Meet the Team

The leader of the pack, Gareth, CEO has a proven record across senior management roles within the ICT, Manufacturing and horticultural sectors. With multiple experiences being the leader of multinational companies, the manufacturing industry was calling his name and now, CEO of Farra, Gareth is inspired by the depth of talent that the company holds to be a true driver of ongoing development for the company.

Gareth brings a balanced set of skills to the table, with a Masters of Management from MGSM in Australia and an Engineering Degree from Manukau, NZ. In charge of everything people management, he is busy communicating with the Management team, external stakeholders, and ongoing planning of the running of the business. Experience with living in different countries provides Gareth with a wealth of experience in international markets meaning he is a true asset to Farra. 

Outside of work you will find Gareth skiing the slopes of New Zealand’s beautiful mountains, or travelling around the world with his family to some of his favourite places, such as France and the Czech Republic.

Sally, the Chief Financial Officer, is a deadline focused, personable team player that puts her communication and analytical skills into play. Her role within Farra is complemented well with her skill set that she brings to the table.

Prior to working at Farra, Sally has had various roles such as business banking and management accounting within diverse organisations around the country from large corporates like Calder Stewart to competitive sports organisations like the Waikato Rugby Union. She has now been at Farra for over a year and has faced many different tasks on a daily basis, from monthly reporting, accounts, project managing and payroll. Her favourite aspect of working within the Farra team is the variety of work and the interaction with different people.

When not in the Farra office, Sally has her hands full with three teenage children. She also loves to go to the gym to unwind after a day full of different jobs.

With a background in Mechanical Engineering and an interest in renewable energy, Thomas was the perfect fit for the project manager role seven years ago. Now, he is the manager of the Design & Innovation team. Thomas puts his creative skills in to play. Having the creative freedom to create new products and bespoke solutions is only one of Thomas’s highlights of working at Farra.

Having a mix of both national and international clients, Thomas gets to travel to inspect, strategize and implement product outcomes. This allows him to see the problem needing a solution first hand and ensures the client relationship is an engaged, informed and happy one. One of his most enjoyable products was the High-Riser solution developed for the re-cladding operation on Spencer on Byron Hotel in Auckland. This allowed the team to rethink maintenance systems and create a world-first innovative solution, which is a Best Awards finalist. 

When Thomas isn’t thinking of his next solution to client's problems, you can find him playing squash, out trail riding, and diving.

Meet Mike, affectionately known as the ‘general dogsbody’ in the Machining shop. Mike has been the Manager for 16 years and enjoys the mix of work that the division gets to be involved with.

Prior to Farra, Mike had various different roles within the engineering sector from workshop supervisor to a metal spray engineer. Mike's wealth of experience as a mechanical engineer makes him a real asset to the team at Farra. His favourite projects include the Burrinjuck repairs due to the unique setting that it was located within and the Manapouri repairs. During these projects, the team had to place many different facets together to create a solution that worked for the client as well as doing the job right the first time.

When Mike isn’t playing ‘dogsbody’ he is a massive sports fan, including watching his sons rugby, going with his family to grass kart events, and also enjoys water sports.

Meet Brodie Burridge if you haven’t already. He’s our Technical Sales Engineer. If you’re in the trade you probably already know ‘Budgie’. With a background in customer service in the metal industry having previously worked for Anzor Fasteners and Steel and Tube, he has always been trade-sales focused. He started out in the warehouse so he literally knows all the nuts and bolts of it. 

Brodie’s been recognised plenty around Farra’s by our team and by our customers. This guy seems to know everybody. He’s busy spreading the word about our bionic Phoenix 4020 Fibre laser making sure everyone in the South Island knows about it and sorting out quotes. If you haven’t heard from him already he’s bound to be headed your way soon. If you have any questions about laser cutting, plate profiling, folding, punching, pressing and forming metal or maybe contract production and manufacturing… Brodie’s your man! Turns out he knows a thing or two about ice cream too.

Brodie is Mosgiel born and bred. When he's not working you will find him on the golf course and he’s a keen supporter of the Taieri Eels. He’s pretty passionate about his pony racing too. Turns out Artmore is the other young lady in his life, she's a trotter due to run her first race at the end of the year.

