Grain farmer and harvester David Wordsworth, Dargaville, owns Grainco, supplying maize grain to stockfood manufacturers, dairy farmers, drystock farmers and lifestyle block owners in Northland. The grain is stored in massive silos, the largest holding 1100 ton.
Wordsworth, who bought the business in 2005, says he and his wife Adrienne knew they needed to tidy up the existing silos but didn’t have the resources. “The place was pretty dirty, it needed repainting and just generally tidying up. It would have been too difficult to do ourselves and the costs of getting a contractor in would have been overly high.”
At Fieldays 2006 he discovered the Programmed site and says signing a twelve year paint and maintenance contract with the company made it possible to have the work done. “With the contract the cost was spread over twelve years. That’s what appealed, it made it affordable. We just needed to pay a certain amount each month so it meant we could budget for it a little better.”
The company offers multiple year contracts to do most of the work up front, then continue maintenance during the contract period, while the client spreads the cost over the whole contract time.
Programmed New Zealand sales manager Tony Jane says the company is flexible about the payment conditions with flexi-payment and traditional payment plans. “With a programme in place no matter what [the weather], building assets are being maintained.”
The company painted the largest silo in the first year of the contract, returning every year to waterblast the building and retouch paintwork.
Wordsworth says the company doesn’t take long to finish work, despite having to effectively get around a structure six stories high. Washing and touchup work normally takes a week. “They wash it all down then paint…. They have used abseilers to do some of the silos.”
Wordsworth is impressed with the professionalism and workmanship displayed by the company.
www.programmed.co.nz
