Exciting times for AgFirst Engineering

Agfirst Engineering Waikato team (from left) Davieth Verheij (director/engineering consultant), Shaun Gibson (operations/project manager), Kerry Perrett (project manager/installations) and Trent Flay (workshop/installation manager).

AgFirst Engineering Waikato is an agricultural engineering company that specialises in rural water supply and dairy effluent systems, founded five years ago by Te Awamutu man Davieth Verheij.

A lot has happened in the past five years.

Davieth spent the first nine months working out of the Hamilton Consultants office prior to opening the engineering workshop on Bruce Berquist drive.

It was a big first year, Davieth had secured and completed many large projects including three large dairy effluent systems — one for Waikeria Prison, a new dairy effluent system for AgResearch Tokanui and the Landcorp Wairakei Estate Dairy Effluent Systems tender for the first three dairy conversions.

All this work came thick and fast leading to the employment of local men Trent Flay and Shaun Gibson. The team were sharp and completed all these projects on time and on budget.

"Since that first 12 months it has been all go," says Davieth.

"Each year we have secured the Landcorp new Dairy Effluent Systems contract.

"This is a competitive tender that has been occurring for the past five years and we are now on to farm number 15.

"This is something we are very proud of."

In addition AgFirst Engineering Waikato has become thoroughly involved with Spring Sheep Dairy, completing their first dairy sheep effluent system for 4000 ewes in Taupo and are currently involved with two local sheep milking farms.

Davieth says it is et's exciting times at AgFirst Engineering.

"In 2016 we moved in to our new, larger Bond Road workshop and this year we welcomed Kerry Perrett to join the team.

"We searched far and wide for our next team member and are pleased to welcome Kerry aboard.

"Having experience and skilled people in our team is our number one priority."

Another key success in the AgFirst Engineering portfolio was the development of the Weta travelling rain gun effluent irrigator.

The irrigator has been designed to achieve the highest efficiency.

It can achieve the largest flows and wetted area over any other irrigator with the least amount of pressure meaning less pumping hours, less labour and less wear and tear.

The key feature is the turbine driven hydraulic winch system and automated speed control.

The Weta was chosen as the irrigator of choice for the Massey University Research Farm, as well as being rolled out throughout Landcorp farms.

So where to from here?

Davieth sees a very bright future for AgFirst Engineering, with the recent signing of a national contract for the design and supply of effluent monitoring solutions for Landcorp's 60 dairy units.

This includes monitoring all aspects of the effluent system including pond levels, flow rates, weather stations, soil moisture monitoring, GPS location, travel speed and operating pressures.

All this data is then mapped automatically showing application depths, wetted widths, and nutrient application data.

In addition to all of this work the AgFirst Engineering team is involved with many local projects.

"Stock water reticulation is also a large part of our business, we can complete full water system design and build from the water source through to the ballcock," says davieth.
"We have over 100km of water pipeline being installed throughout the North Island."
And what has been on the cards recently?

"We installed a custom built solar powered water pumping system in Marton for dry stock water supply.

"The pump is a submersible progressive cavity which will be pumping a static lift of 150 metres.

"We love our job."