Williams & Kettle
| Public listed company | |
| Industry | Stock & Station Agency, General Merchants |
| Fate | bought by Wrightson in 2005 |
| Successor | PGG Wrightson |
| Founded | 21 May 1891 in Napier, New Zealand |
| Founders | F W Williams and N Kettle |
| Defunct | 1 June 2005 |
| Headquarters | Wilket House, Shakespeare Road, Napier, New Zealand |
|
Area served
|
North Island East Coast — Poverty Bay and more |
Williams & Kettle Limited with headquarters in Napier, New Zealand owned a business and a general merchants business with branches throughout the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It was founded in 1891 by landowner and businessman Frederic Wanklyn Williams (1854–1940) with former Murray Roberts & Co employee Nathaniel Kettle (1854–1940), a brother-in-law of John Roberts the principal of Dunedin's Murray Roberts.
Dunedin-born Kettle having served an apprenticeship with G G Russell & Co, wool and general merchants, had opened a Napier branch for Murray Roberts (as Murray Common & Co) in 1877 but the partnership was dissolved in 1885 and Kettle joined Williams in his Napier shipping agency. Kettle was a son of surveyor Charles Kettle and his wife was a daughter of Major Von Tempsky.
Wrightson bought all the shares in the listed company in 2005 and in 2008 and 2009 Williams & Kettle's brand was removed from their buildings, vehicles, staff uniforms etc.
The 19th and early 20th century board of directors was a list of prominent regional run-holders. They were:
Stock and station agency
Merchandising of:
together with these services:
In early 2005 following their win in a war with rival bidders Fonterra and Pyne Gould Guinness Williams & Kettle was bought by Wrightson. At that time Williams & Kettle operated through 35 branches mainly spread throughout the east coast and centre of the North Island.
The Williams & Kettle brand began to be dropped in late 2008 leaving buildings, vehicles and staff uniforms.
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Wikipedia