| 99 nzdairy DAIRY SERVICES » Tasman Agriculture Rural Ltd A decade in the sun helping growers thrive Virginia Wright Perfectly situated to service their largely dairy farmer customer base, Tasman Agriculture Rural Limited is in Ikamatua, in the Grey Valley between Reefton and Greymouth, on the South Island’s West Coast. Set up 11 years ago by Maclane Dixon and Glen Atkin to ll a gap in the area the business grew quickly when they joined forces with Dairy Chemical manufacturer, Aakland Chemicals. “We were selling rural supplies and originally I had a yarn with Steve and Wayne Glassey from Aakland Chemicals about products they manufacture, and then we ended up talking about them becoming involved and setting up the business with three shareholders.” With Aakland joining the business Tasman Agrucltural Rural Limited started supplying all of the West Coast and Nelson/Marlborough with dairychemicals. “We knew Ikamatua was a good area to set up in, it’s probably the largest dairying area on the coast as far as cow numbers go now. The amount of business Aakland do with the dairy-chemicals and animal health products and so on, that they manufacture and we supply and deliver into the farms, is probably ve times what it was when we started,” says Glen. • to page 100 As the business grew the premises they’d been renting which had been used as much for storage as anything became more of a shop, as they started moving into the whole range of farm supplies, from grass seed, and dairy-chemicals to animal health products. Today Tas-Ag Rural Limited has three shops scattered across their catchment area, one in Karamea, one in Whataroa, and what is now a purpose-built premises along the road from where they began in Ikamatua. While they don’t have a store as such in Nelson they have a rep up there to service the Nelson and Marlborough area with dairy-chemicals, agrichemicals, pasture and crop seed. They’re now starting to supply the grape and hop growers as well. After 40 years as a senior agronomist, Steve Bethell is well-positioned to provide the advice and support that comes along with the products. “He’s had years of hands-on experience and knows a lot about pasture and cropping and regenerative seed mixes and the like. He’s doing a great job of growing our business in the Nelson/Marlborough region,” says Glen. As the business continues to grow so the number of employees has grown to 10, including Steve and Glen himself. “We’ve got good people, and we don’t turnover a lot of staff which keeps the relationships going,” says Glen. Currently Mark Jackson drives the delivery truck on the coast north of Greymouth, while Mike Havill covers south of Greymouth through to Fox Glacier. Kirsty Blackburn runs the store at Whataroa and has done since it opened ve years ago. “Kirsty’s also a dairy farmer and she and her husband Jock run a contracting business, so she does all the work out on the paddock monitoring crops and pastures and so on. Fiona Deans works in the store with her and is gaining a good understanding of the business and good product knowledge as well,”says Glen. Glen’s partner Catriona has been running the admin side of the business in Ikamatua for the last nine years. Nicole King has spent the last three months learning the ropes alongside her. With her background in dairy farming she also aims to be out in the eld eventually. Caitlin Hudson, who grew up on a dairy farm in Ikamatua, now also works in the Ikamatua store as well as going out and checking crops and pastures which is all part of what Tasman Agriculture Rural Ltd. include as part of their supply service. Tasman Agriculture Rural now has three shops scattered across their catchment area, with a free delivery service available. Email: admin@aakland.co.nz Website: www.aakland-chemicals.co.nz 88 Treffers Road, PO Box 323, Sockburn Free On-Farm Delivery Free On-Farm Service
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