Quigley Contracting is a family owned and operated company established in April 2003. We started out with the purchase of a 3×3 square baler, tractor, vee rake, wrapper & a couple of old truck trailers. I also leased tractors and utes from my very supportive parents David & Jill Quigley, whose support is a big part of this companies’ success. My original plan was to focus on servicing Mum and Dad’s sheep farm at Punawai.

The first few seasons, the team was small and it was a Quigley/Donaldson affair. I employed my parents, my wife to be Clare, sister Emma, cousin Alex and neighbour Andrew Donaldson. During the second season, Ricky Taylor started with the company driving the baler which enabled me to spend more time running the business and focussing on how to best serve the needs of clients.

We grew from 1 to 4 balers in the first 2 years, and quickly learned that not all clients want just one sized bale. In 2006 we added our first silage harvester to the fleet. This was a decision which we took after lengthy discussions with many of our local clients. Our clients felt that chopped silage was a service we needed to offer as it provided the cheapest way of moving large volumes of silage.

In 2008 we again expanded the fleet to include 2 forage harvesters, we increased the baler fleet to 8 and acquired trucks and other gear to support the new capacity. Another measure to increase our capacity came in the form of Ricky Taylor, who stepped up to manage and assist with the day-to-day running of the business.

In 2011 we added cultivation and drilling services to our offering. The decision to add these services was stimulated by my decision to purchase and lease land. I was now officially a farmer and while we had plenty of balers, I needed drilling and cultivation equipment that could reliably service a reasonable amount of land. This was the stimulus for our Cultivation and Drilling business. Although, it is fair to say that at times the equipment is so busy servicing other farms that it is not always available for our own work as originally intended!

2011 was also the year that we added a fodder beet planter to the business. We could see fodder beet would become a viable and attractive crop choice with high yields and utilisation. In 2012 we purchased our first beet harvester from the UK. This was only the 2nd beet harvester to be imported into New Zealand. We have been offering beet harvesting as a service and continue to look to improve efficiency and minimise stones. Beet has proven to be a successful crop for a winter grazing choice and also harvesting any surplus beet & using it to feed as a supplement is a great option.

In 2013, Pat our manager of four years convinced us that effluent umbilical systems would be a useful addition to the business. Originally we really struggled to get the hang of this system, however we persevered and now it is by far the most efficient & cost effective way of moving effluent & minimising traffic on lanes and in paddocks.

Changes since starting the business
Overall, I am struck by how far technology has come since we started the business. We have seen huge improvements in machinery. We used to run Freeman balers in our early days but now we run Claas & Krone balers. These are totally different machines, they have higher capacities, higher densities & are far more reliable. In addition, many of our tractors have auto-steer technology which makes them much more efficient and accurate. We have and will embrace technology where we can see it will deliver clients better outcomes in terms of reliability or efficiency.

I guess the other change that I have observed since starting the business is the massive change in Mid Canterbury’s landscape. From low levels of irrigation to border dyke irrigation, ponds and roto-rainers to pressurised schemes and pivot irrigation.

My own personal landscape has changed a bit too with my family influencing my priorities in life.