Adrian started at Farra 18 years ago when he began his apprenticeship as a Fitter Turner. He then left for 18 months and worked at Donaghys as a fitter until he got a call from the Machining Foreman to come back to Farra. Adrian completed his apprenticeship and went on to run the large CNC Borer and was heavily involved in site work. It was hard work, with long hours but was always interesting and rewarding, while working with great people.

Adrian suffered a knee injury from motorbiking and found workshop/sitework more and more difficult and it was suggested he should look for a different job. He has been pursued in the past to take the foreman role at Machining and had always resisted, but two years ago this seemed like the best option and he decided to go for it. Adrian is now the Works Manager for the Machining workshop and enjoys role organising the workshop, men, and job flow on a daily basis. Farra Machining use and deal with very expensive machinery which is a huge responsibility in itself to manage.

One of Adrian's memorable work times was the Manapouri Upgrade. He was responsible for machining many parts then being on site underground installing the parts. The project had long days, was hard work, but was a satisfying experience shared with many other onsite workers living in a hostel.

Outside of work Adrian still enjoys motorbiking and spending time with his family.

Jamie started working in fabrication as a Heavy Fabricator/Welder in 2008 and a couple of years later decided he wanted to experience working in the office.  Jamie moved to a new role as Works Manager for the Heavy Fabrication Workshop and has found his practical hands-on experience has been a great asset in assisting this transition.

In 2013 Jamie set off on his OE with his girlfriend to the UK for a year and a half where he earned more work experience in engineering and landscaping. Jamie did extensive travelling before returning to Dunedin and Farra were happy to have Jamie back on the team, offering him a position as Project Manager within the fabrication division.

Jamie enjoys his job for the varied and interesting projects that come his way. One of his favourite jobs has been project managing the NSR High Riser project, a new product design for Farra that brought with it lots of challenges.

Jamie’s top tips are:

• Never be too comfortable in your job and always be ready to learn new things.
• Two hands receive a hospital pass!

Jamie's favourite quirky saying is “tis the way it is Lad!”

Outside of work Jamie enjoys, diving, landscaping, rugby, surfing and relaxing with his family.

Terry joined the Farra team 19 years ago and is currently a Senior Design Engineer within the Design and Innovation Team. With a Bachelor of Engineering he has a background in consultancy firms, working as a Systems Engineer, and then a Project Manager for Shell Fuel, before completing a stint with Airbus Industrie and then finding his way to Farra.

Terry is a great part of the Design Team, lending his experience to others when needed and enjoys being able to test out the finished equipment and see the results from his designs come to life.

Outside of work Terry enjoys outdoor activities, including biking, tramping and camping.

Ken has been at Farra for 27 years.  Starting as a Heavy Fabrication Welder he gained five years experience in the fabrication workshop and then moved to Engineering Design as a draughtsman where he excelled and is now an Installation Manager.

His role has a broad job description and involves a range of work from initial proposal with clients to site testing and installation.

Tips from Ken:

• It is not only important to record critical information correctly but ensure that information is able to be communicated effectively.

During his free time Ken likes to work on some DIY around his home. He also enjoys photography and enjoys vacationing around Europe.

Shane is one of Farra’s project engineers in the Engineering Design department.  Initially he was an independent contractor draughtsman and eventually joined the Farra family in 2002. His role is mainly draughting and designing and he loves the fact that all jobs are unique with no two jobs ever being the same.

One of Shane’s favourite projects was a Pit Maintenance Unit in Canada. He enjoyed seeing the project through from the initial concept to installation. Not only that, he also finds enjoyment in site visitations and meeting new people and engineers.

When Shane is outside of the office, he is a group leader of the Opoho Scouts Group where he spends time with his two children.

Shane loves a good debate so come by and say hi.

Nick was a fresh graduate from Otago Polytech majoring in Mechanical Engineering when he started at Farra Engineering Design as an intern. After six months Nick joined the design team as an Engineering Draughtsman. His role at Farra includes producing 3D CAD models, draughting and preparing technical documents for products as well as aiding in the development and design of engineering solutions. 

Nick enjoys the creativity that comes with his work as well as coming up with innovative and creative engineering solutions as all projects are unique and different. This is why the North Shore High-Riser is his favorite project because of the unique solutions implemented on the project.

Nick’s advice is:

• Take inspiration from everyone, use people’s experiences to your advantage and be willing to learn from them.

