The evolving story of Langsford N&G Contracting
For more than two decades Rural Contractor & Large Scale Farmer has followed the Langsford story as it unfolded across the Waikato landscape, and it is remarkable how the passing years have shaped a business that continues to grow on the strength of its people and its values.
When we first profiled the Langsford Brothers in 2002 the operation was known for hard work and quiet reliability and by the time we returned in 2019 the reins were firmly in the hands of Nick Russo and Gabrielle (Georgie) Barnett, who had merged their own contracting venture in 2013 with the well-established Langsford name to create a company what felt like a natural continuation of everything Wayne and Dud Langsford had built, yet distinctly shaped by Nick and Georgie’s family-centred approach. The business had doubled in size and had settled into a new purpose-built facility on Hautapu Road. That feature captured an operation that had navigated the pressures of expansion while holding tight to the simple philosophy that people matter and service comes first.
In September 2024 Nick and Georgie decided to move their contracting operation to their yards at Cox Road in Rotoorangi. They downsized the business in early 2025 a decision that they sat comfortably with and knew they could still service their well-established client base. The core staff remain and the experience of those skilled operators ensure that an extremely high standard will always be afforded to their clients. Experienced hands who know the paddocks, the customers, the shortcuts, the hazards and the expectations bring a continuity that has become increasingly rare in an industry that relies heavily on seasonal labour and every contractor in the country knows that keeping skilled operators is as important as owning good machinery because neither can function well without the other.
Langsford N&G has weathered that industry shift because it continues to offer a stable base of winter work across cartage, earthworks, fencing and maintenance and that stability allows them to keep the people who understand the business at a deeper level than just operating a tractor or a truck.
There is a sense that the maturity of the business has sharpened the way Nick and Georgie divide their responsibilities, Nick continues to plan and coordinate the day-to-day jobs, while Georgie keeps the administrative backbone running smoothly in a world that demands more documentation, certification and compliance than ever before. Farmers now have a much clearer picture of the depth of services and skill the business can offer. Cultivation, drilling, balage, mowing, cartage, digger work and earthmoving have all become part of a reliable annual rhythm for clients who know that precision and consistency matter more than ever in a contracting environment shaped by tight weather windows and rising expectations.
The demand for earthworks has increased and with the use of tractors and trailers becoming a popular choice as they can access sites where trucks cannot manoeuvre easily.
Fencing too remains a key part of the winter schedule, and has only grown more intricate as lifestyle blocks expand and rural subdivisions require tighter and more diverse types of boundary work. The Fairbrother post rammers continue to be the backbone of the fencing team and the ingenuity shown by staff in designing tools such as post extractors and levelling bars in previous years has remained a hallmark of the team’s practical problem-solving capability.
There is still no quiet season in this business, only a shifting of gears and a reallocation of people and machines to where they are needed most.
On the agricultural front, the Waikato remains a region where contractors need to cover a wide range of land uses from dairy to sheep and beef, goat farms, councils and lifestyle blocks and Langsford N&G continue to operate across that spectrum with the same attention to detail that defined the earlier decades. Groundwork begins as soon as soil conditions allow and spring signals the frantic pace of the silage season, with triple mowers, tedders, rakes, balers and wrappers running across the district from September into the early summer weeks. The company maintains its strong loyalty to Claas for mowing equipment, with the triple mowers for speed and a quality cut, while McHale Fusion bale wrappers continue to offer reliable outputs with tight shapely bales that farmers appreciate for stackability and consistent feed quality.
Pasture and crop work has become increasingly precise over the last decade and Langsford N&G has kept pace with that shift with an Allen ED Drill, Duncan roller drills and airseeders fitted to cultivation tools continue to shape paddock renewal and forage establishment. GPS-guided sowing is now standard across the fleet and while Nick has long been loyal to John Deere, his decision to invest in high-spec tractors with integrated guidance has paid off in accuracy, fuel efficiency and operator comfort. The fleet of green tractors remains the backbone of the operation, with horsepower ranges that allow the business to match the right machine to the right job and long-serving tractors clocking ten or twelve thousand hours continue to prove the brand’s reliability. The company also retains a pair of Fendt tractors and the continuation of those units is a subtle reminder that staff preference matters because a contractor who invests in equipment that keeps operators comfortable and confident, knows that satisfaction translates into better work.
Looking back to earlier profiles the thread that runs from 2002 and now into 2026 is the importance of people because skilled operators like Grant Shaw, Frank Andrews, Wade Smith, Mark Heaslip, Shane Lyon, Andrew Neilson and Mat van Groenedaal continue to be pillars of the business and their willingness to guide and support new staff has kept the culture steady. New and existing clients appreciate that the friendly, professional service Langsford N&G is known for comes from those long-standing operators whose experience underpins the reliability of the business and gives the team the confidence and stability needed to meet the demands of each season.
Nick and Georgie both remain deeply involved in the day-to-day life of the company, and that hands-on leadership continues to shape the tone of the business because their willingness to listen to staff and customers alike builds trust in ways that cannot be replicated by systems alone. They know the pressures farmers face, the unpredictability of seasons and the reality that timing is everything and the business has maintained that core principle that work should be done when the farmer needs it done, not when the contractor decides it is convenient. That attitude has earned Langsford N&G long-term clients across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty region who rely on their business year after year and that reliability has become a cornerstone of the company’s reputation.
Weather volatility in recent years has added pressure to the timing of silage and hay work, communication with clients, the readiness of gear and staff is of high priority to ensure everyone is ready to move when a weather window appears. This ability to pivot quickly depends on having skilled staff and well-maintained machinery.
Winter still remains a critical part of the year because staff move into earthworks, muck spreading and raceway maintenance. Those seasonal patterns have become more important as contractors across New Zealand face labour shortages, because the ability to offer staff continuous employment across twelve months gives Langsford N&G a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining skilled workers and that stable core helps them deliver consistent quality during high-pressure seasons.
The story of Langsford N&G Contracting remains one built on practical decisions because the company has never tried to expand beyond what its community needs, and it has always shown respect for neighbouring contractors by staying within its natural boundaries and referring out-of-area work to local operators. That awareness of the broader contracting ecosystem is part of what has kept the business grounded because growth for its own sake has never been the goal.
Quality service and looking after people are the two constants that drive every decision Nick and Georgie make and those values resonate through the team and out into the wider community.
As the business enters its next chapter, the decision to downsize and move back home to Cox Road, Rotoorangi stands as a base to support future growth and stability. The fact that Langsford N&G has outgrown difficulties and embraced opportunities over the years says much about the character of its owners, who have weathered economic shifts, rising compliance costs and the increasing complexity of running a large rural business without losing sight of the importance of personal relationships and community trust. They have maintained the legacy they inherited from previous owners while adding their own strength and direction and it is clear that the focus remains on delivering excellent and reliable services for customers and caring for the staff that make that possible.
In an industry shaped by the unpredictability of weather, seasons and market, that commitment to people, service and quality stands out as the steady path that Langsford N&G continues to follow.