Originally called Gardiner’s Mt Heslington Ltd
Crate Services Ltd was originally called Gardiner’s Mt Heslington Ltd when the food processing part of Philip and Marie Gardiner’s farming and horticultural business was separated into a standalone unit in May 1989.
Philip and Marie in 2003
In 2003, Philip and Marie sold their horticultural and processing businesses to concentrate on their other property activities, the crate conditioning being the only part of the processing activities to remain within their ownership so the name was changed at that point to reflect the businesses prime activity.
Returnable Plastic Crates
Crate Services Ltd commenced conditioning of RPC’s (Returnable Plastic Crates) very soon after the New Zealand produce industry changed from the old wooden boxes for distribution of produce from grower to the markets to retailers.
Expanding
Crates Services Ltd currently operates from premises at 132 Main Road, Hope in Nelson and has expanded in 2014 to operate as a CHEP FRESH agency for their products in the Top of the South region adding the complete Issue and Returns of CHEP FRESH equipment on behalf of CHEP, while continuing to service other industry operators with Crate Conditioning Services.
Transport Services
Crate Services Ltd still continues to provide and expand their transport service delivering crates and pallets as required to producer’s through-out the Nelson region.
Nelson Regional Depot for CHEP
In December 2015, Crate Services Limited was appointed Nelson regional depot for all CHEP equipment and now supplies Return and Issue facilities for their range of pallets including export market specific pallets.