A R Christian Ltd 1921-1942

Introduction

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As there were only 23 copies of this book made by my (adopted) Grandfather, and I have no idea what condition the others are in, or in fact if they even still exist today, I thought it best to put this digital copy in the safe hands of the folks at Blogger....

Also, if you spot any typing errors herein and want to let me know, please leave a comment at the bottom of the related post - and/or feel free to leave any other comments too :-)

1943 On...

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After having entered this content as accurately and true to A. R Christian's version as I could, I thought it may interest the reader to know what happened to the Company since.

Sadly, I never met A. R himself as he passed away before I was born and adopted by his son, W. T Christian (Bill) and his wife Patricia.

The company itself flourished until it was sold to Renold in the UK in 1970's and 80's.

After A. R gave up the reigns Bill ran the business with a real passion (and I remember much thought and consideration), and it should be noted he drove around New Zealand and visited business friends before quietly passing away in Auckland in 1987.

I had no natural interest in engineering so didn't join the company, but have started my own business journey proper, being in control of a Company for the first time in my life by incorporating Liveaps Limited in the UK on the 15th Sept 2006.

On completing this project I emailed the current CEO of Renold PLC and received this welcome and considered response (thanks Bob!):

1942

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So we come to our 21st Birthday - the 1st August, 1942, and it remains but for me to hope that those that are still with us, those that are temporarily away from us, and those that are permanently away from us, have got as much fun in the building of the 'bricks' recorded here as the writer has. To my mind we have achieved together what has always been my objective, that the achieving should be happily accomplished, and I with pride believe that I have been reasonably successful in that objective.

I have an idea too that it will be pleasing to all the family to know that in all the Agencies which we really undertook - not even excluding the B.B & T Light (referred to earlier as Breakwaters and Lighthouses) - we exceeded by a long way the expectations of our principals, and in all cases it was stated by them to be the most successful of all the world-wide Agencies, in some cases without regard to population and scope. For many years our turnover in both Renold and Ferodo was larger than that of Australia, with five-and-a-half times the poputlaion and ten times the industrialisation, and I believe on the Renold industrial side, we were in the early years well ahead of Canada, and on the Tapley, in one year, we sold more than all the other Agents in all the world put together.

This, I think, proves two things: First, we had the best goods in the world of their kind in all lines, and those selling and servicing same were happily enthusiastic in their job.

I think it may be useful to record that all through the years our persistent creation, or invention if you like, to meet specific demands that made their appearance, has marked big steps forward, such as the Milking Machine Reduction Unit mentioned. Again, in 1931-32, when sheep-killing by continuous conveyor was introduced, we had to find means of moving carcasses along the rails at speeds varying from 11 ft. per minute to 24 ft. per minute, according to the size and weight of stock on them line at the time. To meet this we evolved the Chain Speed Reduction Box of 27-1 ratio and incorporated therein Infinitely Variable Speed of our own manufacture between 2 1/2 to 1, giving the desired results. Having got that, we succeeded in getting 90 per cent., not only of the transmission to the rail with the variable speed; but also the conveyor chain and usually the whole job, attachments, bearings, shaftings, and so on.

Naturally, when beef killing came along, having already got the confidence of the Freezing Works engineers, they consulted us, and we were expected to create something for this work too, and we made use of our opportunity and did so, with similar success as with the sheep.

Later, there was further mechanisation in the shape of handling the meat after killing from cool room to store, and from killing room to cool room. In this field Mr Parker undoubtedly got the confidence of the freezing engineers and the jobs, many of them, working so satisfactorily, certainly assure us of the continuance of the confidence placed in him and his designing. so that our reputation now is, with our many clients, that if they can state what they want, we can design the correct method of doing it, and supply the goods to do it with, and so long as we continue to do this with the same degree of efficiency and satisfaction to our existing and new clients, the goodwill of Renold and ourselves will continue to prevail throughout the engineering world, New Zealand.

It is perhaps as well to remember too that inside efficiency has helped us considerably as regards the profit side. In the days of Silvertown Rubberware importation we invented a machine to cut the claw, air and milk tubes in 12 or 14 ft. lengths, to 6 in. in the case of claw tubes and 33 in. in the case of milk and air. The difference in the cost between buying material in long lengths and short lengths enabled us a 3s. an hour man on that machine to earn for us 16s. an hour net, which, when it is remembered that our sale of claw tubes alone was in the region of many hundred thousands per year, is quite a reasonable profit, apart from the fact of the versatility of our stock that the machine gave us.

