After a successful debut in 2024, Fonterra’s forklift competition is back for round two, with four regional competitions kicking off this month.
Ryan Brink was one of two winners in the Waikato regional forklift competition
Last Thursday, 22 competitors from across the Waikato region faced off in a skill-based course at the Co-op’s Lichfield site, with two standout performers claiming the top spots.
Competitors navigated an obstacle course, which included balancing balls on traffic cones atop pallets, while aiming for the fastest time.
Waikato champions, Ryan Brink (Lichfield) and Dennis Gage (Te Rapa) will now head to the finals at the Co-op’s Darfield Distribution Centre in Canterbury on Friday 5th September.
They’ll go head-to-head with regional winners from the upper central North Island, lower North Island, and the South Island.
Winner Ryan Brink has been operating forklifts for seven years and says winning his first forklift competition caught him by surprise.
“It feels amazing to be representing the Waikato at the finals. I take great pride in that and have to thank my trainer for setting me up for success.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting new people at the finals and having the chance to see a different Fonterra site.”
Fellow Waikato winner Dennis Gage will head to the finals for the second time, after taking out the top spot in the 2024 competition.
Fonterra’s Director of Global Supply Chain, Santiago Aon, says the competition is an opportunity to celebrate the unsung heroes of Fonterra’s supply chain.
“We’re pleased to be running this competition again in 2025, celebrating the skill, experience and expertise of our forklift operators.
“The competition recognises our operators’ high standards and daily commitment to doing things safely, while also encouraging some friendly regional rivalry.”
In addition to bragging rights, the winner of the final competition will get a trip to Australia to visit Fonterra’s forklift supplier, Linde, to see and hear about some of their latest innovations.
The obstacle course at Lichfield’s forklift competition
