Meet freight experts Stockwell International NZ

Stockwell International is a family-owned business that started its journey over 50 years ago across the ditch. Founder Brian Stockwell began his career as a customs broker in Sydney. The business has expanded internationally, with over 100 staff in offices around the world including Australia, United States, China and New Zealand.

Stockwell International established their Auckland branch in 2016 and are situated at 17 Joval Place, Wiri, Auckland. Yvonne Kessels has been at the helm for five years, bringing over 45 + years of experience in freight forwarding.  

“People say to me all the time, you must know everything about freight but it is not true. It doesn’t matter how long you have been in the industry and what you think you may know, there is always something new to learn along the way, it’s forever changing and that’s what I love about my job” explains Yvonne.

“I have done freight forwarding all my life, I started when I was 16 at a company called Mogul Freight which later became Owens International and then Mainfreight. I’ve also worked with Express Logistics which was later sold to Toll”.

“It’s fair to say I’ve gained a wide knowledge of experience in this specialised field starting as a Junior Clerk back in 1978 to now managing the NZ business operation for Stockwell International.  It has been a great journey having covered a variety of roles within the domestic, national and international freight forwarding arena over the years!” says Yvonne.

Stockwell International offer several services including freight forwarding, customs brokerage, port transport, warehousing and distribution, project cargo management and Marine Insurance. Stockwells is confident they can provide a solution for customers.

“We have a fantastic team and between us we have 75+ years’ of freight forwarding experience.    We provide a tailored service for all import and export customers with a dedicated staff member assigned to looking after your business requirements”.  

Yvonne understands that importing and exporting can be a minefield for both small and large businesses.  To help Wiri businesses, Stockwells are offering free freight forwarding training.

“I believe sharing knowledge is the key to upskilling and this will instil more confidence into your employees”.

“People will walk away with the knowledge to help their business in this area and avoid making some of the common and sometimes serious mistakes”.