R J LINCOLN

Tokoroa’s central location and proximity to the ports of Tauranga and Auckland means it has always had big potential as a logistics and distribution hub.

A few years ago, a couple of local business people decided to take that potential to the next level.

Raymond Lincoln and Gavin O’Donoghue run R J Lincoln, a Tokoroa-based freighting and logistics company. With over 60 years combined experience in transport, they clearly saw how Tokoroa could provide local businesses with easy access to domestic and international markets without the high cost of being located in the major cities.

All it required was some smart thinking and investment in infrastructure.

Together with the South Waikato District Council they spearheaded the Tokoroa Road Rail Terminal.

Public-private partnership gets results.

The Council facilitated relationships with other key stakeholders including KiwiRail and the New Zealand Transport Agency. The organisations worked closely together to streamline the whole operation and proved that public-private partnerships are not only achievable, but far superior to working in isolation.

The Tokoroa Road Rail Terminal was officially opened in 2015. Within just six months of becoming operational, the line had seen over 2000 containers pass through it.

“The Tokoroa Road Rail Terminal is a modern logistics solution that ticks all the boxes for exporters and importers,” Gavin O’Donoghue says. “It doesn’t add cost to anyone’s operation, and in some cases it saves costs. It definitely saves time and money in efficiencies. ”