Shed invention cleans up awards

By ELLEN READ

A combination of Kiwi ingenuity and clever marketing has proved a winner for Tuakau couple David and Rita Carey.

Their automated cow teat spraying system scooped several awards at this year's Franklin Business Excellence Awards and they are poised to tackle the Australian market.

The system, which sprays mastitis-prevention chemicals on the udders of exiting cows in the milking shed, is estimated to save farmers between $6000 and $20,000 a year in labour costs as well as reducing shed running time.

Thirteen years ago, David Carey, his brother Martin and father Des developed and produced an electronic sheep spray race.

In 1993, he and Rita (who were just 23 and 20 respectively at the time) took over running the business, which was struggling due to hard times in the sheep industry. The couple nurtured the family invention through the slow patch and even built up the first export sales.

At the same time they invented a fully automated teat sprayer and entered it in a 1994 National Fieldays competition, winning a merit award.

They developed the sprayer further and began seriously marketing it alongside the Electrodip electronic spray race.

In 1996 the couple separated the teat sprayer side of the business and set up on their own as Electro Ease. Martin and Des Carey continued with the Electrodip business.

David and Rita Carey moved to a derelict piggery - which they renovated in lieu of rent - on a dairy farm in Pahiatua.

In 1997 they dramatically changed the promotion of Electro Ease, cutting out A&P shows in favour of specialist dairy industry shows and major fieldays.

Rita Carey said these shows were much more expensive and upmarket but there were also fewer of them, which helped reduce travelling time and on-site down time.

The couple also refined the product - developing and launching an air-pressure system to replace the pumping component of the teat sprayer.

In 1998 a Trade New Zealand adviser suggested product branding to differentiate them from a growing number of competitors. The Careys decided on WETiT as an umbrella trademark to cover the teat sprayer, fly sprayer and cow hoof positioning devices they produced.

To boost profile, an 08004 WETiT phone number was set up, a cartoonist was contracted to draw a mascot cartoon cow, a promotion video and full-colour brochure were produced and the company upped its advertising.

The next year Electro Ease moved back north, this time to Onewhero (south of Pukekohe), to 4ha which included a house and building to be converted into a factory. Customising the building and factory, redoing promotional and advertising material and settling in took a good year, Rita Carey said.

"Each time we've moved out profit and sales have dropped because we've got distracted by other things."

They hope to stay put now but with turnover of around $1 million a year, six full-time and six part-time staff and plans to have 1000 WETiT units in operation around the country within the next year, they do need to expand. The company has applied for licences to build a commercial facility on its 4ha block.

WETiT also has machines inBritain, Holland and Australia and trial units in the United States.

Rita Carey said Australia would be their main target next year with several trips to major trade shows planned.

"The dairy industry is in a slump now so our main driver is exports."