One of Temuka's newest buildings is taking shape northest of the town's river. It is the third in a series of expansive neighbouring sheds built by Thompson Engineering and Construction of Timaru.

Each building is an average 6500sqm, and they are being used for agricultural-related storage. The buildings are owned by Temuka Transport. Thompson Engineering director Vaughan Thompson said the newest building would measure nearly 7000sqm and include an office block. Work on the buildings started in late 2011, with the latest project due for completion in July...

South Canterbury's Thompson Precast Ltd is offering farmers a practical storage solution to help maintain quality and consistency of stock feed.

The company's concrete Y Panels are used in silage pits as well as grain and fertiliser stores to separate products protecting from contamination.

Thompson Precast Ltd Director Michelle Thompson says changes in agricultural processes means the old soil lined silage pits contaminate feed and cause a loss of quality, particularly prudent with increasing feed costs and more intensive farming styles coming into practice.

“Since the advent of wintering barns and increase number of dairy conversions, we have seen a need in the agriculture industry to protect feed quality as much as possible,” she says. “With rising demand for feed putting pressure on prices, the farmer needs to maximise the return he gets from his supplementary feed including that grown on-farm. This has led to the development of our Y Panels with input from a structural engineer (IPENZ). Benefits of use include maintaining feed quality and consistency, and prevention of water damage and ground contamination to retain the energy (ME) in the feed so the farmer can retain this for the cows.”

A second-generation family business has won the supreme award at the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards 2013, beating 30 other finalists. Thompson Construction and Engineering also won the construction category announced at a Gala Awards evening last night at the Caroline Bay Hall.

The business was formed 35 years ago by Lyndon Thompson. His sons, Craig and Vaughan, started working for the company after they left school and took over the business when their father retired in 2002, along with their sister Michelle, who joined the firm in 1998. The company specialises in designing and constructing buildings for commercial, industrial and agricultural use. Buildings are designed in 3D using fabricated structural steel and precast concrete. The awards were judged by University of Auckland professional teaching fellow Dr Leith Oliver, Redesign managing director Jo Pennycuick, 100% Pure New Zealand Honey managing director Steve Lyttle and Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce chief executive Peter Townsend. The awards are organised by Aoraki Development Business and Tourism (ADBT).

Winners of the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards 2013

• Construction Industry Award 2013: Thompson Construction and Engineering
• Winner of the Supreme Award 2013: Thompson Construction and Engineering

Keeping it in the family has been no challenge for the Thompsons, with the Washdyke family business giving them all a job. Emma Bailey talks to Michelle Thompson.

How did the business start? Our father, Lyndon, started it in 1978. He was a farm manager but had done a bit of steel fabrication and building in South Otago. Mum convinced him to move to Timaru and start an engineering business. Back then it was mostly working on farm buildings. My brothers Craig and Vaughan both started working for Dad after they left school, apart from time doing their OEs. They took over from Dad in 2002. I came [to Thompsons] five years ago. I was working as an administrator for 14 years at Blairs in Geraldine, that was another expanding business. I did business studies as well. I used to do the paperwork for here [Thompsons] in the weekend, and doing both jobs just got too much. Now Craig is the production director and quality control, Vaughan is sales oriented and does the estimating and oversees the design, and I do the admin and financial control...