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Acting now can reduce facial eczema long-term

Hot and muggy conditions this year have provided a timely reminder for dairy farmers to breed a herd that will be more tolerant to facial eczema challenges and have greater resilience to facial eczema long-term. CRV Ambreed's genetic development strategist Phil Beatson says research and development completed over the past four years by CRV Ambreed and AgResearch resulted in the ability to identify facial eczema tolerant bulls. Sires now entering CRV Ambreed's progeny test programme are chal...

Could global warming incite greater interest in tropical dairy breeds in New Zealand?

New Zealand dairy farming is being confronted by climate change and CRV Ambreed is ready. The herd improvement company has recently widened the focus of its tropical dairy genetics scheme, which has sparked the interest of a handful of Northland-based farmers. Once only common in parts of Central America, South America, Asia and Africa, CRV Ambreed introduced Sahiwal and Gyr genetics to its breeding programme to meet a growing overseas demand for heat tolerance and tick resilience, combined...

Eighteen medals for the Kiwis in the 'Olympics of the Trades'

The team representing New Zealand in the international competition dubbed the 'Olympics of the Trades' at Wintec in Hamilton last week, won eight gold medals, eight silver medals and two bronze medals. A total of 23 Kiwis took on 102 international competitors from Canada, India, Malaysia, China, Australia and Korea over three-and-a-half days of intense competition in 30 different skill categories. WorldSkills New Zealand chief executive Bruce Howat said the national team is one that every ...

HMC Communications named as PRINZ award finalists

Hamilton public relations company HMC Communications has been named as a finalist in the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand's (PRINZ) annual awards. The PRINZ Awards are in their 41 st year and comprise 12 categories, ranging from corporate and government public relations campaigns, to limited budget and not-for-profit categories. HMC Communications is a finalist in the 'Sustained Public Relations' category for its work on the Buddy Day campaign. Buddy Day is New Zealand's only pub...

WorldSkills Oceania Competition kicks off in Hamilton

International competitors and their support teams from six Oceanic nations arrived at Wintec in Hamilton yesterday to prepare to take on the Tool Blacks in what is dubbed the 'Olympics of the trades.' The inaugural WorldSkills Oceania Competition started today and finishes on Friday 17 April. For the Kiwi team and 102 competitors from Canada, India, Malaysia, China, Australia and Korea, it is an intense challenge with a lot at stake – not least of which is a seat on the plane to Sao Paulo,...

‘Tool Blacks’ to be decided at upcoming WorldSkills competition

Twenty-three young Kiwis will battle it out at Wintec in Hamilton this week in what is dubbed the 'Olympics of the trades.' The inaugural WorldSkills Oceania Competition will take place from April 14-17 and see the Kiwi team take on 105 competitors from Canada, India, Malaysia, China, Australia and Korea in a total of 30 skill categories. "The New Zealand WorldSkills team will compete in 18 categories, ranging from aircraft maintenance to various auto and engineering trades, carpentry, join...

Budding engineers visit Wairere Power Station

A group of budding Hamilton-based trainee engineers have been given a taste of the real world at a recent educational visit to Wairere hydro power station in Aria. The group, who toured the King Country Energy (KCE) owned power station for the first time this month, consisted of 16 students in their final year of the three-year Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BEngTech) degree at Hamilton-based institute of technology, Wintec. As part of the tour, the KCE Generation team supervised the saf...

KCEPT distributes $1.25 million across King Country

Local consumer trust, King Country Electric Power Trust (KCEPT), has this month announced its largest-ever annual distribution. A total of $1.254 million has been credited to all The Lines Company Ltd (TLC) and King Country Energy (KCE) consumers in the 'southern' region. Trust chairman Robert Carter said beneficiaries (those who receive the credit) reside primarily between Hiwi Hill in the north, Tangiwai in the south, Motutere Bay in the east and Ohura in the west. Credit was shown on TL...

