Kiwi mowers cutting it abroad

Continuous processes of innovation and improvement have allowed Tauranga mower manufacturer Trimax to come through the worst of the global financial crisis relatively unscathed and with strong prospects of future growth.

The company last year released its latest mower, called the Topper, and was one of 20 businesses New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) chose to participate in the Better by Design programme.

The Topper is a combination of a popular old product and new technology developed for Trimax's top-end fine turf mowers. With more than 2000 already in use by dairy farmers around the country, the Topper is New Zealand's No 1 pasture management tool, marketing manager Karl Stevenson said.

"We've got mowers running on Manchester United's practice field, we've got mowers mowing the Queen's polo field, so we know a thing or two about cutting grass and what we've been able to do is bring that technology in that really fine turf into our topping product to create an incredible cut which benefits milk production and efficiencies of grass regrowth."

Trimax managing director Bob Sievwright said Trimax had been able to maintain its revenue levels throughout the recession by continuous innovation and improvements.

The company was working on a new product, the details of which it would not discuss, which would be a "game changer", the two men said.

Being a part of the Better By Design programme was another factor aligning the company towards future growth.

The Trimax team, led by NZTE business coaches, has been digging deep to find out what customers needed and working to ensure everyone in the business knew how their input met those customer needs.

"... the challenge I always felt was how on earth are we going to embed this culture beyond my days and the R & D manager's days, and I think the Better By Design programme is going to allow us to do that," Mr Sievwright said.

NZTE BOP customer manager Cate Hlavac said she has seen a number of changes take place at Trimax in the past nine months.

"The first has been an increasing desire to deeply understand the needs of customers, distributors, and end-users."

Trimax

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  Trimax produces 11 models of mowers, and exports to Australia, United States, Canada, Britain, France, Holland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
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  More than 80 per cent of the company's revenue are export earnings.
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  The United Kingdom is the company's biggest single export market, with more than half of all British councils owning at least one Trimax mower.