Centuries of experience

Most people spend one-third of their lives at work and often switch jobs every couple of years. 

So what’s in the engine at Suzuki New Zealand? It’s not uncommon for employees to stay for many years at the company, which celebrated its 40th birthday in 2024.

With an average tenure of 11.6 years from a team of 50, there’s no shortage of talent and knowledge across the car, motorcycle and marine industries at Suzuki. 

Together the team has more than 580 years of combined experience across the company’s sales, service and parts support.

“For many years, Suzuki has been a part of the local Whanganui community and at the heart of our success are our people,” says Gary Collins, chief executive officer of Suzuki NZ.

“Their expertise, enthusiasm, loyalty and sense of fun keep us moving forward, making it a great place to work.” 

Before landing the top job as CEO of Suzuki NZ last year, Collins has held various roles over the past 31 years with the company.  

He joined company after finishing university and has has been involved in the automobile department – everything from sales, marketing, events, sponsorship and dealership support.

Matt Shepherd, another long-term member of the team, has been working in the parts and accessories division for more than 44 years. 

He says: “I joined Suzuki after working at the Waiouru Military Camp. I was hired by another long-term employee, Dave Kitt, and stayed because I saw the automotive industry as a long-term career. 

“I took in all the product knowledge that was freely available from team members. I found it was good to work for a company that wanted people to succeed and progress the brand. 

“In my latest role as assistant manager of parts and accessories, I’m discovering new challenges that suit my warehouse and logistic experience. 

“Introducing processes that strengthen our business growth and support our dealer network is a very rewarding aspect of this new role.”

With 31 years, Mike Wink has been a friendly and calm voice behind the motorcycle and marine team offering support to dealerships nationwide. 

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with a great dealer network and the team at Suzuki NZ helps ensure there’s never a dull day,” says Wink.

Another integral person in the supply chain, moving Suzuki’s from ports to warehouses to dealerships, is unit control manager Dave Kitt. 

With more than 48 years of experience, he also manages to find time to look after the building maintenance and ensure fire drills run like clockwork. 

“Suzuki has had such a long history here in Whanganui and I started with the company back when we were assembling vehicles here,” says Kitt.

“While there were a few more antics back then, the one thing that has remained the same is the great group of people I get to work.  

“You spend a lot of your life at work so it’s important you enjoy the company of your colleagues, Suzuki has been a special place for me to spend the majority of my career”.

And the accounting and human-resources departments are not without their long-standing veterans of knowledge. 

With 25 years at Suzuki, Margaret Stanley has seen many changes. “One of my favourite changes across the years has been watching younger faces making their way through the ranks and the demographic of the staff changing over the years.

“In a male-dominated industry, it’s nice to see more females taking on the challenge and working across all parts of Suzuki. I’ve also seen different parts of the business fluctuate with each having had a moment in the spotlight.”