Our Team

Stuart started at Cates in 1992 and is the General Manager as well as a director of the company. Over the years he has seen many changes and enjoys the varied nature of the agricultural industry.

Stuart gains great satisfaction working with local famers and their families “It is great that Cates is involved in almost every step of the arable process and to see the positive results is very satisfying.” Says Stuart. “The agricultural industry faces many challenges; however, I believe we have some of the best farmers in the world here and I know they will face these challenges head on and will continue to be successful”

Outside of work Stuart enjoys spending time with family and friends and enjoys sport – particularly rugby where he is involved with a local club in coaching and administration.

Martin wears many hats at Cates - Agronomist, Director and also manages Linseed, Peas, Lentils and Oat trading

Martin started with Cates in the early 1990s after completing a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture at Lincoln. Martin grew up on a farm and agriculture is in his blood.

“I love that, in my role, I get to build long term trusted relationships with farmers and helping them grow crops they are proud of is really satisfying.” Says Martin.

“The future of arable cropping is threatened by increased costs and regulations which is making profitability a challenge. However, I believe Canterbury is the best place in the world to grow crop which is a huge positive.”

On his days off Martin loves to get into the mountains. He enjoys mountain biking and enters bike races and events throughout the country. He also enjoys doing voluntary work in the local church, watching his family grow and admits to waiting patiently for grandkids!

Paul has been with Cates since the early 1990’s so brings a wealth of experience. As well as being an Agronomist, Paul is also a director in the company.

Paul enjoys working alongside his farmers and has built some long-standing relationships with local farming families over the years. He enjoys dealing with each individual farms needs and working with them to solve any problems they face with their crops.

“Agriculture is a wonderful industry to be involved in.” Says Paul. “Over time there has been a lot of changes and some of the changes are making it very difficult to farm the land. I believe farmers are some of the best environmentalists this country has.”

Paul’s interests include rugby and cricket (as a spectator now!), also cycling and spending time with his family – including the grandchildren which have started to arrive!

Nick started with Cates in 2009 and is an Agronomist and is also a director in the company. Nick specializes in dairy pasture and cropping systems, arable cropping and small seed production, sheep and beef, as well as specialist horticultural crops.

Prior to starting at Cates Nick worked on farms in the United Kingdom as well as here in New Zealand. He really enjoys the variety in his role and estimates he covers around 70000km per year!

“I’m working with a variety of farmers in different geographical locations on a daily basis.” Says Nick. “I relish any challenge in any environment and enjoying the process and learning and gaining experience to better both myself and the farmers we work with.”

Nick is passionate about the agricultural industry and feels positive about the future “During my time I have seen productivity and rapid adoption of new technologies exponentially increase.” Says Nick. “Progression in the agriculture sector can and will likely provide solutions for a multitude of problems faced globally.”

Outside of work Nick is a self-confessed ‘adrenaline junkie’ although he also admits to spending plenty of his own time engrossed in the agricultural industry “I enjoy the process of farming, you’ll often see me fossicking around farms in the weekends, I like farming and farming people, plain and simple.”

When Corey left high school, he started his career in a seed cleaning role with a Cates’ subsidiary business. His loyalty to Cates has seen him grow within the company in field rep roles to his current role in International Business and Agronomy. He is also a director in the company.

Corey gets great satisfaction from being able to offer advice and see some great results “I have been working with some of my clients from the first day I became a rep so being able to be part of their business for many years is a privilege.” Says Corey.

Corey believes the agricultural industry really is the backbone of the New Zealand economy.

“Although some of the regulations and compliance changes over recent years has added some stress, seeing farmers and industry workers get up every day and do the best they can makes it a thoroughly enjoyable industry to be involved in.” Says Corey “It’s exciting to see the number of young people entering careers in agriculture and it shows the industry is in good heart.”

Corey, his wife and three children are all active in outdoor activities and sports. Corey plays squash, hockey, as well as coaching and enjoys hunting, fishing and tramping.

Paul has been with Cates since the early 1990’s so brings a wealth of experience. As well as being an Agronomist, Paul is also a director in the company.

Paul enjoys working alongside his farmers and has built some long-standing relationships with local farming families over the years. He enjoys dealing with each individual farms needs and working with them to solve any problems they face with their crops.

“Agriculture is a wonderful industry to be involved in.” Says Paul. “Over time there has been a lot of changes and some of the changes are making it very difficult to farm the land. I believe farmers are some of the best environmentalists this country has.”

Paul’s interests include rugby and cricket (as a spectator now!), also cycling and spending time with his family – including the grandchildren which have started to arrive!

