17 May 2000 Streat sale enhances global marketing platform for Lincoln-developed Aquaflex

The sale to UK interests of the Products Division of Christchurch electronics enterprise Streat Instruments will have exciting downline marketing prospects for technology developed by Lincoln University's research and development company Lincoln Ventures Ltd, says LVL chief executive Dr Peter John.

The Streat sale, to the UK-based Garnett Group Ltd, brings together the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of one of Lincoln Ventures' best known products, Aquaflex.

Aquaflex is a technologically advanced moisture sensing and measurement system used primarily in the management of sports turf watering and also agricultural and horticultural irrigation, but with many other applications such as in biofilters and construction materials.

Developed over a span of about 10 years, Aquaflex has been hailed as a prime example of how cooperation between university-based researchers and industry can get a new system off the drawing boards and into the hands of commercial users.

Initial research for Aquaflex at Lincoln University was funded by the Public Good Science Fund and internal investment and from there Streat Instruments secured the licence to manufacture and market it.

Now under Garnett Group ownership, the on-going manufacture and research and development of Aquaflex will remain in Christchurch with marketing and sales coordinated from the group's UK base.

Garnett has already been an Aquaflex distributor for some time, on behalf of Streat Instruments, and has sold systems to a number of top English soccer clubs, other major sports facilities and large agricultural operations.

"We have worked very closely with Streat for many years and we know each other well," says Garnett Group chief executive Alan Brydon.

"We have been working jointly in various areas such as the development, manufacture and distribution of the Aquaflex soil moisture measurement sensor, which is now widely used internationally in sports turf and agricultural/horticultural applications."

Lincoln Ventures' chief executive, Dr Peter John, says that Streat has done a wonderful job developing the product.

"Now to have sales managed from within the very large European market is an exciting prospect with immense potential."

He says he has been impressed with how the Garnett Group has marketed Aquaflex to date and he believes the combination of continued manufacture and research and development in Christchurch together with the group's European location will add considerably to the product's success in the very competitive global moisture measurement market.

Dr Peter John, CEO, Lincoln Ventures Ltd, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand