Yili opens 'Dairy Silicon Valley'
Chinese dairy giant Yili has launched a multi-billion dollar industrial park in Hohhot, China.
It was 25 years ago that Milfos International was formed and this week the company will celebrate the milestone with an Australasian dealer conference followed by an evening celebration with service partners, suppliers and business people from around New Zealand.
Philip and Nicola Locke started the business in 1987 and today it is jointly owned with Jamie Mikkelson and Rick Staheli. The business started out manufacturing parts for milking systems and now exports to more than 20 countries around the globe. Today the business offers a wide range of high tech milking solutions for farmers milking cows, sheep and goats. The business has company owned entities in Australia, the UK and Ireland.
The business, located in Hamilton and employing over 120 staff, continues to experience significant growth. In 2011 the company won the Gallagher Waikato Business of the Year award for large enterprises employing over 50 staff.
Milfos Managing Director Jamie Mikkelson says, "We are very excited about reaching this milestone and celebrating it with our partners. It is a time to reflect on our short history, celebrate our successes and plot the way forward as a group. We are incredibly proud of our achievements and the hard work that our team puts in every day serving our customers".
With the current situation in the European farm machinery market being described as difficult at best, it’s perhaps no surprise that the upcoming AgriSIMA 2026 agricultural machinery exhibition, scheduled for February 2026 at Paris-Nord Villepinte, has been cancelled.
The Meat Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA) has launched the first in-market activation of the refreshed Taste Pure Nature country-of-origin brand with an exclusive pop-up restaurant experience in Shanghai.
Jayna Wadsworth, daughter of the late New Zealand wicketkeeper Ken Wadsworth, has launched an auction of cricket memorabilia to raise funds for I Am Hope's youth mental health work.
As we move into the 2025/26 growing season, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that the third quarter results for the year to date is showing that the stagnated tractor market of the last 18 months is showing signs of recovery.
DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown is urging dairy farmers to participate in the 2026 Levy vote, to be held early next year.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling for nominations for director roles in the Eastern North Island and Southern South Island electoral districts.

OPINION: Every time politicians come up with an investment scheme where they're going to have a crack at 'picking winners'…
OPINION: What are the unions for these days?