1924-1925

In 1924 we had our first visit from our London Director, Mr P S Jimenez. He brought with him his 14/16 h.p. Sunbeam car, and in all spent three or four months touring to every part of New Zealand where a car could be gotten to. I think he had a good time. We enjoyed his visit and felt that on his return that the original confidence between us had strengthened and that he did on the whole, approve of our methods of doing business.

Premises at Lower Tory Street 1922-23-24: Mr A R Christian, Mr P South, Mr J Self (in doorway) with Mr P S Jimenez's Sunbeam.

Shortly after the visit of Mr Jimenez, we had a visit from Mr J H Vose, the Eastern Territorial Sales Manager of the Renold Chain Company, with a proposition of the Agency for Timing Chain and Vehicular Chain and possibly the Industrial Chain Drive. We were greatly interested in Timing Chain as, of course, it was a Garage line, where we were already visiting. We immediately took that on, and found it interesting, but mighty fiddling, and were much disappointed in the possible volume of sales. Later, however, we got small bits and pieces of Chain Drives and in moving about found that there was a scope - it didn't seem very large, it seemed an almost unknown quantity in the engineering world here. I gave it some thought, however, as it was obvious that if we were going to progress, we couldn't continue forever on one line only, or practically thereon - Ferodo and wireless. But we continued to firmly establish Ferodo. It was during 1924 that mainly through the efforts of Dick Long and Tom Shean, Ferodo Stockists were appointed in Dunedin, Messrs. R B Denniston & Co; Invercargill, Watts & Grieve; Timaru, Priest & Holdgate; Christchurch, Ken England; Wanganui, Lee Bros - leaving Auckland blank, as a matter of fact, until our own Branch started up there later.

This certainly marked a big step forward in the permanent establishment of Ferodo in New Zealand. I might say to-day, 1942, three out of the five of those Ferodo Stockists are still actively selling, and have been continuously, all the time.

Towards the end of 1924 we were persuaded by Mr P S Jimenez to purchase Army surplus stock in England, in the shape of Four Wheel Drive Lorries. Actually we sold one and ordered one, and our London friend was optimistic enough to send us three, one of them at a cost value of about £800 landed here, the other at a cost value of about £400 landed here. The third was sold before it arrived (that is, sold the first time, we sold it three times after that).

A great friend of mine, now deceased, Mr Edward Reynolds, when he saw them said "That's not a Four Wheel Drive, that's a Frightful Worry Devil," - and we lived to find out all the truth of his words.

Towards the end of 1924 at the cost of a terrific strain on finances, and a tremendous load of mortgages, premises - the land and wooden building thereon - at 45 Tory Street, were purchased for the sum of $5,150.

PREMISES PURCHASES LATE 1924, 45 TORY STREET, KNOWN AS OLD CALEDONIAN HALL. Built 1872, demolished 1934. Had distinction of being the first Public Dance Hall, and almost the first Sunday School in Wellington.

Early in 1925 it became obvious that, owing to the loss of Burgess, on account of ill-health, and the terrific competition that was entering into the Radio business and the lack of organised Broadcasting, we would be better out of wireless - so we got out - and we managed to do so without any great loss.

About Easter time in 1925, the best salesman in the world came over from Australia trying to place on this market a wonderful Fire Extinguisher called "Instanta" and he sold it on us. There was no doubt about the wonderful efficacy of the goods, the problem was now to get that point home to the public. We came to the conclusion that there was only one way to do it, that was, to offer a demonstration. We decided there was enough profit in it to sell it through specialised selling, and towards this end I advertised for a Specialty Salesman, to take charge of the marketing right throughout New Zealand. In response, amongst many others, the outstanding one was W H Carlyle, whose methods and capacity I immediately appreciated and had every confidence in. After we had thrashed out and decided on the policy that was to be followed, I left the matter entirely to him as to how to work it, what staff and so on, and he certainly made a wonderful job of it.

While the whole transaction from beginning to end wasn't very profitable, we certianly got rid of our commitment, which would have been mighty embarrassing and a tremendous loss if we hadn't tackled it in the way, and so ably, as it was tackled by Mr Carlyle.

Before this line was completely worked out, the Dunedin and South Seas Exhibition came along, and being pressed by some of our principals, Ferodo, Renold and Hardy, we decided that we should exhibit and probably we would get benefit therefrom, and when Dick Long was successful in making our first big sale for Barbier, Benard & Turenne Lights for the Exhibition, to the tune of about £600, we decided that we ought to do something - and did. To cut a long story short, six months of an Exhibition and attendance thereat, is something the writer will never tackle again, whatever the possible and potential benefits may be, although I have been convinced for many years that that Exhibit did do very considerably more towards establishing Renold, Ferodo and A R Christian Ltd in New Zealand, than we ever gave it credit for.

Carlyle was very helpful in organising and continuing the utility of this Exhibition, at the same time supervising his own job in the marketing of "Instanta" in the busiest city in New Zealand at that time.