Structure comes first for Waipukurau-raised Livestock Genetics Representative for Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay and the trust and relationships he focuses on.

After finishing school in Hastings, Tom Suttor worked as an agricultural contractor for a couple of seasons. Growing up on a Central Hawke’s Bay farm managed by his father, who also ran a South Devon cattle stud, meant a life on the land was always likely for Tom.

At the age of 20 he won a Federated Farmers scholarship that took him to the United Kingdom for six months.

“Initially I worked on a farm in Essex during the harvest, which made going up to London on a day off really easy.”

Going away for six months turned into two and a half years, also taking in Canada and the United States.

“Most of the jobs I did were cropping-related. In Canada I worked as a sales rep for a seeds company. My boss liked my New Zealand accent and knew that it would open doors. He told me just to go and see the clients and introduce myself. They would hear my voice, ask me where I’m from, why I was there, and what is the country like, then I could take the same order from them that they had last year. And that is more or less exactly how it went in that job,” he says.

Back in New Zealand Tom’s career took a more practical direction when he found work as a shepherd at Waewaepa Station. Through eight years at the 2700-hectare Dannevirke property, he graduated to the stock manager role.

“I love working with stock. Coupled with what I learnt from my father and his stud when I was younger, Waewaepa Station gave me an appreciation of how to develop livestock, and understanding the importance of structural soundness: what you need in an animal for it to survive and thrive in hill country.”

Then the station changed hands and Tom was looking for another job.

“I joined Williams and Kettle as a commercial livestock agent in 2002, shortly before the company became part of the merger that formed PGG Wrightson. We were a small tight knit group of agents, with fiercely loyal clients. We were a family-oriented business, where treating clients with respect was central to the business philosophy. Those client relationships were more than just financial, more like a family type relationship or a friendship. That is something that we also have now in the Livestock Genetics team: a small group, with great loyalty to each other and deep two-way commitment to and from our clients,” says Tom.

Apart from a brief period with another company, Tom has been with PGG Wrightson ever since, holding the role of Livestock Genetics Representative for Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay since 2005.

“I like helping people realise their goals with livestock. I enjoy asking them where they want to get to, then being able to help them with the genetics they need to achieve that. Even though we do the same thing every day, every day is a new day and a slightly different one with new challenges.

“I advise my clients to buy the best ram or bull they can afford, and to stay mindful of structure over data. Buying the best animal, with the best physical attributes, backed up by the data. Although you need the data, structure comes first. The animal needs to function in the real world. While the paperwork to justify a purchase goes into the drawer, it’s the bull or ram itself that goes into the paddock,” says Tom.

Tom’s philosophy is the basis for the relationships and trust he has built with his clients.

“You help them buy stock that will influence the direction their stud is going. They are putting faith in you to get the right animals. There’s a fair amount to it, which gives a real sense of pride when the progeny of those animals come through a few years later, justifying the investment of time, effort, and money that went into it,” he says.

Tom lives on a Waipukurau lifestyle property with wife Lottie and their two school age daughters. Following the girls’ sporting activities takes most of their spare time, along with a pony, and running enough sheep and cattle to keep the freezer full.