| 91 nzdairy DAIRY SERVICES » Pumpn Ltd Rural confidence boosts Pumpn demand Pumpn is seeing unprecedented activity. Kelly Deeks After several cautious seasons, Waikato farmers are finally spending again, and Otorohanga-based pumps and effluent specialist Pumpn is feeling the lift. Pumpn founder and director Shane Phillips says the phones have not stopped ringing, with demand across water infrastructure, pond upgrades, and compliance work driving what he describes as the busiest period he has seen in more than two decades. “We are crazy busy,” he says. “We’ve got a surge of pent-up demand from farmers tightening their spending while returns were under pressure. Now attention has shifted back to essential infrastructure. “They made reasonably good money last year but probably spent it paying off debt,” he says. “Now they need to repair and replace things, so the money is being spent.” Water and effluent systems are typically the first areas to move in the rural sector when confidence returns. While big-ticket items such as housing or tractors can wait, keeping farms running smoothly and meeting environmental obligations cannot. “Paramount is stock having enough water,” Shane says. “Farmers might have managed with older systems, but now they’re making life easier with better equipment, new water lines, better pumps, and more storage.” Additional storage has become a major focus, with many clients adding another 25,000 litres of capacity through extra tanks to provide security during peak demand. At the same time, Pumpn is seeing unprecedented activity in effluent pond upgrades. Synthetic rubber liners are now standard, with tighter regional council oversight requiring farmers to demonstrate their ponds are not leaking. “We’ve got 12 lined ponds on the go at the moment, which is lots,” Shane says. “Last year we probably did two.” Lining a pond often triggers wider changes across the entire system. Because solids can no longer be removed with a digger, farms must install larger and more effective sand traps and sediment bunkers. Pumps are frequently upgraded as part of the process, turning what might seem like a simple job into a significant project. Alongside compliance work, Pumpn has secured a sizeable build with a new 60 bale rotary shed that will keep the team busy for about three months. New sheds have been rare in recent years, making the project a welcome sign of renewed optimism. “It’s going to be a huge step toward more efficiency for that business,” Shane says. Behind the scenes, manufacturing has also expanded rapidly. Pumpn produces a wide range of engineered components for its own installations and for customers nationwide. www.yardmaster.co.nz REID & HARRISON PROVENEFFLUENT PRODUCTSPLUS LOCALKNOWHOW Pumpn Ltd is a proud member of the... Pumpn Ltd 40 Turonga Street Otorohanga. Phone: (07) 873 8673 ...that works! Two additional staff have joined the workshop in the past six months, allowing the company to hold more stock and reduce wait times. For Shane, the increased demand locally and nationally sends a clear message. “It’s not just us that’s busy,” he says. “There’s more confidence across the whole country. Farmers are happy and the towns like Otorohanga that support the rural sector are feeling it too.” After a prolonged lull, the rural economy is again providing momentum. Businesses like Pumpn are at the centre of the recovery, helping dairy farmers future-proof the systems that keep their operations moving.
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