1936.The company was founded in Port Elizabeth by Fred Shellard and registered in 1937 as UNION STAIN and POLISH (PTY) LTD. The primary focus of the company was the manufacture of sulphonated oils for the thriving tanning industry and shoe finishes for shoe factories.

1939. The first and last move, from Fraser street to Broad street, North End, Port Elizabeth.

1947. Fred’s son Derrick (Bill) joins the company.

1955.  Bill Shellard is appointed a Director.

1959. Fred Shellard deceased and succeeded by his son Bill Shellard. 
  The company shifted focus to footwear finishing products and became widely accepted by shoe manufacturers for ‘Superior Shoe and Leather Dressings’

1961.  The country became a Republic and the company was renamed STAPOL derived from the abbreviation of STAin & POLish.

1976.  Bill’s son-in-law, Tony Thorburn, a BComm graduate and being previously employed in computer sales, joins the company.

1981.  Bill’s son, David, a BSc Hon. Chemistry graduate, joins the company after being previously employed by Armscor.  

1985.  Bill Shellard’s (57) untimely passing leaves David and Tony with the responsibility of managing a successful company.

1990. David’s brother, Andrew Shellard, having completed a BComm HED, is appointed as Admin. Manager.  

1991.  Company restructuring with David appointed Senior GM and Tony GM.

1992.  The company restructures for growth and purchases additional premises adjacent to the original site.

1993.  Howard Briscoe with a NDT Chemistry joins the company as Adhesives Manager after many years experience in the South African Adhesives industry. He plays a key role in establishing the adhesive product range.

1994. Howard appointed as GM Adhesives and later becomes a director.

1996. A fire destroys a flammable store.

1998. The company shows strong growth and exceed their five year target for adhesive production. The slogan 'STAPOL ADHESIVE for a bonding relationship’ has become a reality in the industrial market.

1999. ISO 9002 certification achieved.

2000. The company continues with successful growth into the new millennium with a team focus on providing best quality products and quick service to customers using the in-house slogan ‘Customer care depends on you doing your share’  as a motivator.

2002. Stapol is much more than just Stain and Polish and the company adopts the old English word ‘stapol’ (see below) as a further motivational focus.

2003. ISO 9001:2000 accreditation.

2004. Despite more than a decade of decline in South African footwear production, the company continues to show growth through entering new markets and by strengthening product ranges in the shoe care market and specialised adhesives.

2005. Adhesive storage and blending facility severely damaged by a fire. The Company immediately out-sources production and within days is supplying product and within weeks is procuring ninety percent of its range or equivalents.

2006. Adhesive production returns to normal.

2010. BEE Level 1 QSE Acreditation.

2013. Seventy Five years of service.

ANDREW SHELLARD BComm HED GENERAL MANAGER/DIRECTOR
   

TERENCE TEREBLANCHE M Dip Tech (Chemistry) GENERAL MANAGER



All ORDERS AND SALES RELATED ENQUIRIES:

Telephone:		+27 41 4843396
Fax:		+27 41 4844216
Email:		sales@stapol.co.za

DISTRIBUTORS /AGENTS SUPPORT

For stock distribution  and technical support from CAPE TOWN, DURBAN AND JOHANNESBURG 
please contact MENDELSON AND FROST:

CAPE TOWN           +27 21 5352150

DURBAN                  +27 31 2088171

JOHANNESBURG   +27 11 4442250



 While the company name, STAPOL, was derived, for convenience, from the merging of STAin and POLish in 1961, the company has grown to become much more than stains and polishes and as discovered by David Shellard in 2001 the name also has greater significance.‘Stapol’ in Old English language is a post or pillar (stay / pole) that can support the fences that are attached to it. The significance of this is that the company must remain the centre pillar of service and of support to it’s customers in order to achieve success. It is clear that a support pillar is of little value if it has nothing to support and every Stapol employee knows through their training the importance of focusing on the company slogan “Customer care depends on you doing your share”  The company has been successful in this ongoing quest.