About G & R Wills

Our History

Many companies have started in London and extended their activities to Australia and other parts of the world. G&R Wills reversed this process - the Adelaide business, which started in 1849, has been the parent of a worldwide business that expanded steadily, growing in pace with South Australia. G&R Wills like other wholesale warehouses depended almost entirely on overseas supplies for stock. Pre World War II, G & R Wills was making steady profits from warehousing and agency business, but after the War the company developed a substantial apparel manufacturing operation.

The company soon established offices in London and Singapore to support a vigorous export /import trade in the expanding secondary industry based in S.A. G & R Wills became a publicly listed company in the late 1950's with operations in all Capital Cities throughout Australia. In the early 1960's the company established selling depots in Alice Springs and Darwin as part of its Adelaide branch operation. These depots were staffed from Adelaide on a rotational basis. In 1988 the Northern Territory was given full branch status with new offices opened in Cairns in Queensland and Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region of W.A. After a number of ownership changes in the 1980's and 90's (Southern Farmers Group, Industrial Equity Ltd., Adelaide Steamship Company, Independent Holdings Ltd.) the business was acquired by Davids Limited in 1995.

The "old" G & R Wills business was gradually broken up over the years, only the operation in Darwin and Alice Springs remain today. The Darwin business is located in a Company owned Warehouse and office complex of 1125sq.metres. The Alice branch rents warehouse and office space from JLFS. Over 1845 lines are ranged, making G & R Wills the largest general wholesaler in Australia, supplying all products from "the womb to the tomb".

The Market and Customers

G & R Wills, North Australia saw the need for a general wholesaler in the "bush" to be a "one stop shop". We have achieved this and concentrate very strongly on remote area customers, while other suppliers are concerned with more traditional markets. Our customers are stores in communities that by their nature are very diverse. They range from cattle stations, Aboriginal communities and small country towns. Each region and community we service have their own preferences, therefore our range of products has to cater for these needs.

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