Nationwide Stock Crates is celebrating 50 years in business in 2025. With a reputation for quality workmanship and excellent customer service, the company is one of New Zealand’s leading stock crate manufacturers.

Manager Nigel Gordon says that 50 years after his uncle, Barry, first purchased the business, it still has that grassroots family feel about it.

Barry started Nationwide Stock Crates after purchasing a company that built steel crates in 1974, rebranding the business as it is now known in 1975.

“In the old days, if you got past two days with Barry, you were usually here for life. His bark was worse than his bite. We’ve had staff here for the long haul – 44 years’ service being the longest.

“Experience and knowledge are critical in any business, but like a lot of industries, we want to encourage the younger people to learn the trade, but that is a work in progress.

“Our staff are the backbone of this company. It’s hard work and quite demanding, so we appreciate everything they do,” Nigel says.

Nigel, a diesel mechanic by trade, drove trucks for 11 years for companies up and down the country. He has worked in Nationwide Stock Crates for more than 20 years, and now runs the company.

Nigel says part of the success of lasting for 50 years is evolution.

“We’ve grown up a lot in 50 years; we still make mistakes, but we build a good quality product. And we are always looking at other things that can make us stand out from the rest,” he says.

“We’ve always looked at ways to solve problems. For example, how to create more room in the crate for bigger animals, how to get more room above the deck line rather than below it, quality assurance with crates, and all the new rules and regulations around compliance.”

Nigel says it’s a world full of rules.

“Regulations and compliance are one of the biggest challenges we face as an industry. But to be fair, it also makes you raise your game,” he says.

“The transport industry has done a fantastic job over the years changing with the times, which you’ve got to do – if you don’t move with the times, you get left behind.”

After half a century in the industry, Nigel says it’s all about the basics – doing a good job for your customer.

“If we do a good job for our customers, they’ll come back to us. If we annoy our customers and let them down, then they won’t come back to us,” he says.

Nigel says Nationwide Stock Crates is about people.

“It’s the people in the business. It’s the people who run the livestock units … all the transport operators that we deal with. It’s about having that relationship with those individuals,” he says.

“You’re never going to please everyone all of the time. But what we try to do is solve any issues as they come. It’s just moving on and trying to keep it all clean and tidy.”

Nigel says on top of relationships, it’s about providing a quality product and a good service.

The crates are designed to be easy to use, making loading and unloading livestock simple and efficient. All crates are constructed from durable but lightweight aluminium to minimise the unladen weight of the crate and maximise payload.

Crates are constructed with animal welfare in mind. Nigel says the company tailors designs to maximise the amount of stock that can be carted comfortably and safely within legal limits. Each Nationwide crate is checked and given accredited status by AsureQuality before it leaves the factory.

“Our stock crates are made to go the distance, with quality materials and designs that are proven to last,” he concludes.