Manning accepted Massey University’s Partnership Excellence Award on behalf of the farmer-owned co-operative company that employs more than 600 staff in stores throughout New Zealand including at its manufacturing plants in Dunedin, Napier and Christchurch, where its head office is based.

The award recognises business and other organisations that work closely with Massey and exceed expectations in the relationship. It was awarded for the second year along with the University’s annual research medals and teaching excellence awards for staff and awards for outstanding graduates.

Manning says Ravensdown sees Massey as a vital ally in the mission to build insight and understanding around what fuels our most important export sector. “We too see ourselves as helping to build ‘the new New Zealand’. We have similar values and believe in the same thing: smarter farming for a sustainable future and growing prosperity for the agri-sector and the nation. We are both committed to agri-science as the bedrock of improvement and innovation.”

He adds that the company is focused on providing quality fertiliser and other products where and when they are needed. “We are the only co-operative who test for, advise about, buy, ship, store, spread, map and measure soil nutrients in an integrated way, making things simple for farmers and providing more certainty in an uncertain world.”

Manning believes that Ravensdown’s relationship with Massey is important because insight-building collaboration is at the heart of the company's purpose and competitive difference. “At a practical level, Massey graduates and alumni conduct research on Ravensdown’s behalf and often go on to work for the farmer-owned co-operative. Our staff training modules and the certification process of nutrient management advisers is run in conjunction with Massey. As a research partner on our primary growth partnership into precision aerial spreading, Massey is working with AgResearch on developing some world-leading technologies.”

The annual Defining Excellence Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of Massey’s alumni, researchers, teachers and business partners.

Photo, from left to right: Professor in Precision Agriculture Ian Yule; Tertiary Education Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce; General manager of innovation and strategy Mike Manning (Ravensdown); Dr Ants Roberts Chief Scientific Officer (Ravensdown); Professor in Soil Science Mike Hedley; Commercialisation and IP Manager Dr Russell Wilson.