NZ Dairy Summer 2020

38 | nz dairy Manufacturing quality feed since 1982 Our range covers feed for Cows, Calves, Poultry, Horses, Pigs and other animals FEEDSAFENZ » Ringrose Stockfoods N orthland company Ringrose Stockfoods is part of a crucial industry in New Zealand pastoral agriculture. The business’ history is the classic account of starting on a small scale and growing organically as it won the confidence and loyalty of its customers. Director Lew Ringrose says some customers have been with the company, which manufactures a range of animal nutrition products, since it started more than 30 years ago. “Our business, I still believe, is built on service and quality, that’s got to be right up there and I think that’s what our customers actually expect.” As a dairy farmer Lew is easily able to relate to their needs; the business originally started from his 200 hectare Hikurangi farm. “We commenced by growing barley and maize back in 1968. Up until 1985 we grew the grain crops on the farm and then set up a small manufac- turing plant on the farm to process these. “In 1990 we moved the plant from the farm to where we are now on our existing site at Hikuran- gi.” From its first year production of 500 tonnes, Ringrose Stockfoods has grown to annually produce up to 12,000 tonnes of stock feeds today. This growth has necessitated the ongoing upgrading of items of plant such as pallet presses, typically about every two years since 1990, high- lighting that the operation is a high output, high capital cost business. In 2001 the mixing plant was upgraded and a completely automated plant was installed along with bulk input and output meal silos. In 2008 a new bulk auger truck was purchased for bulk silo farm deliveries. In 2013 a robotic bag stacker was installed, in 2015 a new warehouse Demand soars on back of customer confidence Russell Fredric PHOTOS: Ringrose Stockfoods manufactures nutritional products for dairy, poultry, horse and pigs supplied in bulk, pallets, nuts and mash, with more than half of its production going to the dairy industry. • to page 40