Republished courtesy of Farms & Farm Machinery
The Tractor and Machinery Association
of Australia’s role is multi-faceted, aiming to advocate on major issues, provide relevant information and be a united
voice for the agricultural machinery sector.
It is a combination of these factors which attracted New South Wales-based chaser bin manufacturer Coolamon to the association, with Coolamon CEO Heath Hutcheon excited about the future benefits the company can experience.
The biggest of these relates to a sub- committee for local manufacturers, who will be able to gather and discuss issues specific to these members – with TMA also dedicating a spot on its board to a local manufacturing representative.
Hutcheon believes involvement with this sub-committee will be so influential that it will soon surpass all other benefits that Coolamon has already experienced with the TMA.
“The ag industry is quite small and it’s a bit like farmers themselves – everyone knows everyone,” he says.
“When we come together, I think everyone is there to support each other and look at how we can grow and develop as a group.
“There is nothing out there at the moment like this – we all fall under the TMA, but there hasn’t been any focus on local manufacturers specifically.
“There are learnings to be had both ways, which I think helps us and helps the industry as a whole. It’s progressing really well.”
The TMA has been working in the background on this local manufacturing sub-committee for months, with the first meeting held in late May.
This included more than 15 local manufacturing representatives on a video call, with Hutcheon crediting the TMA’s work in establishing this sub-committee.
“The TMA has definitely been at the forefront of that and leading the way,” Hutcheon says.
“I’ve been working on this with the TMA and a few other guys over the last six months, and it is something that I see will really add significant value to our company.”
While the TMA’s function is to instigate the sub-committee and provide a forum for these conversations to occur – along with a platform to ultimately advocate for
collective issues – Hutcheon believes each member has an important role to play in promoting local manufacturing.
“The TMA can give so much direction but it’s really what the group wants to get out and where the group wants to take it,” he says.
“It’s early days, but I definitely think all of us working together will create a lot of mutual gain.”
By the numbers
Based in the NSW Riverina town of the same name, Coolamon’s core business is manufacturing chaser bins.
Backed by nearly 55 years of history, the family-owned business describes itself as “building quality products that are strong and reliable”.
In addition to its extensive range of chaser bins, Coolamon also manufactures mother bins, spreaders and spreader chasers.
Advanced technology is at the forefront, ensuring farmers have access to efficient and quick machinery that can handle tough Australian conditions.
Its product range is very much tied in with the grain harvesting that fuels a large percentage of national agricultural output, making it crucial for Coolamon to have a grasp on the mood among growers.
One benefit of TMA membership is access to extensive monthly sales data for a variety of machinery types, which is also published in Farms & Farm Machinery.
Covering machinery types such as tractors, self-propelled sprayers, balers, and – crucially for Coolamon – combine harvesters, it provides a snapshot into how each market category is travelling
compared to the previous year, with state-by-state breakdowns providing more detailed insight.
While Hutcheon expects the local manufacturing sub-committee to soon become the most valuable aspect of TMA membership, he says getting access to regular insights into the combine harvester market has been a significant and ongoing benefit for Coolamon.
“We’ve got a few product lines but our
core line is chaser bins and there isn’t much data at all out there,” he says.
“We really align ourselves with harvester numbers and something that’s really worked well for us is to know how we’re tracking against those numbers, and then even around the country, state by state.
“It helps us to really understand where the industry is at, and then where it’s going, and therefore helps us to make key decisions on that basis.
“There is nowhere else that provides that sort of data.”
Creating change
Another important function of the TMA
is its ability to advocate on issues affecting the whole agricultural machinery industry.
One recent example of this relates to right to repair, where the TMA has worked in the background with industry and government to find ways of progressing this concept.
Hutcheon also highlights the TMA’s work in agricultural recruitment – where an extensive advertising campaign showcased the array of career opportunities available in machinery – while other recent advocacy has focused on a code of practice for autonomous machinery along with work on engine emissions for non-road diesel engines.
Recognising the importance of an association which can advocate on the industry’s behalf was one of the key reasons why Coolamon first became involved with the TMA.
“We were just looking to support a body that was out there playing a role in our industry, that’s how we originally got involved,” Hutcheon says.
“We’ve had a great working relationship with the TMA and they have some good projects on the go that we try to support.”
With TMA actively looking to grow its membership base – particularly with local manufacturers – Hutcheon believes the whole industry will benefit from collective representation and collaboration.
“I think with any organisational group that’s out there, you only get out of it what you put in,” he says.
“That can mean just being a member, that can be attending the conference or it could be getting more involved in some of these key changes.
“No group or organisation will take off unless everyone is actively involved and the more that people put in, the more everyone will benefit.”