Coloured concrete floors, tiled toilets and panelled walls give a hint of the hotel influence. In addition there's an upstairs conference room with sliding glass panel doors overlooking the 60-bail-Irish- built rotary dairy.

Situated just a few kilometres inland from Waitara on Ngatimaru Rd, the dairy farm operation is on land owned by Faull Bros (Holdings) Limited. The family has been involved in dairying for generations.
The project is Gavin Faull's baby. The son of a local diary farm owner, Gavin's day job is president and owner of the 45-hotel chain Swiss-Belhotel International operating in Australia, Asia and the Middle East.
The hotel look is achieved, using powder coated freezer panel ceiling and walls and stained concrete, is carried through into the staff rooms and other working spaces.
Gavin is an 85 per cent shareholder in Faull Bros (Holdings) Limited, (which also owns Trewithen Partnership) with the balance of the shareholding held by brothers Allan, Richard, Bernard and Nigel.
Gavin is also a Victoria University graduate, a chartered accountant and a fellow of the Hong Kong Society of Accountants.
He frequently flies between New Zealand, Hong Kong, Asia, and the Middle East and it was using that time with a laptop, pencil and paper that he explored his options for the family farm.

Expanding operations
His parents told him he could never sell the family farm, so he decided that it must be expanded. Since he took the 40ha property over in 1990 it has grown to 217ha with 620 cows. But even before the herd reached that size, the length of time spent milking was causing problems for sharemilkers and staff.
The 50:50 sharemilkers Tony and Loie Penwarden were taking four hours to milk 540 cows thorough the old 29-a-side dairy.
Gavin was looking for a sustainable economic solution that could be handed on to the next generation, as well as help with the continuing expansion of the farming investment.
When the Penwardens arrived in 2004, Gavin told them he would build them a rotary shed to replace the herringbone. It took three years in the planning and cost almost $3 million.
His estimate is the intense management/high input system will pay for itself within eight years.
Gavin says he wanted a state-of-the-art operation which will enable Faull Brothers to meet the demands of its farm expansion programme with a sustainable management system.
He looked for a milking system that would play a key role in the further development of the business, which had to be sustainable economically and environmentally.

Maximising production
'This meant installing a system offering real-time management and information systems through which production could be maximised and operational costs minimised.”
He decided Dairymaster was the only fully integrated system. Many of the New Zealand ones were comprised of add-ons.
'He set me the task of researching what I felt was the best milking system for what we wanted given our feed systems,” Tony says.
'Dairy master was on the short list.
'Gavin happened to be in Ireland and visited the head office and was just blown away with it. He made a deal right there.”

Gavin spent twice as much as he intended on the realisation that Dairymaster was at the top of the competitive and high-cost European dairy environment. Grass-based New Zealand dairying did not have the same pressure.
'Some farms rely on grass totally,” Tony says.
'In our system you find nearly half supplementary feed, so there are slightly different requirements.”
The 217ha farm uses a high input system, 62 per cent pasture and 38 per cent supplementary feed. It is achieving 452kg/ms per cow or 2074kg/ha. Trewithen carries 4.3 cows/ha.
The Penwardens feed bunkered maize silage at 8kg/cow on the feedpad, which was converted from the old yard. They also feed 2kg/cow palm kernel mixed in the dairy and 7-8kg grass in the paddock, which is monitored weekly. Feed is stored in an 11 tonne silo and mixed in a 2.5 tonne silo before being augured through to the feed bins on the bails.
The farm grows maize on 42ha of the runoff. The cows ate 400 tonnes of palm kernel last season and Tony is now experimenting with tapioca.
'The supplements are fine tuned to get the best milking result, balancing things up and timing each supplement for the best balance. On any given day we are feeding one third to one half supplements,” says Tony.
'Because of the extended lactation we average 405 kg milk solids per cow and we also get over 300 lactation days per cow – which is where a lot of the production comes from.
We aim to keep the cows as well fed as possible to let them milk to their full potential. We have still got a way to go, I think.
'What I'm impressed with with Dairymaster is the research that has been put into actually milking the cows, research that is partially sponsored by the Irish agricultural research station.
'It is probably the most researched milking system in the world - that's on actually milking the cow. There are various things that have shown up. We just don't get cup-slip - where the cup slips slightly on the teat, interfering with the vacuum.”
The other impressive plus about the Irish system is the herd management programme that monitors each cow's production and provides her whole history at the push of a button. It also measures milk conductivity, enabling early detection of mastitis.