By force of necessity, again to reduce capital commitment without impairing the maximum service, we manufactured a machine to cut belting from the 24 in. roll, and this machine for many years has worked very many hours in every year at a minimum profit of £5 10s per hour of work.

We merelt mention these facts as part of the record of our progress, and maybe as a reminder for the future that there's always something new to find out to help boost us along.

Up to now, in this record, I have made only very bare mention of the the very important other half of our business, which has helped so greatly in our establishment and progress that is, the services of our London Director and his London Office - services which have so carefully and in such great detail, watched our interests at every turn, and in the earlier days, found the necessary capital and confidence sufficient to permit us to show that we could establish good goods. We cannot just estimate the value of the services rendered and the time and patience taken to thoroughly understand in every minute detail each and every product for which Mr Jimenez was responsible for the purchase to our order. We can never forget the unlimited patience exercised in becoming conversant with every type of goods in sufficient detail to be able to intelligently discuss, understand, and correctly purchase same, and also in the matter of our financial interests, in that the best prices were secured and that correct prices were charged, and at all times spontaneously guiding us financially and commercially to the correct channels.

There has been a good team at both ends, excellent co-operation, and the proof of purpose at each end lies in the fact that although more than once difficult complications and transactions have had to transpire, everything hasn't always gone straight with our books, but everything has always been straightened out with the entire agreement and satisfactory knowledge at each end that everything was finally right.

And what can we record in expression of our appreciation of the efforts during the War, or our London Office under such terrific difficulties, the loss of premises and all records twice, the permissions and permits necessary to export, licensing regulations to be fulfilled, Reserve Bank regulations relative to the export of goods and import of New Zealand cash to be complied with. That's only the few things we know of at this end - there must have been thousands and thousands of little worries that we never dreamt of consequent on the cumulative effect of all those things that War and licensing has brought about. Again, we at this end must consider ourselves most fortunate of the fortunate in that interested and enthusiastic and continuous effort of our London principal to leave no stone unturned that would in any way assist in our forward progression. I sincerely hope that it will not be long now when, this War finished, P.S.J. and his wife may be able to come out here and, we trust, enjoy a visit with us, and the knowledge of the team at this end will permit us in person and on the spot, to show our appreciation of their wonderful and successful efforts.

In conclusion, we now look forward in great anticipation to the time when all our good servants return, we hope once more to be happy in the family again, and just as successful as conditions appertaining in this little country at that time will permit. Every one now on His Majesty's Service has earned, and has the respect and esteem of his colleagues still at work, each has done his or her share to preserve for those away, and against that great day when Peace is once more, that position in industry and effort which the lads in uniform previously enjoyed.

1939-1941

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When War loomed up in September, 1939, therefore we comprised a staff of twenty in Wellington, three in Christchurch, and eight in Auckland. I will make an Appendix at the end of this document, showing in rotation the departure of members of the staff for His Majesty's various branches of the Forces. This took place gradually and consequent on the scramble for increased and necessitous industrialisation for War purposes, our business in all sections got busier as our staff got less. Some relief was gotten for the inside staff by bringing the outside staff inside, and later petrol restrictions forced those that were still outside, inside, but our business didn't get any less - it got bigger. The position of goods, or course, was complicated considerably by the War plus licensing restrictions. Every transaction seemed to take twice the amount of thought and worry, that is, on the purchasing side, than there was any need for, but somehow the goods came, the service was rendered, and we carried on. Obviously as the staff got less, the remaining ones did increasing duties, and never have I known anybody to be more willing and happy to do their share and some more, than every member of our staff, right from 1939 to the present date. We found some of our old friends willing to give us a lift; in his spare time we called in almost regulary Arthur Tinney, our first employee, and right royally he has done his share since and up to date, giving us all the spare time from his own job that he can. In the warehouse and the heavy job, we are particularly grateful to Mr Percy Sadler, who joined us when we commenced selling Transmission Flat Belting, in 1936. He was a specialist on that line, and his efforts in Wellington and Wellington Province definitely established it for good. But since 1940 early, that work in the Province and in the City on belting and Ferodo has ceased other than on the telephone - he has never made a call. Our star Ferodo traveller, Mr Rowntree, for the last twelve months has had to be our stock records clerk, and general factotum at the counter, also odd warehouseman when shipments arrive.

Our ladies have had to do many things that used to be done by others; but they have fallen into line and done the most urgent things at the right time - and done it well.

