Winlove business celebrates 150th

HISTORIC: The Winloves building in Waipukurau, which was built in 1865.

The Winloves name is synonymous with Central Hawke's Bay, attached to not only former mayors of the district, but also the 100% Winloves stores, which celebrate their 150th birthday this year.

The company's been in the family for four generations. Present owner George Winlove said the story began on December 28, 1858, when a young carpenter, George Winlove (known as Geordie), arrived in Auckland from England, and in 1865 set up a carpentry business in Waipukurau.

By the late 1800s he was expanding the business, describing himself as "George Winlove - Carpenter, Joiner, Builder and Undertaker".

Geordie retired at the turn of the century and died in 1906 at 71. Keeping it in the family, his son John Winlove took over the business, going on to become mayor of Waipukurau when it was constituted as a borough in 1913. He held the position until 1919.

Meanwhile, the business was expanding, with John seeing the potential for retail, opening a hardware shop to complement the building side.

About the same time, he opened a timber yard, concrete products manufacturing plant and plumbing workshop.

By 1924, he had opened a large shop in Waipukurau, selling anything from kitchenware to saddlery as well as building supplies. Not long afterwards, branches opened in Waipawa and Porangahau.

Trucking and transport, and brick and pipe manufacturing were other sidelines.

George (aged 21) and brother Harry (aged 17 and father to current owner George) took over the business from John after he died from pneumonia in 1930.

By 1939, the company had started dabbling in small appliances, and in 1950 moved to a smaller premises in the centre of town.

In 1956, the hardware shop and timber yard were sold to Robert Holt & Sons, later to become Carter Holt Harvey.

A red-letter day was Harry's purchase of the Fisher and Paykel dealership, previously owned by Bill Barlow.

Today George, who was then 10, remembers, "Dad had Leonard refrigeration and Washrite washers as well as Shacklock, Atlas and Champion stoves.

"I would come in after school to help, including installing wringer assemblies and castors on to the washing machines. It was exciting."

In 1960, black-and-white television arrived. Harry would load up his van with TV sets and take them out to his farming mates on loan, but they would end up buying them and it was George's job to install permanent aerials.

Like his father, John, Harry Winlove was mayor of the Waipukurau borough, with his tenure lasting from 1959 to 1965.

As of this year, George Winlove the younger has owned the business for 37 years. There have been many memorable promotions, he said, including a massive one in 1989-1990 around the Fisher & Paykel boat in the Whitebread Round the World Race, which the local store embraced fully.

In the lead-up to the company's anniversary in May, special promotions will be running in-store and the Winloves team is keen to hear from any former staff of the Waipukurau and Waipawa outlets who may like to catch up and take part in a celebration planned at Easter.