ATS Newsbrief December 2015
The ATS Annual General Meeting is a good opportunity for members to learn more about their co-operative’s performance and its future plans. For those of you who were unable to attend the AGM last month, here are some of the main points. Financial Results: 2014/15 was effectively a year of two halves, which began with strong trading conditions and then rapidly became less buoyant as the declining dairy market eroded Philip McKendry, Chairman farmers’ confidence. Also impacting upon the year’s result was ATS taking back full ownership of its card offering as the Ruralco joint venture with Ravensdown was wound up. In summary, ATS reported a $4.4 million increase in its turnover to $119.4 million and a turnaround in its net profit figures, from a loss of $339,000 to $877,000 surplus after tax. Other highlights included: • $3.7M debt repaid in FY15; • $1.1M cash remaining on hand; • $700K decrease in operating expenses during the year leading to improved operating cashflows; • $15.2M net assets compared to $11.2M pre Ruralco (2012). Building: A concept plan for redevelopment of the Burnett Street site was presented to the AGM. The Board will report to members when a firm commitment to this, or any other development, has been made. The benefits for members and staff of having head office on the same site as the Ashburton store were outlined.
Notifying incorrect charges A reminder that if you are short paying your account due to an incorrect charge or disputed invoice ATS need to be advised so a deduction in payment to suppliers can be made. Please advise by the 15th of each month by phoning 0800 BUY ATS (289 287).
The Chairman’s Review: ATS needs to remain true to its purpose in order to continue to succeed. Work done during the year by external consultants clarified the merits and strengths of a regional co-operative relative to the national scale entities it competes against. They found: • Its narrow geographic focus can enable it to more efficiently and swiftly tailor its offering to its members; • It has the ability to better focus and therefore target the needs of its membership base; • It has a relatively lower operating cost structure; • It continues to rapidly improve efficiency through initiatives such as more efficient inventory management, and upgrading its call centre. These current strengths would be put at risk should ATS merge with a national scale organisation. The work concluded there is no evidence any such move will benefit ATS members through a lowering of input costs. Accordingly while the Board is always open to ways to improve the value of ATS to its members, it currently is not planning to undertake any formal discussions with other farm supply businesses, co-operative or otherwise, with regard to a merger in order to gain the benefits of national scale. I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year. We look forward to catching up with you in 2016.
2016 ATS Calendar The 2016 ATS Calendar is out now. Call into any ATS store to pick up your copy.
Regular electricity reading checks Remember to check your electricity accounts to ensure your meters are being read at regular intervals and you are paying for the electricity you are actually using. If you are unsure of when your last read took place, please contact Tracey Gordon, ATS Energy on 03 307 5107 or 0800 BUY ATS (289 287).
UPCOMING EVENTS
25–28 December
Christmas Day & Boxing Day ATS will be closed Christmas Day Friday 25 December, Boxing Day Saturday 26 December and Monday 28 December. If members have any emergency requirements the duty manager can be reached on 03 307 5100 or 027 487 6865.
1–4 January
New Year Break All ATS stores will be closed New Year’s Day Friday 1 January, Saturday 2 January and Monday 4 January. If members have any emergency requirements the duty manager can be reached on 03 307 5100 or 027 487 6865.
STORE HOURS
Ashburton Monday–Friday, 8am–5.30pm Saturday, 9am–12pm
Methven Monday–Friday, 8am–5.30pm
Rakaia Monday–Friday, 8am–5.30pm If you have any urgent requirements during closed hours and public holidays, the duty manager can be reached on 03 307 5100 or 027 487 6865.
Fuel up in Hinds & save 16¢ Fuel up at the ATS Hinds Truck Stop with your Ruralco Card and save with our exclusive 16¢ discount per litre of diesel and petrol. Offer available from 30 October until 31 December 2015. Terms and conditions apply.
Email option available for statements
Excise tax refund
We now have the capability to email statements and invoices on the 5th working day of each month. You can opt to have your account emailed to your bookkeeper or accountant and have the hard copy posted to you. If you have an unreliable postal service or simply prefer your statements electronically please contact ATS on 0800 BUY ATS (289 287) to arrange this.
Farm Safety Manual and Training for Members The new Health & Safety at Work Act comes into force on 4 April 2016. To assist with this process ATS plans to provide members with access to a farm safety manual and relevant training. Upon completion of the training, members will be able to apply for a discount on their ACC levies. The 2016 training starts again on 23 February, 22 March and 19 April at a cost of $550 (GST and member discount inclusive). Seating is limited so get in fast. For more information or to reserve your spot please contact Peter Jacob on 03 307 5124 or 0800 BUY ATS (289 287), email book@ats.co.nz or reserve your spot online at www.ats.co.nz/farmsafety.
