Remembering Waratah Founder David Cochrane - Waratah Skip to main content

Remembering Waratah Founder David Cochrane

Tokoroa, New Zealand (April 5, 2023) – David Cochrane, 77, founder of the Waratah Group, passed away over the weekend.

A true visionary, Cochrane started Waratah General Engineering Ltd. in Tokoroa, New Zealand, in 1973 with the development of a mechanized processing head designed to withstand New Zealand and North American logging conditions. He was recognized world-wide as an industry-leading forestry equipment innovator who created the foundation of what Waratah is today.

Cochrane’s legacy lives on through Waratah’s reputation as Built To Work® – supporting its customers, so they can outsmart and outperform the others. The entire Waratah team expresses its deepest condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.



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