NZ Dairy Winter 2021

110 | nz dairy Dunsandel cartage firm always on hand Kelly Deeks B r inging a lifetime of experience to their Dunsandel contracting and cartage firm E.D. Swain Ltd, Eddie and Sandra Swain offer a personalised service with a high standard of plant and machinery, and are there for their clients when they’re needed. Eddie was born and bred on a sheep farm in Southland, eventually moving to Canterbury in the 1970s, while Sandra is from North Canterbury and moved to Dunsandel aged 14, where her father owned and operated his own trucking firm. Eddie and Sandra bought their first truck in 1987, a 1970 Mercedes Benz 1418, and estab- lished E.D. Swain Ltd. The transport division has since grown to a fleet of five Scanias carting a mixture of stock and flat deck cartage. Baling services were added to Swain’s in 2006, when Eddie went looking for a more reliable service for his own operation, which at the time he leased 220ha. “I bought my own baler and before long people were requesting me to do balage contracting on their farms as well,” he says. Swain’s contracting division expanded in 2015 with the purchase of a local contracting busi- ness, and today specialises in grass contracting including mowing, baling, raking, and wrapping services. “It is important for us to be able to offer a reliable and efficient service, as any delays could affect our customers’ crops. We need to be there at the right time, doing the job,” Eddie says. Swain’s is a small, dedicated, family-owned and operated business which prides itself on of- fering a very personal service. February 2021 saw another expansion in the transport side of the business with Eddie and Sandra purchasing 50% of Culverden based Amuri Transport. Eddie has now taken on the managing director role at Amuri Transport as well as keeping an eye on E. D. Swain Ltd alongside Sandra, who works in the office with their daughter Anna. Eldest Son Brad is a full-time stock truck driver, while their second eldest son Stephen is involved in the day to day running of the contract- ing operation. Swain’s was on hand this Moving Day, which saw some disruption due to the catastrophic flooding across Canterbury. One job came in from a Brookside farmer who would normally walk his cows through the Selwyn River to get to their winter grazing run off. “It’s normally just a short walk across a couple of acres, but due to the flooding the herd had to be moved by truck. He called us up and we were Stephen, Eddie and Brad Swain in front of E.D. Swain Ltd’s first truck, a Mercedes Benz 1418. RURAL SERVICES » E.D.Swain Contractors able to move them the next day,” Eddie says. Two Amuri Transport trucks came down to Dunsandel to help four of Swain’s trucks with one of the largest herd moves of 1600 cows going from Dunsandel to Springfield. “That meant there were no farmers waiting for trucks, there was a truck there loading all the time, and that’s exactly what our customers want to see.” “It’s normally just a short walk across a couple of acres, but due to the flooding the herd had to be moved by truck. He (Brookside farmer) called us up and we were able to move them the next day.” 0800 274 524 biostart.co.nz Improved forage quality and storage. » Reduced spoilage » More palatable hay » Sweeter silage » Easy to use Proud suppliers to E.D. Swain Contractors