If you can’t find Nick in the office, you will likely see him at the Pomahaka river near Clinton enjoying the great outdoors and hunting.

Nathan has recently joined the engineering design team as a Design Engineer with expertise in design, engineering calculation and simulation. With his master’s degree in engineering, plus over 10 years of work experience including six years of working in the aerospace industry he is a great addition to our Design and Innovation team. His daily role in Farra is design, hand calculation and simulation as well as participating in project management.

Nathan enjoys not only the challenges that “no two projects are same” brings but also seeing the concept through to the finish. Nathan believes that know-how from both the practical and theoretical side enables the concepts to be implemented better in the real world.

Outside of work Nathan relishes travelling, dancing and photography.

Neil has been with Farra Engineering for 38 years working in a large variety of roles across all aspects of fabrication, machining and the foundry in its day. His wealth of knowledge and experience is valued by many staff and customers over the years.

Neil's expertise is in quoting, technical advice, and managing projects in the workshop and off site.

He enjoys all aspects of fabrication; from the big and unusual projects, to the small and intriguing jobs. Neil's favourites have been making “big kick-arse cranes”, staircases, chimneys, and dredges. But work isn't always about the big projects, Neil also acknowledges that the small jobs can be just as rewarding.  Farra offer a variety of work and for Neil, the people you meet along the way and form long lasting relationships with are very important.

Neil’s top tips:

• Complacency in your work can lead to problems
• And plan everything, then have a plan B up your sleeve. 

Outside of work Neil enjoys gardening, fishing, and spending time in the countryside for outdoor R&R.

Andrew joined the fabrication team just over a year ago after being out of NZ for 30 years.  Andrew worked in the engineering business in Australia, Indonesia and Africa but decided he wanted to return home to the South Island.

He now is our Compliance Manager and enjoys that no day in the workshop is ever the same with the variety of work always being interesting and challenging.  He especially enjoys the welding work and has a passion for this trade.

Andrews top tips are:

• Always visualise what you are actually making in the workshop.
  
• Always ask if you’re not sure - you can never ask too many questions. 
• The day you die is the day you stop learning.

Outside of work Andrew loves to cook, trying out new wines and travelling.

Jared joined the Fabrication team approximately 12 years ago. Prior to this, he returned home from years in Australia working at Hillside where he completed his Heavy Fabricator apprenticeship.

Jared loves the variety of work he experiences at Farra. The interesting and demanding projects that require skill and your “ thinking cap” keep Jared motivated. He is also involved in a lot of site work and enjoys his on-site & workshop based team leader role.

Jared's top tip:

• Don’t get complacent in your work - be challenged each day.

Jared’s favourite job so far has been the Dubai based site work to install a Pit Maintenance Unit. Who wouldn’t be stoked with a trip to Dubai!

Out of work Jared loves to hunt, fish and dive, and hang out with his family.

Hayden joined Farra eight years ago and is the Foreman and Welding Coordinator in the Fabrication workshop. Starting out in an Automotive Engineering course, Hayden decided that wasn't the path for him and he went on to obtain an Apprenticeship at the railways where he was manufacturing trains.

At Farra, Hayden thoroughly enjoys his role leading a team to complete projects in the workshop and out on site. No project is too complex of a challenge for Hayden.

His favourite project is the Material Transfer Unit which is currently in production at Farra. The complexity of this project is what Hayden loves the most about it as the creation of the transfer unit involves creating different tricky angles.

Hayden's top tip is to "always measure twice and cut once".

Outside of work Hayden enjoys spending time with his two children and is invested in Powerlifting. He currently has the record for the Otago under 93kg bench press and is the South Island bench press champion.

Glenn joined the machining team about six months ago and comes to Farra from a 30-year career working in a number of different Dunedin engineering companies. As the Workshop Foreman, Glenn's role consists of managing the day to day running of the machine workshop, all while preparing quotes and aiding the other workshops of Farra where necessary.

Glenn enjoys the people management aspect of his role and is having fun learning about the hydro projects Farra gets involved with as they are big, complex, and are full of interesting challenges.

For Glenn any project where he is involved in from start to finish is a favourite project as the sense of ownership and seeing it through to a successful completion is extremely rewarding.

Outside of work Glenn is into anything outdoors and has been a volunteer firefighter for the past 23 years.

