Jobs boost as business expands
A Mataura slink skin collector is expanding his business and hiring more staff.
Trevor Newton, of Newton Slink Skins, needs about 30 more staff now that his operation, which was seasonal, has expanded to collect and process dead lambs, cows and calves all year around from farms as far afield as Dunedin and Te Anau.
That follows the announcement last week that agricultural recyclers Wallace Group has opened a plant at Mataura processing slinks, creating about 20 seasonal contracting and 30 seasonal staffing jobs.
Newton Slink Skins, a small, family owned company, will sell skins to Wallace Group, but operates independently.
The company has spent a ‘‘considerable’’ amount of capital in expanding its Mataura plant and upgrading the facility to be able to operate all year around.
‘‘It’s very busy and it’s good to be able to offer more jobs to Mataura people.’’
Newton has made the call not to collect dead stock from farms affected by the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak, despite the Ministry of Primary Industries advising it is safe for tradesmen and truck drivers to move from infected farms to other properties.
All infected farms are under strict legal controls under the Biosecurity Act.
The controls include a comprehensive cleaning and disinfection protocol, which MPI provided to them, which makes sure vehicles have a small biosecurity risk.
Newton said ‘‘we won’t be picking up from bovis farms this season – we feel for the farmers that have it but the reality is we just can’t take the risk and we don’t want to be the ones that spread it inadvertently to our loyal customers.’’
Gore district mayor Tracy Hicks congratulated Newton on the expansion of the business.
‘‘I think it’s great. It’s great to see the enterprise that Trevor has put so much work into is doing well and that bodes well for the community.’’