Passionate about ag industry
A family business which has been operating in the district for 60 years is celebrating its recent win at the Matamata-Piako business awards.
The Mabers family of Morrinsville has long been on the Waikato farming radar with connections to the region dating back to 1946.
The family recently received the Matamata-Piako District Council Award for Contribution to the Community, which recognises outstanding businesses in the area that go the extra mile and make a significant contribution to the wider community.
When founder Laurie Maber set up an agricultural machinery business based around a commitment to service and back-up it would probably have been hard to envisage a company which today is known as Power Farming, remains privately owned and plays a significant role in the agricultural mechanisation of Australasia.
Following the foundation of Mabers Motors back in the 1940s, soon after leaving school Geoff Maber joined the business and in 1977 secured the import and distribution rights to Japanese tractor brand Iseki, and led to the formation of Power Farming Wholesale.
Quickly becoming New Zealand’s top selling tractor brand the business expanded rapidly and acquired distribution to leading tractor and machinery brands from Europe and North America, and built a reputation that had manufacturers knocking at the door.
Today Geoff Maber oversees a business that encompasses importation and distribution in New Zealand and Australia, 16 owned and five joint-venture retail businesses in New Zealand and a staff of 350 people.
Headquarters for the Power Farming Group remains in Morrinsville next to the original site, and employs 80 people.
Matamata-Piako Mayor Jan Barnes said for many years the Maber Family have, and continue, to make a significant contribution to the local community.
After receiving the award, Chairman of Directors, Geoff Maber said he felt privileged to be working in the Waikato which was ’’the dairy capital of the world’’.
‘‘Sadly we lost my lovely dad three months ago but I know that he would be so proud of us, doing something we are passionate about, as was he.’’