Geoff Maber Awarded ONZM for Lifetime Contribution to New Zealand Agribusiness
Waikato agribusiness leader Geoff Maber has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours.
Manufactured near Lake Constance in the south of Germany, the business has operated for more than 65 years and has a footprint of around 16,000 square metres.
One machine generating a lot of interest is the HP 200 Mulcher that can be configured to suit several different situations. Rear mounted, the machine offers an effective cutting width of 2 metres, that can be complemented by a front mounted unit to deal with up to 5.4 metres in a single pass.
Said to be ideal for cutting paths, field borders, embankments, ditches and road verges, the SP 200 features a cleverly designed and engineered parallelogram frame to carry the mulcher, allowing the machine to be used behind the tractor or offset to the left- or righthand sides. Hydraulically actuated lock-out valves ensure a smooth transition from the rear to offset position, allowing precise adjustments to be made on the move, maybe to avoid obstacles.
The mounting of the cutterhead also allows vertical oscillation of up to 90 degrees upwards and 60 degrees downwards, via hydraulic control, meaning banks or the sides of drains are easily dealt with. Offered with Cat II or III connections, PTO input is 540rpm from the tractor, to a gearbox from where a V-Belt system takes power to the cutterhead. Integral to the mounting system is a mechanical break back system allowing the mulcher to move rearwards in the event of hitting any immoveable objects.
Weighing in at 1000kg, the 140mm diameter rotor tube can be equipped with a choice of Y type, fine cut, or claw style blades or universal flails. The unique Safety Mulcher option features helical mounting flanges across the full width of the wear-resistant rotor, that takes replaceable sectional cutters with a multi-toothed blade design. The format is said to allow higher peripheral speeds for a cleaner finish, well reduced debris, but more importantly, resists the ejection of foreign objects or debris during impact or when the mulcher is lifted.
Cutting height is controlled via a full width rear roller assembly that in turn can be complemented by optional side skids for more precise control.
