Fieldays 2025, the best in years
Automotive Employment NZ considers Fieldays 2025 as probably the single most important barometer to predict the future trading ahead of us. The success or otherwise of a Fieldays event for the motor industry recruitment sector is one of the indicators we use to predict the next years demand for skills.
This year we visited almost every equipment and vehicle stand across the Fieldays exhibitions. Over the 2 full days we visited 3 of our consultants were busy assessing the mood of exhibitors. The energy in the 2025 event was palpable for virtually everyone we spoke to.
Leading the charge was the farm machinery dealers, this year there was a sense of urgency, the swagger was back! It's been a year or two and it was incredibly motivating to watch. The farm machinery dealers know the farmers are back making money and the payouts in the dairy sector have been impressive, so too kiwi fruit and other growers, it's been a good year.
The automotive exhibitors too were motivated, both the intention to buy and the sales they seemed to be achieving looked impressive.
Construction Equipment Machinery had been hit hard during the downturn with some suggesting their industry was down up to 60%. Now it seems with a vibrant farm sector leading the economy forward enquiries and indeed sales were happening before our eyes. "All we need now if for the big roading and civil contracts to be start paying out and this market will take off said one" Another was too busy selling an excavator and his employer looked the happiest he had likely been for a long time. Perhaps there is a little way to go but last year''s green shoots that turned out to be ungerminated seeds have sprouted and are starting to grow.
The government's new boost tax was the most talked about, combine the 20% with the depreciation and it’s a magic policy.It is! Particularly when you have one of our foremost primary sectors absolutely nailing it. This will flow through, it always does.
While it's not before time, the mood of Fieldays 2025 was way better than 2024. With tens of thousands of vehicles parked, Fieldays puts on buses for us all to get to our vehicles. As luck would have it on our final day on the last bus out, the young farmer of the year sat down next to us. His energy and motivation was huge, he explained just how big the difference was between a challenging year and a great one like 2025 and what it meant to us all moving forward. We walked to our cars absolutely fired up. 2025 and 2026 has huge potential! And so too has the young farmer of the year, not just as a farmer but as a motivational speaker. What a great way to finish a positive day.
Conclusion? What a fantastic event 2025 was. Bring it on, the barometer's reading is impressive.
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