01/09/2026
50 years on the ground in New Zealand and still growing.
When a. hartrodt New Zealand was founded, few could have predicted the company would still be shaping trade between the South Pacific and the world five decades later. Today, the Auckland-based team - plus a growing presence in Christchurch - manages 1,650 sqm of warehouse space and a customer portfolio that keeps expanding: wine, food, medical products, specialised manufacturing.
Vanessa Burns, Managing Director and a. hartrodt veteran of almost 33 years, sums it up simply:
"Half a century of trusted logistics partnerships built on consistency, local expertise and a global connection."
From Uwe Schmutzler's founding vision, through John Pyman's 25 years at the helm, to Vanessa's leadership since 2023 - the constant has been an ability to adapt without losing what makes the company work: deep local knowledge paired with a global network.
Right now, that means investing in AI-enabled operations, automation and better digital visibility for customers - while navigating real headwinds: an upcoming election, cautious domestic sentiment, and geopolitical shifts reshaping freight capacity, transit times and costs.
Fifty years in, the fundamentals haven't changed. The market around them keeps moving — and so does a. hartrodt New Zealand.
Exports of wine, food, medical products, and specialized manufacturing are growing.