Mr Lockhead, instead of selling motors all the time, has had to receive them, unpack them, repack them, dispatch them, and even at certain times when necessary, our Mr Martin has had to leave his pen and pencil and Dictaphone and take his coat off too.

It is somewhat wonderful to relate and think of the happy combination that must have been obtained, when in November, 1941, an avalanche of shipping arrive here all in one month, and between 80 and 90 tons of cargo was handled in and out by four persons whose aggregate ages was 182 years - some going!

The above (being part of an order for ten Transmissions) all for conveyors at Waitara Freezing Works, together with the Conveyor Chains, approximately 3,500 ft., all Bearings, Shaftings and other incidentals, comprised the single largest order for Renold & Coventry goods we have executed to date. Mr W. T Christian and Mr E. C Parker were jointly responsible for both the designing of Conveyors and the fabrication of Transmission.

During 1940 we also tried to do, and we did, a fairly good job so far as Reclamation of Waste for the Wellington City. I was appointed Chairman of the Metropolitan Waste Committee for the Salvage of Non-Ferrous Metals, and later Waste Paper. Our premises was the Depot for receiving, sorting, and dispatching material and the work was done voluntarily - 90 per cent by my own staff and 10 per cent by voluntary incoming labour now and then. Our co-operative effort in this direction over the first ten months of that effort yielded approximately £1,000 for the Patriotic Funds, as well as that value in metals for the War effort.

It will be obvious, therefore, that we still have a loyal and hardworking team.

1938

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Although our Renold business was still growing considerably, still on account of Freezing Works expansion and mechanisation, it became more obvious every day in 1937 that we were losing some business to motor sellers who were selling short centre transmission as well, and knowing that we had got to have a motor to hold our heads up, I investigated and found out that Brook Motors of Huddersfield had not been actively represented in New Zealand since the failure of their representative in 1929. We were well aware it was a good motor. We were identified with their main salesman, Mr George Lockhead, in 1927-28-29, who greatly assisted us, and we greatly assisted him, by combining Brook Motors and Chain Drives.

I therefore decided that we had got to have a Motor Agency, and my journey to England in 1938, to get that Agency for Brooks, would be my main objective.

Again four years had passed since my last visit to the Renold Conference, so I decided to make the journey again in 1938, and on the way to attend the Rotary International Convention at San Francisco, in June of that year. At the time of starting this journey, the writer was far from being 100 per cent - a very strenuous two or three years were behind, and the rest was very much needed. However, the sea voyage to Honolulu, the week spent there, and the further journey on to San Francisco in such excellent company, as usual, Mr Charles Parker accompanied me; then the excellent fellowship enjoyed at San Francsico with Rotarians from every part of the world - and not forgetting our old friend Harkness, who still was pleased to see us, and entertained us as usual, almost to a point of embarrassment. Again we decided after the Conference was over, that we would motor once more across the Continent, but take a different route. Seeing that I had promised, when next in America, to visit Reeves Variable Speed Pulley Company, at Columbus, Indiana, we arranged our itinerary somewhat different. Over the Sierra Nevadas to Salt Lake City, and from there South east to Lafayette, Indianapolis and Columbus. We spent a very happy two days with that great firm, and the great personality the President and his family, which neither Mr Parker or I will ever forget. These kind people then mapped out for us a route to take us through the most pleasant places to Detroit, where we carried on to Dear Born Inn for a few days, then over the bridge to Windsor, Canada. Our next call was our Renold friends at Toronto, then at Brockville, our Abrasive manufacturer, then the Renold firends at Montreal. We enjoyed our little visits in Canada very, very much; but the next portion of our ride from Montreal over the Adirondacks and the Mohawk trail to to Albany was a journey neither of us will ever forget - and most of its details will be remembered too.

From Albany we carried on to Boston, where I left Mr Parker, and was joined by Mr Ernie Mills, of the Renold Company in New York, and we together drove leisurely down the Coast via Rock Island Ferry to New York. I later sailed to England in company with Mr Ernie Mills on Aquatania, a very pleasant journey and very pleasant company. I was met at Southampton by our good friend, Mr Jimenez, and travelled direct from there to Dursley, to see Mr Percy Lister, as Listers had bought out Blackstone and Co., and we started work right on the job. A few days there and then to London, much enjoying meeting again old places and old faces - even to the waitresses at the Corn Exchange Restaurant.

