Springarm co-founders Ric and Marianne Awburn, with friends (at back) Paul Vossen and Amber Western, show off the Fieldays 2021 Prototype Award winner, the Springarm. Photo / Stephen Barker
Springarm co-founders Ric and Marianne Awburn, with friends (at back) Paul Vossen and Amber Western, show off the Fieldays 2021 Prototype Award winner, the Springarm. Photo / Stephen Barker
Only nine months after showing their prototype to the world at Fieldays 2021, Springarm products are now available at Farmlands stores.
The flexible ballcock arm for water troughs has won the respect of farmers across the country. The trough arm lowers the risk of failure in a farm's water system, in turn, saving farmers water, time, money and stress.
Co-founder of Springarm, Marianne Awburn, says the team is excited to supply farmers with Springarms in their preferred way – in a shop near them.
"The partnership with Farmlands means farmers can buy the arms the same day they realise they need one.
"Farmers are generally visual and tactile people so being able to see and feel the product is an important service we can now offer across the country."
Co-founder of Springarm, Marianne Awburn. Photo / Supplied
Springarm won the 2021 Prototype Innovation Award at the Fieldays Innovation Awards. The judges observed that despite there being a strong field of high-tech entries, Springarm was a simple, but effective solution.
"Springarm is a remarkably simple and elegant solution to a well-defined and common problem," the judges noted. "We were also impressed by the thought put into the product's design and the clear and immediate commercial opportunity provided to its inventors."
Shortly after their Fieldays Innovation Award win, Springarm partnered with Metalform to scale manufacturing so they could meet soaring demand. Previously, co-founder Rick Awburn and his three sons were manufacturing the Springarms in their shed by hand.
Farmlands contacted the team in December, having seen Springarm's online digital marketing and customers and shareholders asking for it in-store.
Water management and irrigation category manager for Farmlands, Ben Anderson, says: "It's in Farmlands' DNA to disrupt the status quo and support innovations that bring practical solutions to customers and the sector.
"Rick, Marianne, and the Metalform team have captured the Kiwi DIY attitude and created a must-have for every farm toolbox."
Fieldays Innovation Awards is now accepting applications for this year's show from individuals and organisations looking to solve the world's food and fibre challenges.
The three categories are prototype, early-stage, and growth and scale. The total prize package is over $60,000 worth of cash and services.
As for what's next for Springarm, the team will be working on additions to their product range to solve water worries for more farmers.
Marianne says they will be entering the early-stage category this year and are very much looking forward to connecting with the public again in the Fieldays Innovation Hub.
