Born and bred in rural Manawatu, Dion is a third-generation arable farmer and agricultural contractor. He sits on the Manawatu/Rangitikei Federated Farmers executive committee as well as holding a Vice Chair position on the Federated Farmers National Arable executive. Dion’s first-hand experience in rural and lifestyle subdivision and development projects, along with his considerable farming background, is incredibly valuable to his Bayleys clients for Altogether Better results.

Dion has worked in the rural sector his entire career. He ran a feed delivery and agricultural spraying business, which he sold to buy into his family’s agricultural contracting and grain handling company, now one of the largest privately owned grain drying and handling complexes in the country. He and his wife Gennavieve also own a 100ha farm in Manawatu where they run a mixed cropping and finishing operation.

These days it’s property that truly excites him. The thing that Dion loves about property is that it can mean so many different things to different people. To some it’s a next step, to others the dream that they have been working towards their whole life. Dion considers it a huge privilege to be involved in the process, helping people navigate towards a successful outcome as he helps them to transact rural and lifestyle real estate.

Dion’s broad knowledge base of the rural/agriculture sector and his local connections are hugely valuable to his clients. He is farming the same land and facing the same challenges as they are. His experience in property development means he knows the benefits it can have for rural farming family succession plans. With his rural governance experience, Dion has a firm handle on industry and governmental legislation that directly affects and shapes the rural landscape and how these changes can affect the rural community

As a Bayleys Mid West country and lifestyle agent, Dion is assisting his clients on his home turf providing a true grassroots experience that is hard to beat. Because he has lived in the region his entire life he knows both the land and the people extremely well.

Dion’s reach extends deep into the network of the community. He has served a three-year term on the local school board of trustees. His younger years saw him heavily involved in the local Young Farmers club, which has paved the way for his work in rural advocacy and governance. He has also spent over 10 years with search and rescue, which saw Dion at the front line of saving people’s lives and returning them to their loved ones who had all but lost hope.

Dion and Gennavieve have four children, so school, sports and other activities take up a big part of their spare time. They also love spending time on the lake as a family, enjoying wakeboarding and other water sports. Dion is an avid deer hunter and likes getting out in the hills, teaching his children the sport and enjoying the spoils of a successful hunt.

Dion is known for his high values and being true to his word. Respect is important to him – both giving it and earning it. Having the ability to raise his children on the same farm he grew up on is very special to Dion so he well understands the attachment people have to the land and considers it an honour to help people use their rural property to fulfil their own family dreams and aspirations.