I omitted to mention that previous to this time, the Renold and Coventry had sold out the interest in Brampton - for which we were very thankful - and in the cleaning up of this line, we had come out not too good, and I had a great argument ready for Mr Jenkins, to show him that although he intended to be magnanimous at the gratuity given at the cessation of the Agency, it hadn't turned out that way. Needless to say, it only needed the correct understanding of the facts by Mr Jenkins, for everything to be put right in a really magnanimous manner.

The job disposed of, I immediately set about getting into communication with Messrs. Brook Motors, of Huddersfield, and was invited to visit them. I did so, and after a second visit, was able to convince them that we were fit and proper people to give a trial so far as the Agency was concerned, and an initial order was placed to the value of somewhere between £600 and £900.

While in Huddersfield, I took the opportunity of visiting the Rotary Club and got a great kick from meeting many school friends of my boyhood days as officers of that great Fellowship in my home town.

After a most enjoyable visit to England, I returned once more to New York, and met Mr Parker, but somewhat under a cloud. The first placard we saw - this was in September 1938 - on getting ashore was: "Chamberlain says War inevitable." We got the wind up and tried to get airpassage and steamer passage from San Francsico at once; but all the ships for at least a month were booked with Austraian refugees going from America to New Zealand and Australia. We therefore decided to make the best of the inevitable, and decided to take a month in our car to get from New York to San Francisco and, seeing it was late in the year, it was the correct time to take the Southern route, which we did, via Maryland, Virginia, right down to Texas and so on, via Boulder Dam to Los Angeles and San Francisco, most enjoybale and never-to-be-forgotten. During that month the world's unrest had gotten no better, so we were thankful to be on our last lap homewards.

The balance of 1938 was largely taken up in organising the market for Brook Motors, and in making sure that the policy should make it imperative that the progress of Brook Motors should also register better progress still on Renold Transmission. Working on the old lines, I immediately set about getting a right head, with the necessary knowledge and ability to take charge of that section, and having in mind the wonderful success made of the Brook Agency by one, George Lockhead, in 1927, I got on his trail and eventually dug him out in Australia, and prevailed upon him to come back again to New Zealand and sell Brook Motors as a special line, which he did, and with his education of our then existing salesmen selling Renold, with his own enthusiasm for Renold not yet dead, and his enthusiasm for Brook Motors greater than it ever was, it has to be a success, and it has been a success. Very early in the piece our Renold salesmen found what a terrific advantage they now had from the inauguration of the Brook Agency; our Renold sales increased with less cost, and less effort, as we became more and more known as sellers of the motors as well as the transmission, and that has continued to date. I have got a great kick out of the fact that since that visit to Huddersfield, Rotary Club and Brook, we have helped the industry of that city to the tune of a little over £30,000.

During 1939 our Labour Government decided to put on to industry importation by license only. This caused a tremendous lot of headaches, and I am afraid, a lot of bad language in some quarters; but it did not seriously affect our business, in that we were so closely connected with industry which the Labour policy of this government had determined to expand, that they had to be consistent and practically allow all that we desired of all our industrial lines, even though a special and extra license was necessary. Therefore on this account, our turnover and business did not suffer. Competition was still keen, we were all on our toes and we were all doing a good job and selling good goods.

One thing that the licensing laws so far as imports were concerned did, was to make us apprehensive as regards the possibility of the carrying on of Margetts, in Christchurch, as a possible proposition. Although greatly assisted in the past by the sale of Tapley Ferodo Meters, the position was again becoming chronic, and our debit of over £2,000 with uncertain business and War looming ahead, seemed too unsafe. I therefore decided that, although he had done a good job with Ferodo, it was no good to us or him if he had eventually to go bankrupt, so we eventually got him to agree for us to control his banking account, through an accountant in Christchurch, so that we could always by fully au fait with his position at any time. After a few months of this, it was so obviously hopeless to continue that we eventually got him to agree to go into liquidation. A meeting was held and I was duly appointed Liquidator, and a few weeks after, I decided that I would employ Margetts on the premises, buy over his Ferodo stock and run it my way, and see if it was possible to keep the goodwill of the good work he had done, and at the same time find him a better job than he had had as his own master.

It so happened that as restrictions of importations got tighter, certain goods got shorter, particularly in the lines other than Ferodo that he had in stock, and I was able to realise at enhanced prices a good portion of his stock. I gave him a good price, really a better price than I could afford to do, for his Ferodo stock, and finally the creditors and myself were agreeably surprised to be able to pay a final dividend totalling 18s. 3d. in the £.

From then on we got behind that Branch with just Margetts as salesman, and Mr Elphick as inside man, and an errand boy, a very intelligent lad. With careful guidance and hard work on the part of the team, six months had not gone by before I could see that we were not going to make a loss on the Christchurch Branch, provided normal trade appertained throughout the country. It is very pleasing to note that everybody down there is doing a great deal better than they ever did for themselves, and at the same time making a small profit for A R Christian Ltd, and keeping the name FERODO growing bigger and bigger all the time.

I might say that the Brook Agency has assisted considerably this last two years; but even without that, they have brought Ferodo sales to a sufficient average volume to make sure that no loss occurs in that Branch. Another illustration of a darned good salesman no good as an employer.

1936-1937

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About this time our old friend Dick Long turned up again, in rather bad circumstances. He had been mighty unfortunate and knocked about some - so we made him Stock Records Clerk and occasional Town Traveller for Ferodo, and from then on, in very cramped space, the battle was on. We also took over from Reynolds, the Silvertown Milking Machine Rubberware Agency, and later added to it the Silvertown Belting. Our turnover went up by leaps and bounds, so did our expenses; but we soon found how poorly E. Reynolds & Co. had done their job of service on Ferodo, and how glad our original clientele was to have us back with our specialised effort and knowledgable service once more. Actually the £1,000 odd loss we never felt. For some time the worst loss was the services of the Auckland Branch of Reynolds & Co., who really did do a good job; but by this time Phelan and Lonsdale had opened a branch in Auckland, and they took on the sale of Ferodo in that area, but never enthusiastically or successfully.

Owing to the necessity of keeping the clientele of Silvertown Rubberware in the Auckland territory, which was large, we took on a stock-room in Auckland and employed one junior salesman there to keep the business going, Phil Bond; Mr. Carlyle or I occasionally visiting him and giving him help along. This was not very satisfactory, and we decided in the middle of 1936 that we would have to open a Branch in Auckland again ourselves. About this time, our old friend, Mr Arthur Harrison, the engineering brains of Charles Palmer Ltd., who had put Renold on the map in that area, had become dissatisfied and was starting business with another employee of Palmer's, on their own in Auckland, having secured one or two small Agencies, and hoping to get our support.

Complete Staff In 1936.

Back Row (from left): J Bosher, J Young, I Napier, J Blair, P Bond, A Baker

Middle Row (from left): E Myers, A Williams, M Kealey, A. L Christian, I. M Gibson, R. R Searle, G Cutforth

Front Row (from left): R. H Wear, W. H Carlyle, A. R Christian, F. W Martin, E. C Parker, J Rowntree

After unsuccessful attempts to keep Mr Harrison selling Renold at Palmer's, we finally decided to support him just as far as finance would permit, and gave him a stock of Ferodo and one or two other of our lines to work in with the small Agencies he had got. Unfortunately the partnership of Angell-Harrison was not happy - another case of two employees being happy under one employer, but entirely unsuitable tempermentally and otherwise when working on their own as partners. The result was that we either had to see Mr Harrison, of whom we were very fond and had a great respect, robbed of all his savings and likely to see the end of his ambition instead of the beginning, or dig him out of it somehow. It took a long while, and I soon found that I was battling with people who had really got Harrison into it with no other objective in view than to use him and abuse him. Fortunately for Harrison they got the idea that they could use and abuse me, and for a while I let them, until I was top dog and then they found out they had just gone a bit too far, and we were successful in purchasing the shares of Mr Angell at par, and incorporating Angell-Harrison into A.R. Christian Ltd. While this was a going concern, it was not yet profitable, but the capacity and effort of Mr Harrison under the new regime I felt sure would eventually bring that Branch to profit, and serve the purpose of establishing A.R. Christian's lines in Auckland at the same time.

Miss Christian, who had been associated with Ferodo and all our lines all her business life - quite a number of years - eventually went to Auckland, and although Mr Harrison was in charge, he was mostly outside, and she did a very good job in running that Branch, working it up enthusiastically to a real business.

Our Auckland Establishment and Six-Sevenths of the Staff, 1937.

We had during this time had considerable trouble with our Christchurch Stockist's proposition of Ferodo, As a last resort and final attempt, we had been sponsoring one, O.A. Margetts, who was quite an able salesman; but apparently was no commercial manager, or he was short of capital, or both, and the Auckland Branch had not got fairly on its feet before we found out that we faced a pretty hefty possible loss of £2,000 from Margetts in Christchurch, unless something was done to save the position. However, we gradually improved things in this direction, and although we were still uneasy, we were pleased to see Ferodo turnover coming back to normal in that area.

In November, 1936, I decided that by hook or by crook, we had to have our building for our own and only use, but I knew that if I suggested it, Phelan & Lonsdale would wish to penalise me for the balance of their lease; but by devious means I was able to get them to accept an option under certain conditions to clear out at the end of November, 1936. They were fortunate and we were fortunate. They got the proper premises and they quit, and what a relief. We had then room for our stock and the staff we hadn't been able to accommodate before.

Soon after they left our building, we accidentally heard that they were going to set up a Brake Lining of their own, and then drop Ferodo, so we forestalled that gradual process of killing Ferodo, and insisted on taking over their stock at once, and being again the Sole Distributor for our own line throughout New Zealand.

1937 saw us with a specialised Blackstone staff, a specialised Ferodo staff and a specialised Renold staff, all growing and all taking just a little bit more finance than we could ever find; but somehow scrambling through, and each year making bigger profits.

I must not leave out what I think was the most interesting specialised sale effort and certainly the most profitable specialised sale effort that I ever organised. That was in connection with the Tapley Brake Tester and Indicator. We started, Carlyle and I, early in 1936, to boost this thing with the Authorities, in an attempt to get some sort of legislation protective for pedestrian and motorist alike, similar to what was appertaining in Canada and some parts of England, by making it compulsory that brakes should be tested periodically and Certificate of Fitness given. Obviously this would assist in the sale of brake lining, and we hoped Ferodo, more than anything else, and at the same time would necessitate every Garage-man having facture for testing brakes and periodical visits for this purpose. I wouldn't like to say the number of hours spent by Mr Carlyle and myself with various officials of the Government, Police, Insurance, and so on, in this country, and the thousands of demonstrations we gave Public Works and Army Authorities and so on, but after twelve months' hard work, we began to see light, and actually legislation was introduced on the lines that we had suggested, which was that every car must have its brakes and other vital parts inspected at least once in six months, and receive a Certificate of Fitness by a certified mechanic, and heavy penalties if vehicles were run without having a current Certificate of Fitness.

Owing to the cost of the propaganda and the effort for so long, we intended that if ever our machine became universal and approved, we were going to sell it at a big profit. We recognised that our day had come; every member of the staff who could sell was taken off everything else, everywhere in the country, and instructed, after having been educated properly on the instrument, to do nothing else but go out and specialise and sell the Tapley Brake Meter. The result was very few sales in the first week; but everyone was hopeful. The second week a big jump in sales. The third week every Wholesale House in New Zealand practically who was dealing in similar lines to garages, wanted to know the price and discount they could get. We gave them the same price as we were selling at and a 20 per cent discount, and psychologically the result was amazing. The whole of the garage wholesalers, and the whole of the garage retailers were talking nothing else for a month but Tapley Brake Testers, and inside six weeks from the commencment, we had sold over 400 of these to arrive, necessitating two or three telephone communications with London, to rush the goods. We took many months to complete those orders, actually the Doric Star, arriving on the 28th April, 1937, at Auckland, carried upwards of 300 of these machines, which were dispatched before anybody went to sleep. Quite a number of cancellations had to be suffered; but they were soon taken care of in the next following two months. We made good money, and that concentrated effort undoubtedly put the finish, for a considerable number of years, to the continual financial embarrassment that had been with us through our growth for so many years.

Also it was a great boon to Margetts, who made a cool £1,000 from the sale of these instruments, and it lifted him, and us in consequence, from danger for a while, so far as his business was concerned.

I don't think any of my employees or myself ever enjoyed a campaign anything just the same as the pleasure that was given by the success of everybody connected with it, owing, or course, to the fact that it was the goods, and the instrument for the job.

As anticipated, this specialised campaign and sale of the Tapley Ferodo Brake Tester did do a tremendous lot of publicity work for Ferodo Brake Lining, which we followed up intelligently by getting into communciation with every owner of a Tapley Meter, asking them to register their meter on the card that was enclosed and in return they would get free service in perpetuity and annual tesing of the accuracy of the meter. This put us in contact with every customer, and we used that contact to make him a more interested customer still on Ferodo products.

