"PGG Wrightson is a people business. We are a point of connection for communities."
Stephen Guerin, PGG Wrightson's CEO, says it is an honour to be a part of New Zealand's rural communities.
“The blue shed is part of the community. It is the gathering place for farmers and growers. Our store teams know their clients by their first names.”
The team members from PGG Wrightson’s 89 stores, dotted across New Zealand’s provincial towns from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island, are active members of their communities—volunteering for their local schools, sports clubs, fire brigades, search and rescue, and more.
The Fairlie PGG Wrightson store is in a South Canterbury town with a population of less than 1,000 people. It is a true example of the how the team is intertwined with their community. Store Manager Claire Graham is a voluntary committee member and bar manager for the Mackenzie RFC Rams, the local Rugby team.
“One day I am selling fertiliser to a client, and the next I am pouring them a beer at the Rugby club. They are our customers but also our friends,” she says.
Technical Field Representative (TFR) Gerry O’Neill is also sports mad, putting in after hours at the Fairlie Golf Club. Gerry is an enthusiastic volunteer for the club that has farmers, shearers, stock agents, teachers, hospo workers, and even TFRs, among its members.
“I have been a member since 1977. It is not just about the sport, Fairlie Golf is a local hub. We are lucky to have generous sponsors, like PGG Wrightson, to support us each year,” says Gerry.
Gerry is also a big backer of Mackenzie College—where his daughter works and four grandchildren attend. When not on the links, he is at the Netball courts or Rugby field watching his grandchildren compete.
Fairlie’s other TFR, Maree Ferriman, has been instrumental in securing a new playground for Fairlie Primary School as the head of the Home and School Association.
“We try to put the fun in fundraising and get the whole town involved,” says Maree.
“We live here, our kids go to the local schools, we work and play together, so we want our town to be great.”
For Stephen and the staff, supporting communities is more than a business decision.
"Our goal in supporting our communities is helping them be resilient. Growing people, growing solutions at the bedrock of our mission. If we want to be a part of thriving, resilient communites, we must play our part."
PGG Wrightson’s Cash for Communities programme is one way the company and its customers give back. PGG Wrightson and Ballance Agri-Nutrients partnered in 2011 to enable farmers, growers, and contractors to support local causes of their choice. Adama, Arxada, BASF, Bayer, Corteva Agriscience, FMC, Nufarm, Syngenta, and UPL OpenAg joined the programme in 2023. One dollar for every tonne of fertiliser or 10 litres of agrichemical purchased, between 1 September to 30 November, is donated to a nominated charity or organisation.
“Last year, we gave away $150,000 across the country—nearly one million since we started for fire, rescue, rural trusts, and schools. It is something I am really proud of,” Stephen says.
Supporting local schools is a large priority for the farmers and growers of New Zealand. Rebecca Biggs, and her husband Ashley, are longtime PGG Wrightson clients and nominated their local school, Mackenzie College, for the Cash for Communities programme. At the end of the July, Mackenzie College accepted a donation of $1,151.
“My husband and I went to Mackenzie College, and now all three of our children are in attendance. Fairlie is a small community, and the College always has projects and programmes needing funding,” says Rebecca.
Among the new projects supported by Cash for Communities at Mackenzie College is the establishment of the Mackenzie Agriculture /Horticulture Community Knowledge and Innovation Hub or Macki Hub.
“The school has a new agriculture teacher and programme to give students hands-on agricultural and horticultural experience,” explains Rebecca.
“In a small town like Fairlie, there is always need, especially at our schools, but not necessarily the population to fund them. I love that I can contribute to my child’s school just through buying what we need for our arable and beef farm.”
Whether it is Fairlie in Canterbury, Kaitaia in Northland, or Tuatapere in Southland, what remains the same is the people.
“I have been at PGG Wrightson for 37 years, and what has made me thrilled to be here for nearly four decades, is the people. They care about our customers and our communities. They are giving of their time and money. It is a real privilege to be part of,” Stephen says.
