Above: Examples of a stock water reticulation system in action

LINDSAY TAYLOR TRANSPORT - STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD

You might have seen Lindsay Taylor Transport’s trucks out and about, they are certainly hard to miss, their distinctive purple paint job and unique imagery tend to stand out from the crowd.

The drive to stand out corresponds to the organisation’s work ethos. As owner Lindsay Taylor says,

“When we do something, we do it well.”

Lindsay Taylor Transport has always been a family business, since Lindsay’s great grand-father started cropping in the 1930s.

So much so the legacy left behind from those before him, has shaped Lindsey and his organisation, so much so, Lindsay has emblazoned images of his late adopted father, George Hape, his late father Bill Taylor and his late uncle Dennis Wallace on the back of one of his trucks, all of which ‘grew up in the vegetable patch’ of Ohakune and were involved with trucking. They are accompanied with the saying:

My success is not mine alone, but of those Ancestors before me.

Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi, Engari he toa takitini takimano.

It’s a saying Lindsay lives by, and perhaps best explains the importance of continuing to be based in Ohakune and continuing to foster strong relationships with his suppliers. These are relationships which have endured over many years and in some cases, many generations.

Lindsay Taylor Transport now owns seven truck and trailer units, one of which is refrigerated, and employs seven staff. They are also increasing capacity, with construction of a large depot on their premises which will house a covered loading bay, four cooling stores and new offices.

Lindsay Taylor Transport is reliant on the produce industry in the Ruapehu District and the industry is reliant on them. They transport vegetables as far as Auckland and Wellington, with subcontractors taking the produce to Whangarei and the South Island six nights a week. The season runs from the beginning of February, through to the end of October each year.

The new depot, which is expected to open mid March, will be able to cater for the large amount of produce revolving through their doors on a daily basis. The four new cool stores will have the capacity to hold 400 tonnes each, plus extra space is available for dry produce such as potatoes. The depot will also have a service workshop for all of the company’s vehicles.

Above: Lindsay Taylor Transport

For Lindsay, he wouldn’t want his business to be based anywhere else. Being in the Central North Island allows easy road access in all directions.

However the growing season is not year round, with an off-season from October through to February each year. During that time Lindsay Taylor’s trucks mostly head to Gisborne to cart citrus produce or to Taranaki and Waikato to pick up Fonterra’s milk powder.

Lindsay’s business also needs to work around what can sometimes be pretty harsh central North Island winters. There are periods when the roads can be closed due to snow and ice, however Lindsay’s team, along with Ohakune’s growers, work together to alleviate the risks.

“The growers want their produce to get to market so they make sure its ready early in the day, so our trucks can get on the roads before they freeze over,” says Lindsay.

The covered loading bay will also keep produce dry no matter the weather, each time the trucks come in to load. 

One of the key enablers identified within the Manawatū-Whanganui Economic Action Plan is distribution and transport. If the infrastructure of connection between people, goods, services and markets runs smoothly and speedily within this Region, then it is more likely the Action Plan’s nine opportunities will be realised. The New Zealand Transport Agency, District and City Council Mayors, and the Regional Council Chairman, have been rapidly progressing with the development of business cases for State Highway and local road improvements to improve access to central New Zealand.

This is good news to Lindsay, who believes that it’s important that any roading or infrastructure changes should consider the needs of the trucking industry.

Looking ahead, Lindsay is looking forward to the completion of the depot.

“It has been a huge commitment for the last 12 months or so and we are now so close to getting it done, just in time for the start of the produce season,” he says.

In the meantime Lindsay and his team will continue to provide an efficient and effective service for their clients. Ensuring the trucks get through rain, snow, frost or shine.

Keep an eye out for them, the purple trucks are hard to miss.

REGION WELCOMES ULTRA-FAST BROADBAND ANNOUNCEMENT 

Manawatū-Whanganui regional leaders have welcomed the government's latest announcement of the roll out of ultra-fast broadband.

Improving digital connectivity is a key enabler in the Manawatū-Whanganui Economic Action Plan which is being implemented through Accelerate25. Areas set to benefit from new ultra-fast fibre services include parts of Palmerston North, Feilding, and a host of rural towns including Ashhurst, Foxton, Shannon, Bulls, Marton, Taihape, Ohakune, Raetihi, Taumarunui, Dannevirke, Pahiatua and Woodville.

Regional Council Chair and Accelerate 25 Lead Team member Bruce Gordon says working with Central Government to enable digital services to the region has been a key part of Accelerate25.

“Adding so many rural towns to the network will help numerous businesses involved in some of the region's key sectors, such as agriculture and tourism. It’s a great first step as it not only benefits those in the upgrade zones, but also unlocks potential for greater coverage in low speed or blackspot areas.

“Roll out will complement the impressive digital connections already made in places like Whanganui,” he says.

Collectively, the Region’s mayors are extremely pleased to finally see the acknowledgement and support from Government into our growing business sectors and cannot wait to have the fibre installed.

Rangitikei Mayor Andy Watson says of the planned installation, “As we identified in the Regional Growth Study the issue of the lack of high speed broadband is a barrier for our farming and business community. Having ultra-fast broadband going into all our main towns removes this barrier for all aspects of our communities.”

The government investment in ultra fast broadband rollout is nearly $32 million, amongst the highest of regions in the country. The programme will roll out between now and 2024.

Government is also working on a programme to improve rural connectivity and cellphone blackspots which was identified as another key enabler in the Regional Economic Action Plan. Regional leaders continue to push for improved rural connectivity ahead of any government announcements.

ECONOMIC CONFIDENCE POSITIVE IN OUR REGION

When reading the news recently, you may have noticed a recurring theme. Economic confidence in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region is on the rise! This has seen a boost in house prices, new car sales, building consents and not to mention the rest of the country want to buy our houses! A recent research project funded by the Central Economic 

Development Agency (CEDA) and carried out by UMR Research found businesses in Palmerston North and Manawatū are more confident than their counterparts throughout New Zealand.

Some of the Region's competitive 

advantages identified in the survey were in our research, innovation and education capabilities, our high quality productive agrifood sector and our central location.

A recent Westpac survey also found similar results. Over the final quarter of 2016, 44 per cent of
Whanganui – Manawatū – Taranaki expected the regional economy to strengthen over the coming year. These results are the strongest in three years and puts the region second on the national rankings behind Tauranga.

These sorts of indicators mean we are on the right track, as Manawatū-Whanganui is certainly a great place to live, work and invest in!