Carrfields has spent three years building a machinery business that deals directly with the manufacturers behind its brands.

Group Managing Director Craig Carr says the shape of it was settled after the family sold its Claas business back to Landpower.

“The first thing we said was really important was that it would be the Carrfields brand at the top of the tower,” he says.

He says cutting out the middleman came second.

“We wanted to get as close to the manufacturer as possible, to be able to get to the factory and understand where they’re going.”

Carrfields Machinery now carries Horsch, Krone, Manitou, Kubota and Fendt.

“We’ve been very selective with the companies we wanted to work with.”

The Horsch name came first.

“We were attracted to them because they’re a family business.”

He says responsibility is part of the family’s underlying philosophy.

“Making sure that what we put out there actually works, but not only works and works really well and is more efficient, but actually does better things for the land,” he says.

“We can leave the land in a better place, not only for this generation, but for the coming generations.”

Carrfields sets no market-share target on any single brand.

“Growers and farmers can actually choose the brand that they need that’s going to do the right job for them,” he says.

“It’s actually about the right equipment.”

Carrfields has opened branches in Alexandra, Gore and Invercargill in the past year, alongside Ashburton and Christchurch, and is opening its next branch in Feilding. Carr says the focus stays on the service network.

“When something goes wrong, like a machine breaks down, it’s having a company there that can actually just put another machine in to help those farmers or those contractors,” he says.

“When the weather’s right and things need to be done, things need to be done. You can’t wait.”

He says they are finding rising machinery costs are pushing farmers to do more with less.

“That’s what the future of machinery will be around – how do we actually lower the cost of growing crops or growing feed or operating machines?’

This is brought to you in partnership with Carrfields Machinery. To learn more, or to connect with a local specialist, visit https://www.carrfields.co.nz/our-divisions/machinery/

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