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A Timeline Of Our History

Elite Through the Decades

We’ve come a long way since 1988. These milestones showcase the growth and evolution of our business over the years.

Here’s a look back at our journey so far.

Christo Pretorius appointed General Manager

April 2023
In April 2023, Christo Pretorius was appointed as General Manager, taking on the leadership role at Elite.

Elite celebrates 35 years

November 2023
Elite marked its 35th anniversary with a weekend celebration that brought together the team from all three branches. The festivities took place in Auckland and on Waiheke Island, commemorating over three decades of growth and teamwork.

Auckland team relocates to Burleigh Street

August 2021
In August 2021, the Auckland team moved to a new office at 14 Burleigh Street, Grafton, just minutes from the previous location. The move took place on 12 August, and just days later, on 17 August, Auckland entered a major COVID-19 lockdown that lasted several months.

Acquisition of ConnectNZ copier division

March 2021
Elite acquired the copier division of ConnectNZ in March 2021, welcoming a new Photocopier Engineer to the team and adding a significant client base with Kyocera copiers. This acquisition further expanded Elite’s product range and strengthened its offerings in the copier market.

Navigating COVID-19 challenges

2020
The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges for businesses and life in general. New Zealand went into a complete lockdown from 25 March to 27 April 2020, with subsequent lockdowns occurring over the following years. Despite these disruptions, most of the Elite team continued working remotely from home, utilising Microsoft Teams to maintain communication. Remarkably, one of the new 2degrees team members joined during lockdown and was able to meet the team through Teams, showcasing the adaptability of Elite’s operations during this period.

Elite becomes exclusive 2degrees dealer

January 2020
In January 2020, Elite became the exclusive 2degrees dealer for the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and the North Shore of Auckland after being approached by 2degrees during the development of their dealer network. The Elite 2degrees team began with two former members of Elite’s Vodafone team. This addition was seen as a valuable opportunity to further simplify business technology for Elite’s clients.

End of Vodafone partnership

September 2019
In September 2019, Elite’s partnership with Vodafone ended following the purchase of Vodafone by new owners and changes to their operating procedures. Vodafone disbanded all dealer partnerships across New Zealand, taking the management of business customers back in-house. As a result, Elite had to farewell its Vodafone team, with some members joining Vodafone directly and others finding new opportunities. One member of the Vodafone admin team continued working part-time for Elite.

Celebrating 30 years in business

June 2018
In June 2018, Elite celebrated 30 years in business. This milestone marked three decades of working with a diverse and talented team of experts, building loyal relationships with suppliers and customers, and streamlining business technology to support clients’ success.

Acquisition of B2B Solutions

August 2017
In August 2017, the business of B2B Solutions in Hamilton was offered to Elite for purchase. Elite accepted the opportunity and was delighted to welcome several members of the B2B team into its own.

Major awards and recognition

2016
Elite received four significant accolades in 2016:
  • Toshiba Australasia Dealer of the Year
  • Finalist in the Westpac Waikato Business Awards in two categories: Service Excellence and CEO of the Year
  • #1 Business Communications Dealer by Revenue for Panasonic Business Communication Solutions
  • vGRID Platinum Partner – becoming New Zealand’s first Platinum Partner with LayerX Cloud.
These awards reflected the team’s dedication to working collaboratively and delivering exceptional service to clients.

Acquisition of Scoot Mobile

December 2015 – May 2016
In late December 2015, Elite purchased Scoot Mobile, an Auckland-based Vodafone franchise. After the Christmas holidays, three BDMs, three BRMs, and an admin team member joined Elite in January 2016. Initially working from the Digital Mobile building, the team transitioned to Elite’s Auckland office in St Benedicts Street, Eden Terrace, in May 2016. This acquisition made Elite the largest Digital Mobile franchise outside of Digital Mobile itself.

Acquisition of Tiger Networks

April 2015
Elite acquired the business of Tiger Networks Ltd in Auckland, adding six new team members. The Vodafone and IT teams relocated from the Sale Street office to join the new team at St Benedicts Street, Eden Terrace, Auckland. This expansion brought the Auckland team to 13 members, contributing to a total Elite team of 58 people.

Acquisition of One Stop Communications

November 2014
Elite acquired the business of One Stop Communications Ltd, welcoming Tracey and Wayne Mooney to the team. This acquisition further developed Elite’s Vodafone business in Hamilton.

Celebrating 25 years

Early 2000s
The early 2000s saw Elite showcasing a variety of logos, reflecting the evolution and growth of the brand during this period.

Acquisition of Future Mobile

April 2013
Elite acquired Future Mobile, an Auckland-based Vodafone franchise under Digital Mobile. Six new team members joined, and the IT team relocated from the Colourworks Paint Supplies building in Penrose to join the new team at the Sale Street office, establishing Elite’s new home office in Auckland.

Auckland branch established

2012
Elite’s Auckland branch was established with one team member relocating to Auckland to spearhead the new location.

Acquisition of BOP ComputerCare branch

2012
Elite was approached by ComputerCare in Palmerston North to purchase their Bay of Plenty branch, further expanding Elite’s reach.