The database also has command paths that link to the feed delivery on the platform and the milking path.
For example, in February the autumn calvers were receiving more feed than the spring calvers. The system recognizes those cows and when they step into the bail, adjusts the auger speed to deliver them a larger amount.
'The auger can either run longer or speed up,” Tony says.
'We can double the amount, or even go to 1.5 times. They can also feed to production. The good milkers are recognized and rewarded with more.
'We have never been able to individually feed cows before unless we spotted them. It is very common in Europe and probably the States, where the better cows that produce more will be rewarded for their efforts.”
The system is active, and flags cows as they come on with sound signals to alert the milker to animals of interest, such as a colostrum cow that may have suffered an early abortion
Acting on the alert, the milker can either dump the milk or divert it to the calf milk plant at the touch of a bale key.
There is a diversion line plumbed into the system that diverts the milk at the pad. Tony uses it mainly for colostrum and some high cell count cows.
'It is a very useful option there. It saves a lot of test buckets. It is well thought out; it's pretty fool-proof.
'It also messages the operator if a three-teated cow comes up. The three-teated cow is the one with a failed quarter. It can't be cured but the cow still has three good teats.”
He notes that the data entry point of the Irish herd management system, with its continental background, is the New Zealand manufactured Allflex ear tag.
The system monitors each cow and alerts the operators to cows that have reached the end of their useful lactation if they are carry-over or empties.
'Once we look at the milking data we are looking for any low producers. And we make a decision whether they should be culled, dried off, or maybe they are sick.”
The system incorporates scales, and the cows are weighed once a week as they come off the platform, allowing a close eye on animal health.
As well as herd management, animal health and welfare management, supplementary feeding systems, feed and production management and analysis, and income/profit maximisation, there is a sophisticated access communications system which enables global remote diagnostic and review capabilities via a broadband internet connection.
'The only way we can get up to 480kg of milk solids a cow here is through management,” Gavin says.
'This system can ensure management is on the ball without making it too complicated.”
He can monitor all the systems on his laptop, enabling him to work in the dairy from Hong Kong if he wants to. There is a 360 degree webcam in the dairy so he can also watch the milking from anywhere.
'I can get more out of a sharemilker with a phone call from Hong Kong than I used to when I was living on the corner of the farm and saying hello everyday.”

'We only see Gavin about once every two months,” says Tony.
'But I'm in email contact with him several times a week, keeping him in touch with all the daily goings-on.”
The SuperShed platform was the first full Dairymaster system in the country. It arrived in two 40-foot containers, and Dairymaster sent out its own team to assemble and commission it.
'They put it together in a week, which was quite a feat,” Tony says.
'They worked from dawn to dusk those guys. I was very impressed with their productivity.”
Dairymaster has been in the country for years. Craig Burrows owns Dairymaster Milking Systems NZ Ltd in Stratford and has himself been in the industry for 25 years.
He says Gavin approached Dairymaster on Tony's recommendation.
'He wanted the cheapest system he could possibly get. Being an accountant that was his brief,” Craig says.
'But I had done work with the Faull Brothers when I was with DeLaval. When you have a road named after you, (Faull road, Tikorangi) you have got to be established in the area.”
He had a meeting with Gavin and explained there were different levels of milking systems and that for what he wanted to achieve, Gavin shouldn't be looking at the bottom level.
'I started to talk about one man operation, and when he left I could see the gleam in his eyes,” he says.
'And he just ran with it. That's what he does. He's just a breath of fresh air. He's one of those guys who are five steps ahead. You have to have people like Gavin around who are prepared to do these sorts of things.”
Two more of the integrated Dairymaster systems have been sold in New Zealand since Gavin's purchase, a fact Craig says underscores the changing nature of the New Zealand dairy industry in more ways than one.
When he first took up the Dairymaster franchise Craig told the Irish he didn't see any call for their top shelf integrated dairies in New Zealand because the dairy industry wasn't so management intensive. But things have changed.
'That's why these sorts of dairies are coming into their own. You get so much information back from the cow and to get the best, you need that information and feedback so you can be sure you are making the best of what you have got.”
The other change is political. New Zealand, which used to export dairy technology, has abandoned state-funded dairy research. The Irish have continued with it and make that research available to local manufacturers.
For the Penwardens the technology has meant a return to more reasonable hours and a resumption of what Tony describes as standard dairy farm operation.
'We came onto the place in 2004 when we were in the old 29-a-side herringbone at that point.”
With a herd of 540 Friesian and Friesian-cross cows, milking was taking four hours.
The herd is now about 600 strong, made up of two herds - about 440 spring calvers and 180 autumn calvers.
There are three full-time staff and two relief milkers. The full-time staff are manager Ron Hough, Heath Hirini, and Fred Terrill maintenance manager. Fred also looks after the tourist building and has half his wages paid for by Faull Brothers. Loie looks after staff rostering, bills and wages. Tony is mainly farm focused. One or the other usually does the milking, but not both.
'We have to have continuous milking through the winter to fulfil our supply contract with Fonterra. This site is going all year round,” says Tony.
In late February they were only milking 420.
There are 135 hectares of milking area. There are three run-offs nearby that bring the total area up to 217ha. A lot of the run-off is used for maize growing and some dry stock. About 42ha is in maize.
The tourism side of the operation hasn't really taken off yet, says Tony. There have been a few tour groups through, but in February there were still one or two finishing touches to go in place.
'We had about 24 ladies in purple hats come and watch the milking, and last month we had the staff from Waitara High School. The agricultural teacher wanted to bring the staff here and show them how they can use what is here to bring farming into the classroom, and we have a couple of kids who are going to start as high school work experience.”
One of the stand-out features of The SuperShed is the interior finish. It is the first operating cowshed in the country to be designed with the intention of also becoming a tourist attraction and conference centre and it is dressed for the part.
The builder drew it up, but says he spent a lot of time communicating with the Irish in the planning stages. There was a lot of under-concrete ducting that had to be installed before the concrete was poured.
The interior panelling is in powder-coated ply.
It is all pre-finished, very durable and very hard. It is 12mm ply and it is far more durable than with just paint coated on.
The 18x8m first floor conference room was carpeted by local tradesmen and the floor to ceiling plate glass sliding doors were also installed by locals.
The SuperShed is one of a kind, and things were still changing as construction progressed.