June, 1937, saw the return of W.T. Christian once more to New Zealand, after his five years' educative period in England, the latter part of which was spent with our prinicpals, The Renold and Coventry Chain Co., Ferodo Ltd., and Blackstone Works at Stamford. He was duly inaugurated and incorporated, and quickly got down to knowing something of this business, and once that terrible trial of the first attempt at a sale was gotten over, and a failure turned into success with a little assistance, he was off, and from then on, the whole business - but Renold in particular, has been an enthralling interest and outlet for his enthusiasm. Unfortunately just before the return of Mr W.T. Christian from England, we lost the services of R.H. Wear, who joined the Blackstone Company direct, as Sales Engineer for Australasia. Evidently we trained our man too well. However, the hard establishing work was done - we were organised to sell - we had the technical services, very competent technical services too, or Mr Meyer, and he carried on in Mr Wear's place, ably assisted on the Blackstone end by now by Mr E.C. Parker, who had had a spell at the Blackstone Works as well as Mr W.T. Christian, and an excellent outside salesman in one, crude, rough but capable, Hawkins.

1934-1935

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Eventually, in early 1934, we got a beautiful warehouse only a couple of hundred yards from my existing site, the rent of which when we first enquired, was £11 per week, and was far beyond us. This warehouse was big enough to accomodate both firms, with beautiful fittings, both in warehouse and in offices, at one time the premises was occupied by Inglis Bros., the biggest cycle dealers in New Zealand. Eventually we made a bargain for five months' tenancy at £7 per week which, seeing that Messrs. Phelan & Lonsdale were paying us £5, was a mighty cheap rental for excellent premises for ourselves.

Our Present Home. Picture taken immediately after complete occupation for our own use only, together with four of our six Travellers' Cars at that time.

As soon as all the financial and other arrangements had been completed for the demolition and rebuilding, I stuck to my programme, which was to go again to England to the Renold and Coventry Conference, and after organising and seeing the safe removal of ourselves and our tenants to the new building, with the demolition of the old building completed and the new building started, I sailed for England in company with my daughter, Louie, in May, going direct via Panama by the Rangitata, and arriving 7th or 8th of June.

I went with the definite idea of, if possible, getting a good Diesel Engine Agency, or possibly an Agency for a good Electric Motor, the latter only if approved by Mr. Jenkins of the Renold & Coventry Chain Co. I felt, and our salesmen, Mr E.C. Parker, Mr Tabart, and Mr Searle were all agreed that a good Diesel Engine Agency would help us sell more Chain Drives and be of greater service to the community we were attempting to serve, so soon after my arrival in England, in the company with Mr W.T. Christian, I visited the Royal Agricultural Show at Ipswich, after receiving an invitation from the Blackstone Diesel Engine people, and there we contacted one, Tom Price, Sales Manager of that firm, who quickly enthused us with the soundness and the value of the goods manufactured, and eventually we concluded an Agency for New Zealand with these good people.

A small stock was ordered, small engines from 3 to 9 h.p., and all details, together with the technical points of Diesel Engines and Unchokeable Pumps sent out for our people here to study in the meantime.

On my return, in December, I came to the conclusion that there was only one way to work that business, like all the rest, that was by having somebody at the head that knew the job inside out and specialised selling. Towards this end we advertised all over the country for a couple of weeks, for the correct Sales Engineer with the necessary technical Diesel and electrical knowledge, and the selection of this particular person was the most difficult of any I have undertaken. However, by process of elimination, we eventually secured the services of Ralph Heaton Wear, who though taking a little while to settle down to my methods of business, eventually did get settled down and happy in his job, and a wonderful worker, and the wonderful technical knowledge he applied really quickly established us in the Diesel Engine and Pump business.

While it did, to a degree, help us in Transmission business, the real result in that direction was disappointing, and I felt more and more as the days went by, that Mr Jenkin's advice against the Agency for an Electric Motor was not based on true knowledge of New Zealand conditions and A.R. Christian Ltd's capacity. The basis of his objection being that in years past, one of our greatest assistants to sales of Renold Transmission was through the agents for the sale of motors in New Zealand keeping us appraised of their sales and giving us a chance to sell the Transmission. Conditions, however, were quickly altering in this direction, as our specialised sale of Transmission taught them that there was something in the business, and almost all of these agents had got for themselves a sole agency for our pet aversion and competition in short drives, the Vee Belt Drive. Hence, our not being in the motor business any more through them, caused our sales to suffer, that is, in Renold, although our general turnover was still going up, the bigger individual sale of Blackstone made turnover look good; but of course the same ratio of gross profit was not available from that line.

