At heart, Jenkins is a family business. Fourth generation to be exact.
Founded in 1883 by Jane Elizabeth Jenkins, the company resides in the same family’s hands to this day and continues to thrive. And that’s no mean feat considering the widely quoted statistic on family business, "30% of family businesses make it to the second generation, 10-15% make it to the third and only 3-5% make it to the fourth generation".
The company has always shown enterprise and resilience. Seizing opportunities and confidently changing with the times. During the 1970’s the company re-aligned its business away from general print and packaging, to focus instead on the newly emerging market for pressure sensitive self-adhesive labels. As an early entrant to this market, Jenkins became an authority in the industry.
Today, fourth generation family members are involved in operating the business. Mel and Cameron not only hold positions on the board but are actively involved in the day to day steering of this mighty enterprise. Mel says as a fourth gen family member she has seen the Company move facilities three times and the product offering diversify greatly; from general printing using lead blocks, to self-adhesive labels, digital technology and now in 2018 packhouse robotics.
With Cameron recently moving his family back from Australia and Mel raising three great boys, I’d say watch this space.

Twice last week I was called a lifesaver and this made me feel pretty grateful to be in the job I'm in. No, I don’t spend hours at the beach volunteering like those great citizens, I’m merely doing my job. Helping people get their branding and information out with the beautiful fresh produce they have laboured so hard over to get from farm gate to consumer plate.
As we all know when dealing with fresh produce, things change. Be it the weather or the market, we, people like me who work in the horticulture packaging industry especially related to fresh produce need to be able to adapt quickly and make things happen. Most times it calls for some of that good old kiwi “roll up your sleeves and get it done mentality”. When it all works out and you manage to under promise and over deliver it’s a great feeling. To be emailed and text to tell me I’m a lifesaver makes the job even more worthwhile.
I hope that Jane Jenkins would have been proud of me, it is certainly a privilege to work in a company that started in 1883 by an extraordinary and forward thinking lady who travelled across the seas with her knowledge, some print equipment and loads of ability