Glenn joined Farra Fabrication initially after working at Fisher & Paykel for eight years. He did an adult apprenticeship as a Heavy Fabricator and after seven years in Fabrication he decided his calling was more in the Fitting side so transferred to Farra Machining where he did another adult apprenticeship as a General Engineer.

Glenn enjoys the diversity of work that is offered, his workmates company, the opportunities of doing interesting site work, and the challenges that go with that.

Working on the Ravensdown Steam Turbine is a job he remembers well and enjoyed the complete overhaul the project required, the satisfaction of a job well done, and the great bunch of guys he worked with on that project.

Glenn's tip:

• More days - More Pay!

Outside of work Glenn likes to spend as much time as he can with Lucy (his AP5 Valiant).

Mike has been with Farra Machining for over 30 years. He did his Fitter and Turner Apprenticeship learning his trade in the workshop and eventually running the workshop before he took on the role as Fitting Supervisor which involves full on site work.

Mike enjoys the satisfaction that comes with "fixing BIG stuff", the variation of jobs he runs all over NZ, the people he meets along the way, and the everyday challenges.

Mike's most enjoyable job is the Wind Farm at Horseshoe bend. From go to woe Mike refurbished, installed on site and now maintains the project. It was a great job!

Mike's tip:

• You only get out what you put in, do your best and you'll get looked after".

Outside of work Mike likes to spend time with family and friends, and work on his cars.

Dave started at Farra from school 37 years ago, straight into an apprenticeship as a Boiler Maker and has never looked back. Now he is a team leader for the fabrication division and steps up as stand-in foreman when the occasion arises.

Dave enjoys the variety of work that comes into the workshop and the sense of achievement when jobs are completed.

Dave’s Top tips:

• Never get complacent in your job and double check everything twice!
• Make sure you understand drawings and if you don’t – ask for help.
• If it works – don’t muck around with it!

The jobs Dave has really enjoyed have been the New Era Barge out in the Harbour and the The BAT (Building Maintenance Unit) on the Auckland Sky Tower, he worked entirely on his own on this project which gives him a lot of satisfaction. Dave enjoys the building maintenance unit work, with the unusual designs and shapes brought in by the case by case challenges.

Out of work Dave enjoys – computers, English soccer, darts, family time, and long walks on the beach.

With a background in Industrial Design and creating products for the fire fighting industry, Nathan is a perfect fit in our Design and Innovation Team. As a Design Engineer, Nathan has a hand in a multitude of projects, all varying in size and complexity.

With the variety of projects Nathan has completed in the past, no clear favourite stands out. Any project with the opportunity for creativity, problem solving and helping others in the team is a great project for him. Nathan enjoys his role within the Farra team producing solutions for the many projects that cross his desk.

Fu's role in the Farra family is a draughtsman with the Design & Innovation team and Fu brings with him 7 years of draughting experience. 

Having graduated from Otago Polytechnic majoring in Mechanical Engineering Fu enjoys learning new experiences with Farra, including experiencing the different approaches to draughting.

Tips from Zhengchu is:

• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes even little ones because that’s how you learn.

He enjoys doing all kinds of different projects and enjoys every project he has ever worked on.

During his free time Fu enjoys fishing and spending time with his two children playing table tennis.

Nick started with Farra just over eight years ago after nine years at Fisher & Paykel where he did Processing and Programming and helped to move the plant to Mexico and train new staff over there.

Nick jumped at the opportunity when offered a job at Farra Sheetmetal and hasn’t looked back.

Nick enjoys the banter and friendships he has made at Farra. He is always ready to assist customers and particularly enjoys doing the stainless cabinets Sheetmetal complete for Switchbuild and the relationship he has built up with them.

Nicks Tip:

• Don’t get complacent in your job, strive to keep your job interesting.

Outside of work Nick loves to mow his lawns on his ride-on mower and take his jet ski out for a run.

Adrian joined the Farra family just over 21 years ago after doing a few casual jobs here and there.  He started off on the shop floor in the days when Stainless, Sheetmetal and Lifts were one and he remembers guillotining 4.5 tonne of 6mm plate. He did many roles in the Sheetmetal shop over the years such as Bender on the press brake, working the turrets, and had a year on nightshift before being asked to do the Computer Programming for the ever-growing Fisher & Paykel workload. His vast experience in the Sheetmetal shop, knowledge of the machines, and how to program and run them lead to his now position of Project Manager.

