| 71 Full-service ag and engineering business Stevenson & Taylor has been a stalwart of Central Hawkes Bay for 75 years. Karen Phelps Stevenson & Taylor has been a stalwart of Central Hawkes Bay for 75 years with 2026 marking this significant anniversary for the company. “Because it’s such a family oriented, owned and operated business, and a lot of our customers are long standing family owned farms they really appreciate dealing with a business with the same family values,” says company general manager and director Robby Smith. “It’s created good connectivity between us and our customers and has been a key factor in our success. If they want to talk to a business owner they know that they can.” Robby has been with the company for 26 years, starting straight out of school. “I had the luxury of working for one of the founders, Bill Stevenson, who mentored me. That family history is still there as I worked for his son Brian Stevenson, who sadly passed away last year. Brian’s son Brett, who has been involved with the business for over 20 years, is now carrying on the legacy with his sons Korban and Ethan also working in the company,” says Robby. Founded in 1951 by Bill Stevenson, Peter Taylor and John Ferguson, Stevenson & Taylor began as a blacksmith shop on Russell Street, where the current New World supermarket now stands. It expanded into fixing bulldozers, or ‘crawlers’ as they were known at the time, before moving into sales of new machinery. It became a Case IH and New Holland supplier and celebrated 66 years in partnership last year. Growing beyond the Russell Street site, it relocated in 2008 to a purpose-built RURAL SERVICES » Stevenson & Taylor facility on Takapau Road, doubling staff to around 40, and in 2023 opened a dealership in Hastings with a team of eight. Today there are four directors: Robby, Brett, the company technical support and training specialist, Duncan Harding, the company head sales consultant, and Pete Swinburn, a local farmer. “Being locally owned and operated, with three of the four directors working in the business on a daily basis plus Pete’s farming knowledge, is important. It keeps us in touch with our customers’ needs. It’s a very personal approach to business,” says Robby. The company has evolved into a full-service agricultural and engineering business, providing everything from tractor sales to on-call repairs and engineering solutions. “Due to our geographical location, in order to serve our community, we need to do it all,” says company general manager Robby Smith. “When our customers need us, we need to be there to help them.” Stevenson & Taylor’s influence extends beyond providing reliable service to the region’s farming community to supporting local sporting clubs, fishing competitions and dog trials among others. “Getting entwined with the community is important. We give back as much as we can to the community, supporting them as they support us,” says Robby. To celebrate 75 years, Stevenson & Taylor is hosting a community event on Friday 17 July. Suppliers and customers will be invited to an evening gathering, while the day will feature a sausage sizzle, children’s activities, giveaways, and an open invitation to the public. “Stevenson & Taylor is a long standing legacy in our 1420 Omahu Rd, Hastings | 2294 Takapau Rd, Waipukurau P: 06 858 6041 | E: info@sndltd.co.nz | stevensonandtaylor.co.nz YOUR LOCAL DEALER FOR ALL ORIGINAG PRODUCTS small town and an inaugural part of Central Hawkes Bay. It’s something I am very proud to be a part of. The overall aim for the future is to keep growing in both our locations. Our staff are key to this so we will focus on developing all the skills they need so we can offer a high level of service to farmers in our geographic location to continue to be the best that we can.”
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