It starting small with the purchase of a 3x3 square baler, tractor, vee rake, wrapper and a couple of old truck trailers. He employed his sheep and beef-farming parents, his wife-to-be, sister, cousin and neighbour.
For a young man, Andrew acknowledged it was fairly daunting — taking on debt for the first time and growing a business from scratch. He drove up many driveways in the district more than once, endeavouring to gain their business.
The business grew incrementally and Quigley Contracting now employs 35 fulltime staff with up to 75 in the height of the season, covering an area from Darfield south to the Rangitata River.
The nomination for Quigley Contracting described the business as a rural champion because of its ongoing commitment to supporting and uplifting the rural community, providing local employment and sponsoring rural events.
"Their effort not only strengthens the local economy but also fosters a strong sense of connection and resilience in our region."
Andrew attributes the success of the business to good people — "the people are everything" — and that encompassed both the very loyal clients, and the staff.
The business had grown alongside its customer base and, with good relationships with those customers, they had been able to add value to their businesses.
Andrew’s philosophy was to treat everyone how you wanted to be treated yourself and deals needed to work for all participants. He had been able to grow his own management skills around the growth of the business.
The Quigley family began farming in Mid Canterbury in 1961 and was "pretty entrenched" in the community. Quigley Contracting staff were also encouraged to be involved in the community and grow relationships and interests outside the business.
Andrew had grown up with sport and he was grateful for the opportunities and support the community had given him; now he wanted to give back to that community in any way he could.
There was a lot more competition in the agricultural contracting scene now than he started but that had been a good thing, as it had made the business better.
"It made us really focus on delivering the best outcome and making sure we are ahead of our field. We’ve led the way in innovation and always look to bring new concepts to our customers."
Since starting the business, there had been a massive change in the Mid Canterbury landscape through irrigation and development and it had been "pretty impressive to be part of the journey".
— Sally Rae
