| 87 nzdairy RURAL SERVICES » MacDougalls Agri Services From milking equipment to refrigeration and electrical Karen Phelps MacDougalls Agri Services is proud to be celebrating 55 years of serving the region’s farming community in 2026. Founded in Pahiatua in 1971 by Alistair MacDougall, the company has grown from modest beginnings into a comprehensive rural services business supplying and maintaining everything from milking equipment to refrigeration and electrical systems. “It’s a big achievement to reach this milestone and has only been possible because people have trusted us and supported us this long,” says James MacDougall, who represents the third generation of family ownership and oversees the company’s electrical and refrigeration divisions. “Grandad was a big believer in supporting the community and it’s great the community has also chosen to support us.” The business has been under the leadership of James’ father Brett since 1999 which has seen it expand considerably. An electrical division was established in 2002 to meet growing client demand and the acquisition of Crozier Refrigeration in 2016 brought specialist milk cooling and vat servicing capabilities as new regulatory requirements took hold across the dairy sector. The company’s geographical reach extended further in 2007 with the purchase of Manawatu Farm Services. Staff numbers grew from nine employees when Brett took over to 35 by 2013, and the workforce now sits at 28. James says the wider dairy industry has transformed markedly over that period with falling numbers of dairy herds in the region. Yet those that remain are operating at greater scale, with larger herds and increasingly sophisticated operations. “We have to constantly train to keep up as there are larger herds and sheds. We’ve transformed from basic plant to cup removers and now to robotics and herd management technology,” explains James. The company recently demonstrated that capability with the installation of a DeLaval Rotary E100 milking system, one of the most advanced rotary dairy platforms available. The system integrates the DeLaval ComfortBail, which conceals pipework and cabling within the bail structure to improve visibility and safety, alongside the DeLaval Cockpit control panel, which allows a single operator to manage the entire shed from the cups-on position. The company supplies and installs DeLaval milking systems and the refrigeration division provides milk cooling systems, vat controllers and heat recovery units. The milking cluster used in the system is designed to eliminate flooding and cross-contamination risk, with an extraction method that mirrors a calf’s natural suckling action to protect udder health. James says MacDougalls took on one of the earliest agencies for DeLaval many years ago making it one of the most historic DeLaval agencies in the country. Offering farmers the latest products combined with breadth of capability is central to how MacDougalls differentiates itself. “We are a one-stop rural shop and employ electricians, refrigeration experts, milking machine testers, engineers and water pump technicians. Anything udder to vat we can do. It’s just one phone number our farmers need to ring to fix anything in the cow shed,” says James. The company supplies and installs DeLaval milking systems and the refrigeration division provides milk cooling systems, vat controllers and heat recovery units. Additionally MacDougalls stocks tractors, farm machinery, spray equipment, pumps, water reticulation systems, effluent management solutions and maintains a fully equipped workshop for repairs and maintenance. James attributes the success of the company in large part to the experience of its staff, including two employees with more than 25 years of service. “Loyalty and hard work is what the success of the business has boiled down to,” says James. “It’s something we pride ourselves on - getting the job done for our clients, finding solutions and delivering a great service.” We engineer quality refrigeration solutions to meet with the exact needs of our customers. Providing quality solutions and parts, that are energy efficient and reliable. Unit 5-6, No. 589 Tremaine Avenue | 06 355 4066 sales@coolingequipment.co.nz | www.coolingequipment.co.nz ENGINEERED REFRIGERATION SOLUTIONS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=