The upper South Island region provides a varied and interesting mix of farmers seeking Gallagher technology to make their life simpler and operations more profitable. Ken McMiken has spent eleven years in his role as territory manager in the region that continues to challenge him in terms of farmers’ expectations and the uses they are applying Gallagher equipment to.
Ken has spent most of his working life in the rural sector, including time spent rural retailing and marketing with companies including CRT, Donaghys and Goldpine. His background also includes a sound understanding of the region’s horticultural sector – after leaving school he completed his certificate in horticulture while working on a kiwifruit and berry farm.
Today he continues to cross over into the viticultural sector helping vine yard owners set up fence systems within their vines for containing the store lambs they buy for finishing over winter on the grass beneath the vines.
Ken enjoys the almost daily contact with farmers and retailers alike, and the opportunity the role brings to get out into some of the country’s most stunning, remote areas helping farmers there incorporate Gallagher equipment into their tough operating conditions.
For him the top piece of Gallagher equipment he enjoys demonstrating to farmers is the iSeries energiser remote fault finder.
“For a very competitive price the iSeries can save a lot of time for farmers. It enables them to identify where there is a fault on the fence line, and turn it off remotely without having to tramp along the fence line back to the cut-out switch, if they even have one.”
He says the compatibility of the iSeries with multiple Gallagher energizers makes it a very powerful and adaptable fence management tool.
Ken says Gallagher has proven a superb company to be working for, providing technology that New Zealand farmers adapt very quickly to their own situations, and appreciate its durability and quality.
Ken lives in the Tasman region on a lifestyle block. He enjoys hunting, fishing and more recently golf having returned to it after a long absence.