1920-1921

In April 1920, ARC went to England with the idea of procuring more satisfactory Agencies with which to establish a business in New Zealand, preferably allied with Engineering. At the time of making that journey, the only Agencies held were for a CO2 Combustion Indicator, Barbier, Bernard & Turenne Lights (Lighthouses and Breakwaters) and Chess Brand Rubber Heels and Soles, and I had already found it imperative that considerably further Agencies were necessary before a real business could be established.

I left England on the 15th December 1920 on the steamship Homeric, having previously, with the aid of Mr P S Jimenez of E C Brittan & Co, secured the Agency for Ferodo Products in New Zealand exclusively, also the Agency for a very, very new thing at the time, Hardy Universal Joints, which had only then been taken up by the manufacturers of about three or four English cars and trucks, some of which had never been heard of in New Zealand. In addition I had the Agency for Earthing Clips, and one or two silly little electrical lines. Before leaving England, a stock order for Ferodo had been placed of an F.O.B value of £250. I arrived in New York in the middle of a snow-storm, stayed about five hours, and had my Christmas dinner in San Francisco.

Within a few days of arriving in Wellington, I had agreed to share certain premises at 57 Lower Cuba Street, with one Fred Johnston of the Wellington Building Construction Co. I believe the rent was 8/- per week!

1921: Directors and entire staff on commencement of business at 57 Lower Cuba Street, Wellington; A R Christian, Arthur Tinney, P S Jimenez

Very shortly after this the large consignment of Ferodo arrived, and I started my first employee, Arhtur Tinney. Together we made a warehouse and an office of a space about the size of our present general office and my office included. Arthur functioned as telephone girl, errand boy, warehouse manager, and office boy; while the writer, after formulating a policy, set out to dig out business personally and by advertising, and with such publicity as could be paid for.

I found that all the wholesalers in the Garage lines were quite friendly; but seeing that my product was at least 33 per cent dearer than the next dearest then ruling the country, they kind of smiled when I asked them to buy. One man (who later became my biggest customer) said it was absolutely hopeless, as I couldn't sell to anybody else but wholesalers, being the factory representative, and if I sold to retailers - well, I should be banned from selling to wholesalers as long as I was in business - hence I might as well shut up business.

However, it did not take long for me to find out that although there was no Ferodo in the country and very little had ever been here, there was quite a very great and appreciative knowledge of the goods in the country, and I quickly found that I had what the Trade considered to be the best Brake Lining in the World, and from that point I determined that I would go on my own way and not be dictated to by Associations and so on.

After a little while, maybe a week after the first advertising had appeared, the Warehouse Manager of Inglis Bros. came in to have a look at this Ferodo and he went out with £10 worth. Two or three days after we actually got an order through the post from one, I think it was either Hurley or Osborne, of Reefton. After that I spent very little time in Wellington, until in the North Island at any rate, every reasonable Garage worthy of credit knew, not only that we had got it, but what it would cost him to buy it, and also I had the impudence to say the price at which he had got to sell it.

After finding out around the right lines, I engaged one, Tom Shean, and enthusiastic and able salesman, to work from Invercargill to Christchurch inclusive. I sold him the idea to make his job easy by appointing Stockists, after they were approved of by myself. Meantime, I was so sure of his success, further supplies were ordered in the light of what I had found out were the sizes that would most likely be required...So past 1921.