and installs, services, repairs andmaintains milking systems, be it a herringbone or rotary platform. For the last seven years the business has been led by Tony and Lisa Clark who have steadily grown their farmer/customer base, adding eight teammembers to keep up with demand. “Our work could be repairing the pumps or replacing the rubber components in a shed on an annual basis,” says Tony. “We do a lot of stainless-steel fabrication and welding, along with general engineering. There’s a lot of water in a dairy shed for washing down and keeping it clean and hygienic, so we do a little bit of water plumbing along with fault analysis if the plant isn’t cleaning the way it should be. Servicing teat spraying systems is another core tasks. Many farmers milk twice a day, every single day. We have to be there as quick as possible to ix the problem and get those cows milking again.” Tony says more andmore farmers are electing to incorporate automation into their milking systems, be that as simple as automatic cup removers (ACRs) or themore sophisticated All lex cowmonitoring systems. Keeping up a steady flow “We’re All lex agents, and install those systems tomonitor the cows’ health, and track their movement 24/7. It also identi ies when the cow is on heat so the farmer knows when it’s time to inseminate her. All lex also includes an automatic drafting system in the dairy shed so that if the cow is on heat she is drafted into a pen for AI.” In addition to being All lex agents, Rakaia Dairy Services has agencies for Read Industrial, Wetit, and Protrack, but can service and supply any brand. With an ever-increasing client base, Tony says having a great work crew to rely on daily, and personalised relationships with his farmers has been key to the company’s success. “I love the interaction with the farmers I visit. You’re always aiming to please. There’s always someone to yarn to and it’s not often that I go into town now and not meet one of my customers.” Still passionate about the business of looking after the farmers milking systems, Tony says there is nothing else he would rather be doing. “Coming from an engineering and maintenance background I like to be fabricating or designing something — whether big or small. In this industry you have to learn so many di erent skills, it’s never routine. One minute you could be looking at an electrical board and the next joining a plumbing pipe.” • MilkingMachine Service, Installation&Repairs • Teatspray Servicing • General Engineering • Stainless Steel Fabrication&Welding • AuthorisedAgents for Read Industrial, Wetit, All lex&Protrack
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