HISTORY
The story begins in Trieste. In 1884, Lionello Stock, eighteen years old and from Dalmatia, opened a small steam distillery with his partner, Carlo Camis, in the district of Barcola.
His aim was simple: to distil the wines of neighbouring areas. At that time, they were highly sought after by the French for the production of cognac when late blight destroyed the harvest of the Charente.
This product became "Cognac Stock Medicinal.” Later, in 1935, the company extended its range with “1884 Cognac Fine Champagne" which, through minor modifications of the label became, in 1955, "Brandy Stock 84", the leading product of the Stock company.
At the end of the First World War, the Stock company was well-known in Trieste and establishing its presence into neighbouring countries. New factories were built in Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia. Other outlets were established outside Europe including distilleries in Egypt, Palestine, the United States and Brazil.
The heart of the business, however, remained in the centre of Europe, and it built its success on a combination of product quality and the systematic application of new business methods including marketing and advertising.
The Second World War and its aftermath destroyed much that had been achieved. Some of the most important factories situated in Eastern Europe, were nationalised. Others had been destroyed in the War.
In 1948 the companys founder, Lionello Stock, died, and a new company emerged, building on experience to overcome the difficulties of the post-war period.
Stock built its revival around brandy. In the 1950s and 60s, the company re-established its reputation as a world class manufacturer, with products distributed in 125 countries. Then the company introduced new products, building a range which soon included vodka, whisky, grappa, bitters, gin and sweet liqueurs.
In May 1995, Stock was bought up by Eckes AG, a leading German company specialising in the production and distribution of alcoholic drinks and fruit juices. In its turn this company was later owned by the investment company, Oaktree Capital Management, as part of their goal to build a major branded drinks company in central Europe.
In early 2009, Stock Italy is set to move commercial staff from its historic head office in Trieste to new offices in Milan. It will still retain a factory in Trieste, in the industrial area of Zaule. From here, the company will continue to develop its own export business which has always been a cornerstone of the company’s development and, in particular, contributed to the success of what is, so far, its most significant product, Stock 84.