If you’re a business owner who uses petrol-powered equipment in your operations, you may be entitled to an excise tax refund of up to 69¢ per litre. This includes using petrol powered equipment to: • Move about the land you and your staff work on (i.e. ATV’s used by farmers); • Work the land the equipment operates on (i.e. lawnmowers used by green keepers, hydraladas used by orchardists); • Keep your businesses operating (i.e. builders using generators, chainsaws used in forestry). To lodge a claim to refund fuel excise duty, contact Kerry Aldrich from the NZTA (New Zealand Transport Authority)on 06 953 7021 or 0800 108 809 (Ext 7021), she will advise you on your claim, register your request and ensure you have the correct forms to fill out.
Time to get your kale in the ground December is still Kale sowing time. Talk to ATS Seed about which kale variety suits your needs. We stock a full range of kale varieties and treatments at great member pricing plus our Key Account Arable and Pastoral Managers offer free professional advice on how to grow a high yielding economic crop. Call ATS Seed on 0800 BUY ATS (289 287) today.
RURALCO SUPPLIER UPDATES Below is snapshot of the many new suppliers nationwide that accept the Ruralco Card or Ruralco Mobilcard. For more new suppliers and information on locations and contact details visit www.ruralco.co.nz. Nationwide
Rangiora
HAZARDCO 7% discount
CARTERS TYRES NORTH CANTERBURY (WAIMAK TYRES) Up to 32% discount
Ashburton ASHBURTON ITM (PREVIOUSLY NAMED HELMACK HARDWARE, NEW OWNERS) Up to 30% discount BRAIDED RIVERS (NEW OWNERS) Up to 5% discount
Christchurch NEW WORLD REDCLIFFS Convenience
Do you have a classic, sport, muscle, vintage, super car or a hot rod? Do you need an excuse to take it for a spin? Then ATS wants your ideas and thoughts on a park-up and show-off your machine day out with ATS staff. We want to know where it should be, when to hold, how long for, and any other ideas—the more the better. Send your interest and ideas through to marketing@ats.co.nz or call us on 0800 BUY ATS (289 287).
THIAN PLANTING & DRILLING Quoted Pricing
Timaru AIR & POWER INDUSTRIAL Up to 3% discount GLASS SPECIALISTS (TIMARU & WASHDYKE) Up to 20% discount
Darfield DARFIELD HOTEL Convenience
ATS Park Up and Have a Yarn
Southbridge
Mt Somers HS FIELD SERVICE (PREVIOUSLY NAMED MT SOMERS SERVICE CENTRE) 5-10% discount
TIMARU RADIATOR REPAIRS Up to 10% discount
RESIGNED SUPPLIERS Life Pharmacy Ashburton
Real discounts for real farmers
Bulk fuel deliveries On farm delivery of fuel can save you time and money, and with Ruralco you can save up to 18¢ off per litre* of fuel, with access to Allied Petroleum and NPD (Nelson Petroleum Distributors Ltd). To set up bulk fuel deliveries to your business, contact Ruralco on 0800 RURALNZ (787 256) and quote your Ruralco number. This can be found on the bottom right corner of your Ruralco Card.
Looking for fuel storage tanks? Contact ATS on 0800 BUY ATS (289 287) to organise a fuel tank for your business. *No volume limits. Discount as at 1 December 2015. Discount is GST inclusive and may vary depending on pump pricing, conditions apply. Refer to the Ruralco website for latest pricing, updated weekly.
Is it time to renew your Approved Handler Certificate? Your Approved Handler Certificate may have expired or be about to expire. Make sure these are up to date before its time to purchase or apply chemicals. Please contact Peter Jacob on 0800 BUY ATS (289 287) and he will be able to assist you with the renewal process.
Ashburton Trading Society Ltd 97 Burnett Street, PO Box 131 Ashburton
Tel 03 307 5100 Fax 03 307 6723 ats@ats.co.nz
Christmas dairy requirements Our Customer Service team will be in touch shortly to ensure your dairy shed requirements are taken care of over the Christmas period. This will ensure January delivery schedule orders are delivered before Christmas with payment deferred over to January, giving you peace of mind knowing you won’t be caught short over the extended holiday season.
Looking for the perfect gift this Christmas? ATS Gift baskets are a great solution for gift giving this Christmas. We offer high quality products and pride ourselves on providing a personal, friendly and professional service, paying attention to the important details. Each gift basket comes filled with the finest gourmet and boutique products and is beautifully gift wrapped. To order now, visit www.ats.co.nz/atsgiftbaskets or contact ATS Gift & Homeware on 0800 BUY ATS (289 287).
www.ats.co.nz