Adrian’s tip:

• Play longer–work Less (if you can).

Adrian would say the most enjoyable part of his job is the Designing aspect. He doesn’t get to do as much as he’d like but when he does he gives it his all. One particular project he has fond memories of was doing a sculptured wall of NZ native flowers for an artist which now graces the front wall of Wanaka Pool.

Outside of work Adrian is an avid Golfer and spends as much time as he can playing golf. Also loves to renovate and he and his wife have the “Travel Bug”.

Hope is our Marketing and Communication Co-Ordinator. Prior to coming to Farra, Hope worked in the construction industry for five years as an office / project/ heath and safety administrator, working out on a number of project sites from Invercargill to Christchurch.

At Farra, Hope will be utilising her Bachelor of English to help produce a stronger online presence and will be working on creating content for our website and social media platforms, as well as generating internal templates with our new branding.

Outside of work Hope is an avid gym goer - working on beating her personal bests, enjoys gaming, and relaxing with her partner. 

Ben is our Procurement Engineer and he is a new recruit to Farra Engineering. With a degree in Chemical Engineering, a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and his previous experience working as a Production Planner and Production & Inventory Controller in machine shops in New Zealand and in the Philippines, he has made a great addition to our Procurement Team.

His favourite aspect of working within the Farra Team is being able to solve problems and get results.

When not at work, Ben enjoys playing chess and loves running to unwind.

Tom is the Powder Coating Team Leader here at Farra. He has been with Farra for two years and came to us with many years of powder coating experience under his belt.

What Tom enjoys most about his job is being able to contribute and see a great finished product that will last longer because of a good powder coating finish.

Tom's top tip is:

• Information is key! Correct information is the difference between a product that will last a few years or a product that will last a life time.

One of Tom's favourite projects was working on a corrugated iron sculpture shaped like a labrador. The sculpture was so life like that the supervisor questioned why there was a dog in the workshop.

Outside of work Tom enjoys driving a digger on his friend's farm.

Debs has joined our administration team in the Main Office at Farra. With experience as sole charge of accounts for an Auckland based construction company and eight and a half years' experience in Accounts Payable at Calder Stewart, Debs is an excellent addition to the team.

In her role she enjoys working with numbers and computers, and interacting with people.

When not at work Debs loves spending time with her two grand kids, Sophie and Archer, and very much enjoys crocheting, knitting, and swimming.

Starting with Farra full time in December 2018, David is one of our Draftmen working as part of our Design and Innovation team. David has nine year's draftsman experience and has a background in Mechanical Engineering.

David's role entails a wide range of activities from drafting and design to 3D modelling and animation. The variety in his role, new challenges that every day brings, and interesting projects are what David enjoys most about Farra. One such project is the Material Transfer Unit which is to be installed soon, providing a way for construction material to be transported down steep terrain in Queenstown for a hotel refurbishment.

David's top tip is to "tap into the knowledge of those around you", as you never know what experience people have the can be beneficial.

Outside of work it may be difficult to find David as he enjoys travelling and seeing new places.

Carolyn can be found in the Main Office here at Farra Engineering. With experience in administration roles from working at the Freezing Works and Farmers department store, Carolyn fit in well at Farra and has been with us for 22 years. Working as our Finance Supervisor, Carolyn enjoys the challenges and variety that working at Farra offers, as no two days are the same.

Carolyn's top tips are:

• Always be open, honest and willing to learn
• the biggest mistake to make is to become complacent

Outside of work Carolyn is involved in sports (all kinds of sports) and running around after the kids. She also has a house in Kurow which the family visits as often as possible.

Everyone, meet Bianca. Bianca is a new addition to our Christchurch Branch and will be working as our Office Administrator to provide outstanding support for our Christchurch Team.

Bianca has 8 years’ experience as a project co-ordinator and spent 14 years working at Tait Communications in a number of roles including logistics for both the Christchurch and Houston, Texas branches. Her favourite project has to be the Alliant Energy Project. Bianca was part of the NZ based Tait team working to roll out a communication system across America.

Her top tip is to “think before you act”.

Outside of work Bianca enjoys a good Zumba session and being a Mum, which takes up most of her time.