“Listen to your customers, understand what they want and get answers back to them promptly,” he says.
“Do the fundamentals right and customers will keep coming back to you.”
It’s principles like these that continue to serve Stephen well, after joining 7 Worlds Ag as sales manager for Victoria, Tasmania and the Riverina a year ago.
His commitment to getting the basics right comes from his depth of experience in senior commercial roles over more than two decades in areas such as broadacre irrigation and liquid fertilisers.
Originally from a dairy farming background in Gippsland, Stephen found his way working in vineyards and wineries in Victoria and South Australia before he and his young family moved to the Riverina 25 years ago.
He worked for a rural merchandise business in Ardlethan before joining an irrigation company designing overhead and centre pivot systems forbroadacre farms.
Over 15 years, he helped to grow the business into a major national supplier of irrigation systems and took him to farming regions as far afield as Broome, Darwin and Mackay.
Stephen’s commercial career continued to develop over the next 11 years with a liquid fertiliser company.
“Across numerous roles in different companies in agriculture, I have always enjoyed building relationships with customers and finding answers to their needs,” he says.
“And at 7 Worlds Ag, I am delighted to find a company that delivers what it says it’s going to do.”
One year into his new role at 7 Worlds Ag, Stephen York is strengthening customer relationships in the Riverina, Victoria and Tasmania.
“It is refreshing to work for 7 Worlds Ag because the company has a great reputation with dealers and growers and strong brand recognition,” he says.
“While I have a lot to learn about crop protection, it is good to be working in new areas with a different portfolio of products, with new and familiar faces.
“All this adds up to developing meaningful relationships with customers and greater job satisfaction.”
While Stephen has a wealth of experience in the Riverina and northern Victoria, he is enjoying the opportunity to learn more about the Tasmanian industry and work with local customers, where 7 Worlds Ag has a strong presence.
“Having a strong and loyal customer base is a great platform to work from and it is a credit to Ben Coombe and the 7 Worlds team,” he says.
“A big focus for the company is talking with dealers about the season ahead to understand their supply requirements and develop good forecasts.
“The benefits of accurate forecasting flow both ways, but this is only possible if you have strong relationships with resellers.
“In my experience, 7 Worlds Ag is one of the best when it comes to forecasting.”
Trends favour growth
On a broader level, Stephen is optimistic about the future of the horticulture industry and the opportunities ahead for dealers and growers.
Twenty-five years ago, when he first moved to the Riverina, broadacre crops like rice, wheat and barley were the dominant crops.
“These days, we are seeing newer developments in crops like citrus, almonds, potatoes and cotton, along with the consolidation of smaller holdings into larger farms with bigger investments in infrastructure and technology.
“Across the border in northern Victoria, there are similar trends with the shift away from small family-owned dairying properties to the development of larger consolidated horticultural operations.
“These regions are well positioned for expansion in horticulture, through innovations in irrigation and the smarter use of technology in operations like pruning, picking and packing.
“More intensive horticultural operations provide good opportunities for inputs and outputs, flowing through to resellers and suppliers.
“And while labour requirements are challenging, both regions have good access to a stable workforce and large metropolitan markets are within easy reach.”
APVMA instils confidence
On another note, Stephen recognises that he never appreciated the significant role that the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) performed in the crop protection industry until he joined 7 Worlds Ag.
“What the APVMA provides is the proper legislative framework which requires everyone to play by the rules,” he says.
“It gives growers far more confidence in the products they choose and greater loyalty to them because of the scientific rigour required by the APVMA registration process and label requirements.”
