Alex Quinn: Keeping tradition alive after 50 years of Fieldays

Kerepehi-based business owner of Quinn engineering, Alex Quinn, has added a “50 Years commemorating service to Fieldays” award to his wall. Photo: Horiana Henderson

Kerepehi stalwart, Alex Quinn is committed to Fieldays and has the golden “50 years commemorating support” award, and a cap, to prove it.

In typical fashion, he was to be found amongst the agricultural equipment ready with a big smile and friendly conversation. He is the owner of Quinn Engineering and attended the first Fieldays with his father Eddie Quinn.

Renowned Kiwi cartoonist Malcolm Evans sketched Alex’s father, Eddie Quinn, in 1986. Alex says the caricature is a valued family heirloom. Photo: Horiana Henderson

In the 1960s, Eddie created a tractor attachment for handling hay called the Baleboy and brought it to market at Fieldays in 1970. The machine won an award for innovation and under Alex’s management the recently rebranded company has continued to thrive based on the principles he learned from his father.

Some things at Quinn Engineering may have changed but the “can do” attitude remains. Photo: Horiana Henderson

“We’ve just re-branded ourselves in the last few years that we’re the ‘can-do company’.

“The reason for that is that Dad couldn’t buy something so he made something. And then [purchasers would ask] ‘can you put a set of forks on that?’”

Alex says his father’s reply was always, “yeah, we can do that,” and it’s become his son’s, and his company’s, mantra too.

“That was back in the late ‘60s and here we are, we’re still saying the same thing. Someone comes with a problem, at the end of the day that’s what we are, we’re solution finders,” Alex said.

The Quinn Engineering “solution finders” (left) Bill Douglas and Alex Quinn. Photo: Horiana Henderson

Alex is anxious to pass on to younger generations the lessons he’s learned and his wife Catherine Quinn was on hand to acknowledge his efforts.

“It was interesting with Matt, who called in, another ex-employee of Quinnie’s, who had had an apprenticeship, and he said that the one thing he remembered most from you [Alex] was, ‘before you start a job think it through,’ and he just said that he’d thought about that so many times,” she said.

Mrs Quinn was initially attracted to her Mr’s smarts, values and dedication to others. “The word to sum Alex up is selfless. He has put endless voluntary hours into our community,” she said.

Mrs Catherine Quinn caught giving away all the cookies. Photo: Horiana Henderson

At the close of Alex’s 49^th exhibition at Fieldays, Mrs Quinn inconspicuously loaded up the crew’s remaining home-made biscuits (yo-yos and Anzacs) for their last visitor while saying to her husband, “I’ll make some more at home for yah hon’.”

Unperturbed Alex replied, “oh, it’s fine,” as he took a puff of his Peterson pipe.