Claas Balers Turn 30
Claas built its first variable chamber round baler - the Variant 100 - in 1996, so 2026 marks 30 years and the fifth generation of the Variant name, recently complemented by the new Cerex Series introduced in 2025.
“We listen to the different markets and our team is passionate about the equipment ranges we support, and work closely with producers, ultimately with a focus on producing food as productively and cost-efficiently as possible,” says general manager Sam Abbott, who hails from Canterbury.
Abbott says Waringa Distribution, part of a diversified farming group, had been looking to further grow and expand into New Zealand, but this had been hampered by global supply chain conditions in recent years. However, it recently appointed Chris Tricker to lead its operations in New Zealand and has established freight, assembly, warehousing and parts distribution locations in both the North and South islands.
Tricker has extensive experience in machinery sales, farm contracting and farming in the UK and, since 2007, here in New Zealand. More recently he relocated to Marlborough and has been involved in sales and operations management, consulting and contracting.
Waringa Distribution is the exclusive distributor for Agri-Spread fertiliser and muck spreaders, Gregoire Besson tillage and soil structuring equipment, Highline rock handling and hay bale processing equipment, and Broughan Engineering trailers in New Zealand.
 |
|---|
|
Waringa Distribution head of NZ operations, Chris Tricker (left) and general manager Sam Abbott. |
It anticipates growth in the grain growing sector, driven by its Geringhoff header fronts and Elmer’s chaser bins that also form part of its lineup.
Exhibiting for the first time at Fieldays, Tricker says the durable Agri- Spread spreaders were well known for high specification and advanced precision that would increasingly be required to limit any environmental impact from applications.
He went on to note that the Gregoire Besson range would be a particular target for contractors to manage and incorporate trash as part of growing maize and under-sown forage crops on dairy properties, with the manufacturer’s semimounted plough, disc harrow and one-pass finisher machines are expected to be especially popular for these operations.
Visit waringa.co.nz.
