About Us
Legacy.
In 1883, Jane Elizabeth Jenkins and her four young children embarked on an arduous voyage on the SS Triumph from England to New Zealand, a voyage that would chart the course of an enduring legacy.
With a young family to support in a new and unfamiliar environment, Jane Elizabeth started a new enterprise, JE Jenkins, producing currency bags for local banks. Their broadening range of paper products secured the family's position as innovators in a rapidly growing young country, and the name Jenkins became synonymous with integrity and quality.
As Jenkins Group forged ahead into the 20th century, the winds of change called for transformation. The bold shift towards specialised paper label production reflected the Group's ethos of adaptation and ingenuity.
Yet the journey was not without its challenges. In the depths of the Great Depression, Jenkins Group faced its darkest hour. However, the Group’s growing legacy of resilience was bolstered by that of partnership. John Booth Parkinson, whom Jane Elizabeth had met aboard the SS Triumph, became a principal shareholder of Jenkins Group, and this partnership would anchor the Group as one of Auckland's longest standing family businesses.
Growth.
The decades that followed saw Jenkins Group not just survive but thrive. It continued to expand its capabilities and eventually, through the 60s and 70s, became known as Jenkins the Printers, recognised as the go to people for all things print and packaging.
In 1983, 100 years after Jane Elizabeth stepped off the SS Triumph, Jenkins Group forged a strategic partnership with Sinclair International, a new business from the UK that specialised in individual fruit labelling, a technology which continues to represent a core focus for the Group today.
In 2014, Jenkins Group faced a crossroads once more. A decision was made to divest the general print business and to concentrate on its horticultural knowledge. This move enabled the Group to focus on its experience in labelling and packaging, while harnessing the rapidly evolving capabilities of automation and robotics.
Vision.
Today, Jenkins Group operates two unlisted trading entities – Jenkins Freshpac Systems (New Zealand) and J-Tech Systems (Australia). Both entities have a business model centred on the supply of specialised fruit labelling, packaging and handling systems to the horticulture industry.
Looking to the future, in the 2020s Jenkins Group continues to invest, with partial acquisition of CR Automation and ABC Software solutions.
Through our strong relationships and existing presence in packhouses, Jenkins Group provides innovative packaging, labelling and automation solutions to the New Zealand and Australian horticultural industries. These are backed by unparalleled service, enabling our customers to deliver fresh produce to consumers efficiently and reliably.
Welcome to Jenkins Group, a place where we honour our rich heritage, strive on the vibrancy of the now, and look forward to a future ripe with possibility.