Martin wears many hats at Cates - Agronomist, Director and also manages Linseed, Peas, Lentils and Oat trading

Martin started with Cates in the early 1990s after completing a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture at Lincoln. Martin grew up on a farm and agriculture is in his blood.

“I love that, in my role, I get to build long term trusted relationships with farmers and helping them grow crops they are proud of is really satisfying.” Says Martin.

“The future of arable cropping is threatened by increased costs and regulations which is making profitability a challenge. However, I believe Canterbury is the best place in the world to grow crop which is a huge positive.”

On his days off Martin loves to get into the mountains. He enjoys mountain biking and enters bike races and events throughout the country. He also enjoys doing voluntary work in the local church, watching his family grow and admits to waiting patiently for grandkids!

Nick started with Cates in 2009 and is an Agronomist and is also a director in the company. Nick specializes in dairy pasture and cropping systems, arable cropping and small seed production, sheep and beef, as well as specialist horticultural crops.

Prior to starting at Cates Nick worked on farms in the United Kingdom as well as here in New Zealand. He really enjoys the variety in his role and estimates he covers around 70000km per year!

“I’m working with a variety of farmers in different geographical locations on a daily basis.” Says Nick. “I relish any challenge in any environment and enjoying the process and learning and gaining experience to better both myself and the farmers we work with.”

Nick is passionate about the agricultural industry and feels positive about the future “During my time I have seen productivity and rapid adoption of new technologies exponentially increase.” Says Nick. “Progression in the agriculture sector can and will likely provide solutions for a multitude of problems faced globally.”

Outside of work Nick is a self-confessed ‘adrenaline junkie’ although he also admits to spending plenty of his own time engrossed in the agricultural industry “I enjoy the process of farming, you’ll often see me fossicking around farms in the weekends, I like farming and farming people, plain and simple.”

Morgan has agriculture in his blood having grown up on a dairy farm and a beef/wintering block. He also spent all his working life in the agricultural industry and has been working at Cates as an agronomist since 2015.

Morgan gains great satisfaction from seeing a crop grow from seed to harvest. “I really enjoy working with like-minded clients and colleagues to improve crop practices and outcomes.” Says Morgan. “There are many challenges ahead for the agriculture industry, but it is exciting to see the new innovations and techniques coming through to combat these challenges.”

Jet boating is Morgan’s main interest. He also plays rugby as a loose forward and also enjoys hunting especially venturing into the hills for a deer.

When Corey left high school, he started his career in a seed cleaning role with a Cates’ subsidiary business. His loyalty to Cates has seen him grow within the company in field rep roles to his current role in International Business and Agronomy. He is also a director in the company.

Corey gets great satisfaction from being able to offer advice and see some great results “I have been working with some of my clients from the first day I became a rep so being able to be part of their business for many years is a privilege.” Says Corey.

Corey believes the agricultural industry really is the backbone of the New Zealand economy.

“Although some of the regulations and compliance changes over recent years has added some stress, seeing farmers and industry workers get up every day and do the best they can makes it a thoroughly enjoyable industry to be involved in.” Says Corey “It’s exciting to see the number of young people entering careers in agriculture and it shows the industry is in good heart.”

Corey, his wife and three children are all active in outdoor activities and sports. Corey plays squash, hockey, as well as coaching and enjoys hunting, fishing and tramping.

Darcy graduated from Lincoln University with a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) and prior to joining Cates he worked in New Zealand and Australia on various cropping farms.

Darcy enjoys the opportunity at Cates to meet new people and gains great satisfaction from assisting his clients with their farming systems.

“Going forward I think the industry is in a good position as a whole, commodity products across the dairy, arable, and sheep and beef industries are typically selling well which creates farmer confidence.” Says Darcy. “Although as an industry we do face challenges, such as environmental regulations, I think the New Zealand agriculture industry has the ability to adapt accordingly while maintaining the production of premium products”

Outside of work Darcy enjoys hunting, fishing, water and snow sports, rugby, and socialising with friends.

Matt has worked in agriculture industry in various roles throughout his career and joined the Cates agronomy team in 2017. Matt enjoys the cross-section of people he deals with daily and gets a buzz from seeing his farmers gain strong positive results.

Matt is passionate about the agricultural industry and the role it plays in New Zealand’s future “It’s one of the few, if not the only, industry in New Zealand where we are genuine world leaders across the board, not just in one small aspect or area but industry wide” Says Matt. “We lead the way globally and it’s something that isn’t acknowledged or celebrated enough”

Matts loves sport, mainly rugby and cricket. He also enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, and his dogs, Goose and Maverick.