|
Baker & Associates was initially established in 1986 as
DO Baker & Associates when Chris Garland joined David Baker
in a business partnership.
David Baker has worked as a Farm
Management Consultant and Valuer in the Wairarapa since
1969.
Chris joined David following six year’s as a
consultant with MAF based in the Wairarapa.
In May 1994 Chris Lewis joined Baker & Associates as the firm's dairy
specialist, bringing with him a substantial Wairarapa
clientele.
In 2005 Tony Scarfe was employed as a second
Dairy Consultant. Tony came to B&A with very strong
practical experience in dairy farming as a 50:50 sharemilker
and an equity farm owner. Tony also spent time as a MAF
consultant.
In February 1996 Mike Fleming joined the group
following two years with the Meat & Wool Board’s Economic
Service in Wellington. Mike has since left Baker &
Associates to take up the position of managing director with
Canterbury Grasslands.
Until 2000, B&A only had David Baker
working part time as a Registered valuer in the district. In
April of that year Fergus Rutherford was employed as a
registered valuer working full time in the residential,
lifestyle, rural, commercial and industrial sectors. Fergus
has continued to increase B&A’s valuation profile to the
point where B&A is the preferred valuation supplier to a
number of Real Estate Agents and lending institutions in the
Wairarapa. Stuart McCoshim is also working as a fulltime
Registered valuer specialising in valuation of utilities.
Sam Orsborne was employed by Baker and Associates (Wairarapa)
Ltd in May 2000. Sam came to Baker & Associates as a
University graduate and is now a Sheep and Beef Consultant.
Sam’s clientele extends to Southland where many of his
clients are based.
Guy Blundell was employed at Baker and
Associates Ltd in January 2004. His role being that of
business consultant primarily in the sheep and beef sector.
In April 2006 the company was restructured with Chris
Garland, Chris Lewis, Guy Blundell, Fergus Rutherford and
Sam Orsborn assuming equal shareholding. Rick Bettle was
appointed as an independent director. David Baker sold his
shares in the company but remains active as an associate and
consultant to the firm and still sits on the board.
Rick Bettle is a Professional Director and his experience
includes: Chairman of NZ Lamb Co, Managing Director of
Wrightson and the CEO of Alliance Group (a large South
Island meat Co-operative). He is chairman of Dominion
Finance and the NZ Directors Association among others.
Having built up a strong client base in Canterbury and
Southland over the past 10 years, in April 2007 the firm
took the opportunity to purchase a Southland consultancy
firm to establish a permanent base in Southland. In April
2007 Guy Blundell relocated to Queenstown to service our
Southland and Canterbury clientele. In October 2007 Kate
Galland was employed as an additional consultant for the
Southland branch. Kate came to Baker & Associates as a
University graduate.
The expansion of Baker
& Associates services and products has seen the business
grow from a small local firm to a nationally recognised
company, now employing 8 consultants, 2 Registered valuers
and 8 support and administration staff. In order to
encourage and support professional agricultural service
providers in the future Baker & Associates aims to employee
one University graduate student each year. This has been
successfully achieved over the last six years. |
