Canterbury Farmer Builds on 160 Years of Dairy Legacy
Gareth Hale is the current custodian of a 160-year legacy that saw his great grandfather dairying in Taranaki since the mid-1850s and grandfather dairying in the Waikato from the early 1900s.
Established in 2021, the awards champion the important contribution John Deere technicians make to New Zealand’s agriculture, construction and forestry industries, and honour the outstanding service and support highly skilled and committed technicians provide to John Deere customers.
The award winners were announced following initial nominations, online assessments and intensive, two-day testing program at John Deere’s Crestmead headquarters in Queensland, where 30 finalists from New Zealand and Australia completed a series of practical, diagnostic and technical challenges.
The New Zealand winners recognised at the 2026 John Deere Technician of the Year Awards were James Doherty, Drummond & Etheridge, Christchurch, who took out the New Zealand Agriculture & Turf Service Technician of the Year Award, and Aaron Game of Brandt, Silverdale, who came away with the New Zealand Parts Technician of the Year Award.
Doherty was a farm kid from the South Island, who grew up in John Deere tractors and knew there was only one career path for him, leaving school in 2017 and heading straight to working with tractors.
“It’s all I ever wanted to do, and John Deere has always been the brand for me,” said Doherty. “I also feel like I’ve done really well for everyone who has helped me.”
The 26-year-old is renowned for his exceptional product knowledge and dedication to the job, with customers regularly asking for James specifically when they need technical support. He is committed to continually expanding his knowledge of the John Deere range and is proud of having the opportunity to work with test parts and at the forefront of the brand’s latest developments. He particularly enjoys working on the modern 8R Tractor and X9 Series Combine Harvester, but it is the 2850 (utility tractor) he has at home that has his heart.
Aaron Game said the first thing he thought of when claiming the title of 2026 New Zealand Parts Technician of the Year was being thankful to his customers at Brandt Silverdale for their support.
“We’ve got quite a number of large customers in our area, both agricultural and forestry and we’ve built pretty close bonds.”
The parts manager said he also enjoyed the great team culture with his colleagues at Silverdale. Parts, service and sales all work really well together and it’s very much like a family environment, he said.
“We all want the same thing. We all want success. We either succeed together or we fail alone.”
Aaron admits the role can be challenging, but “that’s what makes it fun”.
John Deere managing director Australia and New Zealand, Luke Chandler, said the calibre of this year’s winners spoke to the depth of capability across the John Deere dealer network, and the important role technicians and parts professionals play in keeping customers up and running.
John Deere Australia and New Zealand director, aftermarket and customer support, Steph Gersekowski, said the New Zealand finalists highlighted the diverse range of career pathways available to people pursuing technical careers through John Deere dealerships.
“Our finalists and winners show there is no single pathway to a rewarding career as a technician or parts professional in our industry and at John Deere,” Gersekowski said. “Whether they have come straight from school or made a career change later in life, they have embraced the opportunities that new technology is creating and have continued to build the skills needed to support customers in a fast-changing industry.”
