The farmer behind the name
Lindsay Thian, Managing Director of
Thian Agri Manufacturing Ltd,
has 33 years' contracting and farming experience.
From early beginnings...
Throughout his contracting career, Lindsay has modified and improved his seed drills to deliver a better performance. As early as 1998, Lindsay designed a 4.5 metre end-towed seed drill and had it built in Wanganui. The revolutionary design achieved excellent results over the next two years, but Lindsay felt he could do better.
The start of something new
In 2001, Lindsay decided to build a 4.8 metre airseeder. The manufacturing process would be a difficult task, and despite Lindsay's best efforts, he was unable to find a manufacturer who was prepared to build it for him. So in 2001 Lindsay enlisted the help of a draftsman, and in 2002 completed the manufacture of his own airseeder.
During the design process, his airseeder prototype was displayed at the SIAFD (South Island Agricultural Fieldays) at Lincoln, Canterbury, where it won first place in the 'New Machinery Awards' competition.
He put the airseeder (pictured above) to work on the L.P. & K.I. Thian farm, and in their contracting business in Canterbury, and soon perfected the machine that was to become more than just a prototype; for Lindsay, his new airseeder would provide the backbone to his agricultural contracting business for years to come.
Meeting the needs of farmers
Given the success of their airseeder, and the frustration of finding suitable drill options currently on the market, Lindsay and his wife Karen were encouraged to form their own manufacturing company. To this end, Thian Agri Manufacturing Ltd was formed to deliver drills at affordable prices that meet the varying needs of farmers and contractors.
"While we continue to operate our contracting business, our daily involvement in the end-use of our seed drills guarantees our awareness of the farmer's requirements.
"The seed drills we design are first tested in our contracting business, and must 'make the grade' before we will consider production and supply to the market."
Lindsay and Karen Thian
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