Survey of Waikato Innovation Park companies shows buoyancy

"Fostering innovation and the growth of the companies based at Innovation Park is adding value to the region and value to the country." These words come from LayerX group chief executive Bruce Trevarthen who took part in Waikato Innovation Park's recent survey of its 34 tenant companies. Results show collective turnover of the respondents 1 is up 18% from one year ago. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of the companies surveyed reported some financial growth, with an average of 33% growth. Laye...

2015 Dairy Woman of the Year named

Federated Farmers national board member and provincial president Katie Milne of Rotomanu, Lake Brunner, West Coast, has been named the 2015 Dairy Woman of the Year at the Dairy Women's Network conference gala dinner in Invercargill tonight. Milne farms with her partner at Rotomanu, Lake Brunner catchment on the West Coast of the South Island. They have a small high BW Jersey herd of 200 cows. On a separate run-off the couple rear replacement heifer calves and run a localised contracting oper...

Twin sisters double delight in aviation industry

(Link to Waikato Times version of our press release here) Waikato-based twin sisters Emma-Jane and Sarah-Lee Lacy (24) are proving to be a double delight in the aviation industry. Typically the number of males far outweighs the number of females working in the industry globally. However, the unbalanced statistics aren't stopping these sister from pursuing their passion. Both women work for world-leading flight training organisation, CTC Aviation; Emma Jane as a flight instructor and Sarah-...

Public invited to join David Tua, Liam Messam and other celebrities for women’s refuge fundraiser

Waikato Women's Refuge invites the community to a special night out at Turangawaewae Marae on Thursday 26 February. Service Manager Roni Albert, says, "It's not too late to book in for this fun night out. It's a special opportunity to be welcomed on to the Turangawaewae Marae and share the evening with a few of New Zealand's sporting heroes and celebrities. "This is our refuge's major fundraiser for the year and we need a full house to make it a success." Waikato Women's Refuge is a union ...

Herd of bikes for fosters kids

10 deserving young New Zealanders were very surprised and excited to be given new bikes at CRV Ambreed's sales conference last week. The herd improvement company donated the bikes through Fostering Kids as part of a team building event called "Build My Ride". Managing director of CRV Ambreed Angus Haslett said 10 teams completed a series of fun challenges designed to get people working together. "Once the teams had earned a set of bike parts, they each constructed a bicycle and learnt the...

CRV Ambreed appoints new senior managers

Leading herd management company CRV Ambreed is continuing to grow its capacity to support New Zealand dairy farmers with two key appointments to its senior management team. Mathew Macfie and Andrew Singers have been appointed as sales and marketing manager and information management and information technology manager respectively. CRV Ambreed managing director Angus Haslett said the additions to its senior management team will help the company continue to offer leading herd improvement solut...

Top Jersey bull passes on

CRV Ambreed's highest ranked Jersey bull passed away over the weekend which his breeder said is a huge loss to New Zealand's dairy industry. Pukeroa TGM Manzello's breeders, Alan and Vivian Lockwood-Geck, said they were saddened to hear their star sire had passed away while still in his prime. "The thought of how many cows will not be inseminated by him over the next four to five years is a huge shame for the industry. He won't be easy to replace in the short-term," said Mr Lockwood-Geck. ...

CTC Aviation finalist in New Zealand International Business Awards

Airline Pilot training company CTC Aviation has been named as a finalist in the prestigious 2015 New Zealand International Business Awards. The company, headquartered in the UK with a base in New Zealand, is one of nine to be selected as a finalist in the Awards' 'ANZ Best Business Operating Internationally – $10m-$50m' category. CTC Aviation's Chief Operating Officer – Ab initio Training (NZ), Peter Stockwell, said CTC Aviation is honoured to be named as a finalist. "At CTC Aviation w...

Waikato University in partnership with CTC Aviation to develop programmes in aviation

The University of Waikato and the Hamilton Airport-based pilot training company CTC Aviation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work on the development of joint programmes in aviation. The programmes being considered will focus on professional pilot training subjects and practical flight training combined with complementary subjects such as management, education and psychology offered at the University. "As one of New Zealand's top universities, the University of Waikato prides i...