The doors in the conference room open, allowing visitors to look out over the platform during milking. There are CCTV screens which show the cups-on part of the process, which is across the other side of the platform and out of site of the conference room.
The toilets, men's and women's, are tiled and are two steps above the usual milking shed amenities.
The SuperShed had its first test at the official opening, with a crowd of several hundred gathered to watch the milking.
'Then with all these people watching I had to get the cows through the shed,” Tony says. 'The poor cows. We had been milking for a few months, but they weren't used to 500 people hanging over the rails. They all came in the yard and went right to the back of it. It was like the first day again. My workers had deserted me, it was on the weekend and they had the time off…”
When the Supershed began operating in November 2007, the Penwardens advertised in the local paper for helpers to push the cows into the shed. Seventeen people turned up and some stayed for four days helping to train the cows. With feed bins in the stalls, the cows learned quickly.
Peter Sole Transport from Waitara, was employed to do the excavation work for the new shed. 1000 metres of soil were removed to get site ready for building on. Peter Sole also dug out two new races, increased the feed pad size, and did the cartage work for this project. Double races were constructed to link up the old races to the new races.
Local firm Michael Bloemen Engineering Ltd manufactured and installed the backing gate for the yard. Not only that, but they also did all the yard pipe work.
ASB Bank in New Plymouth were an integral part of the entire operation, with Rural Manager Dean Larsen being on hand for financial advice to assist with funding for the building of the shed.
Cowley Refrigeration from New Plymouth installed the refrigeration unit at the Supershed, and all rural supplies were purchased form RD 1 at Waitara. Simon Payne from Allied Farmers in Taranaki buys and sells the surplus livestock for Trewithen Farms.
A wetit teat spraying system has also been installed in the supershed.
Ken G Moratti Ltd from Inglewood do all the maize ploughing cultivation, sowing and harvesting for Trewithen Partership. After the maize has been harvested, they undersow 150 acres of annual grass for winter grazing.
Chemicals for Trewithen are supplied by Aackland Chemicals.
Aackland's rep is Joe van Houten, who has definite views on the farm chemicals business.
'There's probably nine or 10 major suppliers of dairy hygiene products,” says Joe.
'Ours is the best, but in the end it comes down to service. The products don't really come into it.”
Aackland's focus is on providing that good service to clients, making sure they have everything needed and the experience required to offer advice.
'We cover the whole of Taranaki, with five reps on the road. I look after four guys with designated areas, that's just in Taranaki.”
There are depots in Canterbury, Eltham and Gore. Aackland is soon to become established in the Manawatu.
Joe says the service includes an examination of the farm water and the plant before deciding on the range best suited to the farm. Aackland also supplies supplementary feeds.
'We are like a farm supply store. We have got little stores on wheels going round the place.”
Situated in the Bay of Plenty township of Awakeri, is a firm called The Wrangler. They manufacture The Race Wrangler for dairy sheds. One such system was installed in the SuperShed.
Ross Potier is a farmer who bought himself a truck 11 years ago to move stock. Now he is driving nearly full time, driving stock from farm to farm, and from farm to sale yards.
'I have got a good relationship with the locals round this area,” says Joe. 'They always like it done then, or the next day.”