Meet
the Byrnes

We have always wanted to keep the farm in the family name and our succession planning has been made so much simpler with the help of Dean and the Tākaka branch of NBS.

Our farm in Tākaka has been in the family since 1911, when it was purchased by my grandfather. Growing up, taking over the farm was the last thing on my mind but it’s funny how life can go. My wife, Deanna, also grew up on a dairy farm, in nearby Bainham, so after we spent time in Australia, the time came, and we took over the farm together. It’s the best thing we have ever done.   

Farming is an occupation that I really love because there's always something to motivate you, always another challenge and always areas where you can see that you can do better. Next week we could do better, next season.

You can always be planning on improvements and looking ahead. That forward-thinking approach is important to me. We have always wanted to keep the farm in the family name and our succession planning has been made so much simpler with the help of Dean and NBS Tākaka. 

Our relationship with NBS started because of Dean. When a Tākaka branch was opened and Dean was moving over from a different bank to run it, we followed him as we knew he was an exceptional branch manager and worth making the change.   

As farmers, we have always been huge advocates of the co-op principles, which are similar to the locally owned NBS model. So knowing that our dealings with NBS would contribute to something bigger for the community was a huge reason to begin our journey with them, too.

The continued, exceptional service we get from Dean and his team shows that they understand our business and they understand farming. Dean operates an open-door policy and there is no issue too big or too small that he won’t help with.

Absolute trust is hard to come by with banks, but that is what we have with NBS — total confidence that we are getting the best service out there. 

The Tākaka branch is servicing the whole community — residents, businesses and community groups. They are the only banking service provider left in this small town, all the others have packed up and gone. That demonstrates the commitment that NBS has to service the local community and is something we hugely respect. They have been able to keep going and keep taking care of our people. Small towns need support, and what NBS does for the Tākaka and wider Golden Bay community is amazing and the whole community has come to rely on and depend on that support. It is a great feeling to know that we have a branch manager here in town who is ready and available to see us at the drop of a hat.  

There have been a number of times that, through my relationship with Dean, a business connection has been developed and something good has come from it. That’s what he is — a connector. That’s very important when operating in a small-town dynamic. He knows who is related to who and what is going on all around the region. 

As a family, we recently achieved a big milestone when my nephew, Shaun, and his wife, Cindy — who are our contract milkers — in partnership with Deanna and me, formed a business to purchase a run-off block close to our farm. We see this investment as a big step in our family succession planning. Dean played a big role in helping to make that purchase happen, putting the business plan together and approving the loan, and he continues to play a big role in the ongoing development of the business plan. It's helping with that bigger picture stuff, which is so important to us.  And that’s what NBS does – they support people for a lifetime and across generations. That’s banking for life in action.   

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