Relocation to 15 Greenwood Street

January 2010
Over Anniversary Weekend in January 2010, the Hamilton team moved to Elite’s new premises at 15 Greenwood Street, marking the start of a new chapter.

Expansion into Rotorua

2010
As part of the BBC acquisition, Elite extended into Rotorua with their Vodafone team, establishing an office for about a year to promote Elite’s products and services.

Acquisition and Toshiba partnership

2010
Elite acquired the IT and Vodafone divisions of Bay Business Centre in Tauranga, welcoming the BBC team into the St John Street office. Simultaneously, Elite was appointed as a Toshiba Reseller for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions, expanding the Document Solutions range with a new brand.

Digital Mobile/Vodafone partnership

2009
Elite became a Digital Mobile/Vodafone Franchise Partner, strengthening its presence in both Hamilton and Tauranga.

20-year celebration with the team

2008
The team celebrated 20 years of Elite’s journey with a special event at Hotel du Vin in Pokeno, reflecting on two decades of achievements.

Acquisition of BTS

February 2008
Elite purchased BTS in February 2008, marking the start of its Document Solutions division. During this time, the team relocated from the Canon building to new premises at 1 St John Street.

Acquisition of Compusafe’s client database

Early 2008
At the beginning of 2008, Elite purchased Compusafe’s client database, creating new opportunities for growth and expansion.

Elite Tauranga moves to Canon building

Mid-2000s
Elite Tauranga relocated to the Canon building on Cameron Road. In a nod to history, Elite once again found itself sharing a building with Canon, much like in its early days.

Acquisition of Apex Computers

September 2006
Elite acquired Apex Computers, expanding its presence and capabilities in the Tauranga branch. Elite was delighted to welcome several members of the Apex Computers team into the Elite family, further strengthening its expertise and service offerings in the region.

Temporary move to Tristram Street

Mid-2000s
The Hamilton team moved to a temporary home on the top floor of 240 Tristram Street, Hamilton. What was meant to be a short-term solution lasted about five years until the decision was made to move to ground-floor premises.

Relocation due to Norton Road roundabout

Mid-2000s
Due to Transit NZ’s roading plans, Elite’s office on Norton Road, Hamilton, had to move to make way for the construction of the roundabout.

Vodafone Registered Data Partner

September 2005
Elite was appointed as a Vodafone Registered Data Partner, marking a significant partnership milestone in the company’s growth.

Elite Tauranga begins

2005
Elite established its presence in Tauranga with one IT Account Manager relocating to the area. An Engineer later joined the Tauranga team, both operating from Lloyd’s place.

Accounting software added to Elite’s offerings

2004
Elite expanded its range of products and services by adding accounting software and becoming an MYOB/Exonet agent.

Lloyd Brewerton becomes Director

2003
Lloyd Brewerton officially joined Elite as a Director, bringing significant business experience and knowledge to the team.

Leadership transition to Max Davies

2003
In 2003, Elite’s founders, Tony and Trish Kirton, passed the leadership of the company to Max Davies, marking a new chapter in Elite’s history.

Evolution of Elite’s branding

Early 2000s
The early 2000s saw Elite showcasing a variety of logos, reflecting the evolution and growth of the brand during this period.

Lloyd becomes business adviser

Mid-late 1990s
Lloyd Brewerton became a business adviser to Max during the mid-to-late 1990s, playing a role in Elite’s strategic development from that point onward.

Acquisition of ATS

1996
Elite purchased ATS, previously 'Avalon Technical Services', expanding its offerings to include cabling and business telephone systems in addition to IT support and printer services. The team grew, and Elite relocated to the ATS building at the corner of Norton Road and Lincoln Street (where the roundabout now is), which was rebranded with Elite colours and signage. Sir Richard Hadlee was visiting on behalf of the BNZ on the day of this photo.

Elite rebranded as Elite Computer Systems

1994/1995
Elite introduced a new logo and the unofficial name ‘Elite Computer Systems’ to reflect the growth and diversification of its product range, while still located at the corner of Rostrevor and Harwood Streets in Hamilton.

'Towards Awesome Service' introduced

1993
Tony began developing the Elite Team by using the ‘Towards Awesome Service’ training programme while Elite was in the Canon building.
The principles of the Towards Awesome Service programme still remain at the forefront of how we look after clients today.

Max Davies joins Elite

September 1993
Max became the fifth employee at Elite, joining the team to focus on sales of IT hardware and printers.
He was appointed as General Manager in about the year 2000.

Elite’s first brochure

June 1992
Elite’s first brochure introducing some of the first members of Elite’s team and also shows the first official office in the Canon building on the corner of Rostrevor and Harwood Streets in Hamilton.
Elite quickly expanded from typewriters to printers and then progressed to selling and servicing computer hardware as technology moved forward.

Elite officially registered

17 June 1988
Elite Business Systems became a registered company, marking the official start of its journey.

Elite founded by Tony and Trish Kirton

Late 1987
Elite was started in Hamilton in late 1987 by Tony and Trish Kirton, following the share market crash (known as Black Tuesday in NZ) from the former premises of McNeill Office Equipment. The primary business of Elite at that time was the sale and servicing of electronic typewriters – predominantly Canon – the latest and most advanced typewriters.

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