110 | nzdairy RURAL SERVICES » Waikato Milking Systems Waikato Milking Systems employs around 107 people, 15 of these being based full time offshore. Relentless innovation and sector leadership Sue Russell Global dairy technologies manufacturing company, Waikato Milking Systems, boasts a long and proud history championing relentless innovation and sector leadership. Headquartered just north of Hamilton the business has carved a second-to-none reputation for pioneering new technologies all with the aim of helping dairy farmers secure the most production efficiencies. The pursuit of providing farmers with innovative solutions is backed by massive investment in research and development as Grant Wisniewski, GM sales and operations explains. “We have a multidisciplinary team of 12 devoted to New Product Development, supported with significant capital investment into new and innovative products. Research and initial development phases are generally centralised to our Horotiu site before transitioning to on-farm testing and validation.” Asked what have been the critical factors underpinning the company’s growth from humble beginnings Grant says it starts with understanding how their customers operate and having a ‘make it happen’ attitude. “We’re extremely agile in everything we do which allows us to move at pace. This is only possible because we have the best team of people passionately committed to our business. We don’t always get it right, however the cando attitude which Kiwis are known for, has been extremely important to us throughout our 54 year history. CEO, Chris Singleton echoes these sentiments. “Being based in the Waikato, the region with the highest density of dairy farming has created an epicentre of dairy technology and innovation in New Zealand. This in turn has nurtured amazing people to achieve great things through training organisations, tertiary education providers and aligned businesses.” Chris says a key focus into the future is growing greater collaboration with research facilities. Currently Waikato Milking Systems employs around 107 people, 15 of these being based full time offshore. Manufacturing is also centralised to the Horotiu site, allowing Waikato Milking Systems to ship out full complete systems in a single shipment with greater control on quality and supply. “Our customers expect us to deliver a reliable product that has a very low cost of ownership and we strive to ensure everything we do follows these principles, Grant says. ‘ErgoPOD’™, a new semi-robotic milking system has recently launched in New Zealand and Australia, with a global launch planned for 2026, has been designed specifically for rotary milking platforms. ErgoPOD™ streamlines the milking process, making it faster, smarter and more sustainable. “ErgoPOD™ has been four years in development and it is exciting to see the hard work our team have put into this revolutionary new product come to life,” says Chris. Waikato Milking Systems impact in the dairy industry has been significant. Beginning life in a small facility in Hamilton over five decades ago, its first major product release was the Mk5 Milk Meter, sold into over 80 countries and still sought extensively today. “That product, all those years ago, really put Waikato Milking Systems on the global map. In more recent times the evolution of our composite rotary platform, significantly lighter and stronger than concrete has kept us at the forefront of innovation. We’re hoping that ErgoPOD™ will have a similar effect as we step into the semi-robotic market,” Grant says. Te Awamutu Phone 0800 747 746 | Email sales@phprint.co.nz | 142 Kent Street, Hamilton 3204 | Web phprint.nz See us for your next print project YOUR EXPERIENCED TEAM IN ALL THINGS PRINT PROUD SUPPORTERS OF WAIKATO MILKING SYSTEMS The company is proud too of its track-record in providing employment at entry level for aspiring fabricators, welders and engineers, having taken on numerous apprentices over the years. “We take them through their time and sometimes they head off and venture into other industries to gain a broader understanding. A lot of the time, years later, they come back to work at Waikato, which we find very heartening indeed,” Chris reflects. Both Chris and Grant say with the incredibly skilled people who sit at the heart of Waikato Milking Systems research, design, manufacturing and sales, the business is in very capable hands and the future is looking positive indeed.
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