A new era beckons for Burnsco, after the business has been a mainstay of the New Zealand marine scene for 140 years, with the announcement of its acquisition by Jaycar.
The Macleod family has owned the business for the past 40 years. Burnsco diversified from pure chandlery into a wider range of gear for boating, fishing, RV, caravan and off-grid living. Burnsco has 16 stores from Opua to Christchurch and an online store.
Advised by KPMG, the family identified Jaycar as a substantial business that is still in family ownership. Jaycar has a 41 year history with a significant business across Australia and New Zealand with Jaycar retail stores and Electus Distribution. In also has a national footprint of RTM (Road Tech Marine) retail stores across Australia. Jaycar’s acquisition of Burnsco enables the two businesses to provide a compelling trans-Tasman operation.
It’s unlikely that New Zealand customers will notice much difference when the ownership change happens, since the stores will continue trading as Burnsco with their same team.
Bruce Macleod will continue to be involved at Burnsco in early 2023, assisting in the transition. After almost 20 years at the helm, having taken over from his father Keith, Bruce commented that it will be a huge wrench, not only for him to leave Burnsco, but also for the family as well.