KCE distributes $5000 in latest Heartland funding round

Six King Country community groups have received funding totalling $5000 in the latest KCE Heartland funding round. The successful groups applied for KCE Heartland funding in November 2014 and will this month receive grants ranging from $500 to $1,150. In total, $18,701.70 has been distributed to 28 King Country community groups since KCE launched its Heartland Community Fund at the beginning of 2014. The funding is distributed to successful King Country community groups following funding...

Dairy Woman of the Year finalists announced

Four women from throughout New Zealand have been selected as Dairy Women's Network's 2015 Dairy Woman of the Year finalists. They are: PGG Wrightson animal nutritionist Andrea Murphy of Alexandra Dairy director Wilma van Leeuwen of Waimate Southland Demonstration Farm director Elaine Cook of Waikato; and Federated Farmers board member and provincial president Katie Milne of Kumara, West Coast Run by the Dairy Women's Network and sponsored by Fonterra, the prestigious Dairy Woman of ...

A welcome third wheel for Hamilton interior design company

Twenty-year-old Matt South is about to start his dream job with Hamilton company Turton/ Oliver Interior Design Ltd. While he feels like the luckiest graduate in his class, his employers Bronwyn Turton and Mel Oliver, say they are the lucky ones to have South come on board, after he volunteered his services free of charge to gain experience from the pair. Turton/Oliver Interior Design was born in 2007 when independently operating interior designers Turton and Oliver, joined forces to offer cl...

Trust awards $204,000 to 34 Waikato students

Scholarships worth $6000 each have been awarded to 34 Waikato secondary school students embarking on a science or teaching degree at the University of Waikato or Wintec. The David Johnstone Charitable Trust Science and Education Scholarships were established by the late David Johnstone to assist Waikato students beginning tertiary study in the areas of science or teaching. This is the 19th year the annual scholarships have been awarded and this year's recipients were this month acknowledged...

NZ start-up launches world-first anti-acne product in Mexico

Hamilton-based start-up company, Quantec Ltd, has signed a distribution partner agreement to launch its world-first anti-acne cream into Mexico. Epiology is a clinically-proven anti-acne cream; the only one globally with a patented active ingredient derived from New Zealand cow's milk. The product was first launched into New Zealand pharmacies in May. And its success nationally has spurred Quantec to take the product global. "Epiology sales in New Zealand have exceeded our expectations. We...

Waikato human resource company signs top global consultant

Waikato-based human resource specialists Everest Group have employed a top performing recruitment consultant from a large global recruiting firm. English-born Alex Wade has 16 years' experience in recruitment; the last 13 of which have seen her stand out as one of Advantage Resourcing's recruitment arm Crone Corkill's top performing consultants. Wade moved to Cambridge from Sevenoaks in North Kent, near London with family in August, and started with Everest Group last week as the company's ...

KCE’s largest power station celebrates 90 years

King Country Energy (KCE) has just celebrated an impressive 90 years since power was first generated at its Mangahao Power Station. The station was opened in November 1924 by Prime Minister at the time, William Massey, and is today one of the oldest operating power stations in New Zealand. KCE's Energy Supply Manager Chris Fincham said the company is proud to commemorate a successful nine decades of power supply. "Mangahao Power Station, located in the Tararua Range near Shannon, was origi...

Poor understanding of stroke signs causes concern in New Zealand

Latest figures show a lack of awareness and understanding in New Zealand of stroke signs, which will have a significant impact on stroke survivors having the best chance of recovery. Mark Vivian, CEO of the Stroke Foundation of New Zealand, said recent research into stroke awareness in the Waikato alone has shown alarming results. "Last month the Stroke Foundation conducted a survey of 352 Waikato residents over 45 years of age to gauge their understanding of the symptoms of stroke. Only o...