Experienced Gallagher Territory Manager Darren Smith moves to the North Waikato region
Monday, 12 November, 2018
Darren Smith has been with Gallagher for more than 13 years, and wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.
“Gallagher is a great company to work for. It’s a family business and a well-trusted brand that people know,” says Darren, who recently took on a new position – Territory Manager for the North Waikato/Hauraki region.
Prior to that Darren was the Territory Manager for the Bay of Plenty/South Waikato region for five years and worked in the sales team in Hamilton for eight years.
Living in Hamilton, the new sales territory means Darren will be closer to customers. The North Waikato/Hauraki territory stretches from Auckland Harbour Bridge in the north to Cambridge in the south, and from Raglan on the west coast across to the Coromandel region.
“I’ll be travelling around my own backyard, and I’m really looking forward to meeting dealers and farmers in the North Waikato and Hauraki region.”
As one of 10 territory managers working for Gallagher across New Zealand, Darren provides expert advice on Gallagher products and systems, as well as training and support. He says the best part of the job is helping people solve problems and that’s something he is passionate about.
“It’s about making our customers’ lives better. I like finding solutions to people’s problems or issues. The more difficult the challenge, the more determined I am to get it sorted, to make farmers lives a bit easier.”
A typical week might see Darren visiting farmers or one of the approximately 30 dealerships who stock Gallagher products across the region. “They are a very important part of our business as they provide a critical link between Gallagher and farmers,” says Darren.
There is a fair amount of travelling involved - last year Darren clocked up more than 62,000 kilometres travelling around South Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.
If he had to pick one Gallagher product to rave about, Darren says it would be the Gallagher Fence Energizer M10,000i. “It’s the most powerful energizer on the planet, delivering up to 100 joules of stored energy, and it is designed and made by Gallagher which is pretty cool,” he says.
The Fence Energizer M10,000i can deliver power to the back of farm and is suitable for all types of animals on farms up to 1000 acres. “Dashboard Fence app has been developed for it, so it’s not just powerful, it’s smart too,” says Darren.
He is proud of the innovative New Zealand-designed-and-made products Gallagher makes for customers. Technological innovation is at the heart of the company, with a focus on solving farmers’ problems.
“Over the past 13 years that I’ve been working in the business it’s really the use of technology that has changed, and farmers today are embracing technology. It’s fantastic to see. There are some great new mobile-based technology apps that support farmers and make their lives a whole lot easier,” says Darren.
When he’s not sharing his passion for Gallagher products with clients, Darren enjoys watching rugby and spending time with his family.