Stocks Auckland Head Office
George Stock & Company Ltd is New Zealand’s leading importer and distributor of automotive workshop and tyre shop equipment and a principal importer and distributor of automotive parts, accessories and tyre repair products.
George Stock & Company Ltd is committed to preserving the high business principles on which it was founded and continues to be an innovative, successful, and profitable supplier of specialised automotive products and services throughout New Zealand.
George Stock & Company Ltd – Mission Statement
STOCKS is a highly successful, innovative, and profitable supplier of specialised automotive products and services in New Zealand and Australia.
STOCKS is recognised as providing with integrity the best brands, the best technical knowledge, the best product support and the best service in the automotive industry.
George Stock & Company Ltd – Integrity
STOCKS’ commitment to integrity is founded on the following principles –
- STOCKS will provide excellent service to its customers;
- STOCKS will add quality to all its relationships, at all times showing respect for the individual;
- STOCKS will act with total honesty and professionalism in all matters;
- STOCKS will strive to support its employees in the achievement of their personal and professional goals through the provision of secure and fulfilling employment;
- STOCKS will pursue financial success so that it is able to reward its employees and investors for their service and commitment.
History
In the beginning
The Stock name has a long and proud history of service to the New Zealand automotive industry. George Stock was 19 when in January 1925 he sailed from London to Melbourne to take up work with the National Bank of Australia. In 1927 George and fellow bank employee Harry Humphrey commenced business as Manufacturers’ Representatives, trading as Humphrey & Stock. By 1930 the business was trading simply as George E. Stock. Later that year George moved his family to New Zealand and established George E. Stock (NZ) Ltd. The Melbourne branch was closed shortly thereafter and the New Zealand business began to prosper.
George E. Stock (NZ) Ltd grew to become one of New Zealand’s most respected automotive and industrial product suppliers and George Stock became one of the elder statesmen of New Zealand business. Highly regarded as a man of his word, he had a long and distinguished association with the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce and the British Trade Association, serving for 12 years as its President. George Stock died in 1972 and his son-in-law, Jan Okkerse (who had joined the company in 1947) succeeded him as Managing Director. The business continued to be managed with the high standards of integrity set by George Stock.
On from the 1980s
In 1980 George Stock’s grandson, Wellington Barrister Michael Okkerse, returned to New Zealand from the USA to help his father secure the future of the business and move into retirement. Michael was committed to ensuring that the company’s future was entrusted to executives who could build the business in the business environment emerging in the 1980s and who would maintain the high standards of personal and business integrity of his grandfather and father.
In August 1980 Bill Strand was invited to join the company. When Jan Okkerse retired shortly thereafter Bill was appointed Managing Director. Bill was formerly General Manager of Repco Automotive and Industrial Sales N. Z. Ltd and Wibroc New Zealand Ltd (an automotive accessory manufacturer owned by Repco).
In July 1982 Brian Foley was invited to join the company. Brian was a specialist in garage and workshop equipment. His extensive experience in that field included various sales and marketing positions with Motor Specialties Ltd. Brian was well known and respected by many of the world’s leading automotive equipment manufacturers.
The company remained wholly owned by the Stock family until 1982 when Michael arranged a buyout by interests representing his family and the families of Bill Strand and Brian Foley. In response to the economic changes of the 1980s George Stock & Company, as the business now was known, moved its Head Office from Wellington to Auckland and STOCKS began its transformation from Manufacturers’ Representative to Importer and Distributor.
Following the purchase of Andrews & Bevan Ltd. by Repco in 1985, STOCKS established Automotive Equipment (NZ) Limited to market Crypton diagnostic equipment directly to the trade. Around the same time, the leading equipment specialists from both Motor Specialities Ltd and Andrews & Bevan Ltd joined the company. STOCKS now had the most qualified and most experienced automotive equipment sales team in New Zealand.
In June 1990 STOCKS purchased W. E. Lewisham (Merchants) Ltd. Of particular interest to STOCKS was Lewisham’s exclusive agency for Italian Corghi tyre fitting and balancing equipment. Corghi was a world-leading brand and was the leading supplier of equipment to the tyre industry in New Zealand. The purchase brought with it a number of other automotive agencies and products, most being sold directly to the retail motor industry through garages and service stations.
In September 1990 Wayne Fowler was invited to join the business as Finance Director and interests representing his family acquired a shareholding in the company.
While STOCKS now was established as a major supplier of garage, workshop and tyre equipment, its acquisition of Retread Supply & Development Ltd in April 1992 established it as a major supplier of consumables to the tyre industry as well, with agencies including Rema Tip Top and B & J Rocket. STOCKS’ AutoParts Division also was expanding rapidly, with focused marketing of key brands including Camelot (now Transteering), Power Plus and Roulands through a strong national network of wholesale resellers.
A strategy at this time was to establish STOCKS as a leading specialist in vehicle suspension. STOCKS’ August 1996 acquisition of the Suspension Division of NZ Transport Supplies Ltd was a major move in this direction. The acquisition provided STOCKS with the agencies, support staff and services necessary to achieve that goal. Most significantly the acquisition brought to STOCKS exclusive agencies for KYB and KONI shock absorbers, King Springs and SuperPro bushes. STOCKS was appointed a Capricorn Society supplier in August 2000.
In May 2008 Barry Reid was appointed a Director of STOCKS and interests representing his family acquired an interest in the company.