For 175 years, since May 1851 when George Gould opened Christchurch's first general store, PGG Wrightson and the businesses that came before have walked alongside New Zealand farmers and growers, adapting to changing markets, new technologies, and the shifting needs of rural communities.

As we celebrate our 175th Anniversary, with today’s nationwide footprint of retail stores, saleyards, wool stores, water branches, real estate offices, distribution centres, and dedicated research station, that same spirit of progress continues.

Our growing digital capability, backed with science-led solutions, ensures we can help farmers and growers succeed in an increasingly connected, data-driven, and fast-moving agricultural landscape.

And while our heritage is a source of deep pride, our focus remains firmly on the future.

“This anniversary isn’t about looking back for nostalgia’s sake,” Stephen Guerin, CEO of PGW said. “It’s about recognising long-serving team members and intergenerational customer relationships that have shaped our business. It’s also about celebrating our shared history, reaffirming our commitment to invest in the future, and standing alongside our customers through change.”

“Our history is carried forward in the way we operate today,” said Mr Guerin. “The same spirit that helped rural New Zealand grow over the past 175 years continues to drive our focus and investment in innovation, sustainability, and community strength. Our longevity is grounded in personal relationships, resilience, and the ability to innovate and adapt to change.”

While we honour the stories of predecessor companies, including Pyne Gould Guinness, Wrightson NMA, Dalgety, Williams & Kettle, and many others woven into the fabric of rural New Zealand, we value the growth of digital platforms and new technologies that are helping farmers operate in faster, smarter, and more connected ways than our founders could ever have dreamed possible.

Innovations such as bidr, New Zealand’s virtual saleyard, has transformed the way livestock is bought and sold by enabling farmers, agents and buyers to participate in real-time auctions from anywhere in the country. By combining online bidding with traditional saleyard and on-farm sales, bidr extends market access while maintaining the trusted relationships that remain central to livestock trading.

Alongside bidr, agOnline provides customers with an always-on livestock marketplace and market intelligence hub, giving farmers access to livestock listings, upcoming sales, saleyard schedules, results and pricing information in one central place.

Together with PGG Wrightson’s online store, these platforms are creating a more connected rural experience, enabling customers to research, buy, sell and manage their farming needs through whichever channel works best for them.

Our innovation focus is not limited to digital tools. Across the country, our research and development programme supports dozens of trials annually, testing products, technologies and solutions in real New Zealand farming conditions. Recent investment in our Hastings Research Station further strengthens this capability, allowing our teams to continue delivering evidence-based recommendations that help customers improve productivity, performance and on-farm outcomes.

This science-led approach is supported by our nationwide network of technical experts and field representatives, ensuring innovation is practical, tested, and relevant to the realities of farming.

GO-STOCK, an innovative alternative to livestock finance, helps farmers free up capital which would otherwise be used to purchase stock. Instead, the capital can be used to grow the business. 

Technology is also helping create smarter, more sustainable systems across agriculture. AI-enabled technology such as SkyCount can reduce time consuming livestock audit movement by enabling remote stock counts, thereby supporting improved animal welfare and operational efficiency.

Across the wider business, our recent investment in Microsoft 365 systems, and future leadership capability building through our Academy Development Program continue to improve service delivery, expertise and provide more seamless trading experience.

As agriculture continues to change, so too will PGG Wrightson. Our vision remains clear: to empower farmers and growers for generations to come by combining trusted expertise, local relationships, and future-focused innovation.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing stories of long serving team members through our website and social media channels. These stories contain remarkable ‘boots on the ground’ examples of adaptability, intergenerational relationships, and supporting customers through change. They also consider what’s next for farming in New Zealand. We'd love to hear your story too, so be sure to join the conversation in our social media channels!