Award-winning GPS firm moves to Mosgiel premises

The Dunedin business community received some welcome news yesterday, with local guidance and mapping company TracMap New Zealand moving into new Mosgiel premises and announcing the release of a new product.

The award-winning GPS guidance and mapping company has added an aviation version to complement its land-based system.

Managing director Colin Brown said the company began with a staff of two in 2005, but now employed 15 people, with several of those recruited from overseas because of their specialist skills.

The TracMap GPS system allowed rural operators such as fertiliser spreaders and spray contractors to accurately determine what they should target on a paddock and record where they have been.

It created detailed information on what was applied, where it was applied and when, as proof of application for the operator, farmer and, increasingly, buyers of produce and local authorities.

Mr Brown said the system had been specifically developed for New Zealand's rolling terrain, something with which existing tracking system struggled, and 300 units were in use in the country.

Sales were now being made directly to farmers and the viticulture industry was also using the product, Mr Brown said.

The aerial version for aircraft and helicopters was developed in conjunction with Helicopters Otago, and it had been chosen for use on an Alaskan conservation project to remove rats from Rat Island in the Aleutian archipelago, he said.

TracMap was part of the Upstart Business Incubator and has been supported by the Dunedin City Council's Economic Development Unit.

It won a premier award at the recent Telecommunication Users Association of New Zealand competition and was a finalist in three other categories.

It was also one of three finalists in the Gen-I NZ incubator awards for innovation of the year.