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RURAL SERVICES » Glassey Contracting
Business Rural
Cow housing boon for silage maker Kelly Deeks Tai Tapu-based rural contractor Glassey Contracting is looking forward to a bright future for business, farmers, and cows, with an up and coming line of business on the increase as demand for cow housing grows in Canterbury. Glassey Contracting is a long-standing family business which was started in the 1970s by John Glassey. The company is now owned by John’s son Scott, who trained under his father. The business employs 15 staff, and specialises in bulk silage, earthmoving, and maintenance services for farms and lifestyle blocks in the Selwyn District. A subsidiary, MG Silage, is owned by Glassey and chopper driver Mark Watkins, who has been with the company for the past 25 years. Glassey says that as residential development in Canterbury progresses, farms and his work are moving a bit further afield. “Some of the land I used to cut silage on now has houses going up on it,” he says. Silage is the key to the business, and everything revolves around it, he says. “We give a good service. We have Claas Axion triple mowers which allow us to get more done in less time. We have a Rutbuster to properly, safely, and efficiently fill the ruts left by centrepivot irrigators. Then we tend to diversify into the farmers’ other needsl, such as spreading effluent, building and maintaining cow lanes, and tar-sealing if driveways. While last season’s high milk price had all the local farmers rushing out to buy more cows and putting glad wrap over their silage pits, that could change with the low milk price this season.
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Everything revolves around silage for Tai Tapu based Glassey Contracting.