We soon needed an assistant for Mr Wear's side, which was provided in the shape of Mr Meyer, a very studious and clever personality, but without any aggressive selling ability such as Mr Wear had - and as we all had here - but he did relieve Mr Wear considerably for outside aggressive effort.

With the advent of Blackstone and still increasing business, both as far as we were concerned and Phelan & Lonsdale, at the end of 1935 we were nearly as stuck for room - both firms - as we were in 1933, both firms suffering from growing-pains. This was the position in June, 1935, when we got a terrible shock in the fact of a Receiver stepping into E. Reynold & Co.'s business on behalf of the Bank, in fact, only four hours after they had accepted from us goods to the value of £964. From the statement of affairs then made, it did appear as though there would never be any money left for unsecured creditors after the debenture-holder had been satisfied; but that was the smallest loss, it meant that one section of our business was dead on the one hand, and on the other, that to keep it alive we had to keep it off the market, which we had always controlled on price, the goods to the value of many thousands of pounds, which remained in Reynold's stock to be liquidated. Owing to the manner in which we were fooled by the Bank into delivering that last consignment of goods, they were glad to accept, to save publicity, all the goods we required from that liquidation at our own terms, and payment for same at our own sweet will, therefore in a short two weeks we doubled our stock commitment, we more than doubled our staff and doubled our motor cars, and commenced once again direct specialised selling of the good old Ferodo lines - taking over the Warehouse Manager of E. Reynolds to run that section, and their North Island Traveller, who had always been the star man on Ferodo products for E. Reynolds and Co.

1932-1933

2007-05-12T08:36:00.001-07:00

About this time we were made Agents for the Motor Cycle, Cycle and Brampton goods, and in the formulating of the policy, and actually laying down of the foundation of the correct establishment of those lines in New Zealand - which had never taken place before, it had always been haphazard - we found ourselves fully occupied, but not very profitably.

Our largest Renold-Coventry job installed in late 1932, at Mataura Freezing Works. From Turbine to Generator, 600 h.p. Has been at rest for 30 hours per annum only for ten years. We believe this is the largest wheel ever made by Renold, and the Drive one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

At about this time again it so happened that friend Carlyle was not profitably employed, so again we employed his services, first in getting out a Service Catalogue for Timing Chains and other Renold goods, and next, in doing the necessary figuring and spadework in the marketing policy of motor cycle and cycle chains and Brampton cycle parts. Just a word about this policy as finally formulated. It may be as well to record that we decided we would on these lines control the price right to the retailer, in exactly the same way as we did with the Renold Industrial and the Ferodo. This, of course, was very much of an innovation with the cycle trade, an innovation that had been tried repeatedly and just as often failed. We were told that it would fail again. Our reply was that those that caused a failure wouldn't sell the goods, and when asked who would sell the goods if the wholesaler didn't, got the reply that A R Christian Ltd would. Again, they laughed, and told us the same tale about that line as our worthy friends the Wholesalers told us many years ago about Ferodo - that it just wouldn't go.

However, I was determined that we would battle until we got them on our side, and friendly, and pleased to deal with us and in the line. Towards this end, we managed to get together a Conference in Wellington of all the heads of the various Wholesalers who had hitherto imported the line direct, and sold at any price they liked, cutting one another's throats until there was no profit and no interest in the line. They all attended in rather a cynical and critical attitude of mind, and we quickly found there was only one way to deal with the proposition, that was, in a friendly way just tell them what was going to appertain; so I carefully explained to them that the controlled prices would be such as would yield them the same average gross profit as we believe they looked to from any and every line which they themselves controlled as a Sole Agent, and that this ratio of profit would be insisted on, and any not making this ratio of profit would not be supplied by us or the factory with any further Renold-Coventry goods to sell. From this point, particularly after they had soaked in the profit attitude, they became interested, and while they came in an unfriendly spirit, they went away with an idea that we might put it over. We were positive that it was going over, and we made it incumbent on the wholesalers to carry out our policy with the retailers they dealt with, the penalty being for them, if they supplied a retailer, who did not conform to price, their absolute embargo from selling the goods to anybody, not just that dealer. We would refuse to supply any wholesaler who supplied a retailer who persistently undersold.

For six months this was quite an interesting fight, first one wholesaler then another tried it on; but when they found that we were carrying out to the letter the principle expressed at that Conference, no wholesaler tried it on from that day to this.

Mainly interesting for the fact that we first submitted a layout for this job in 1928; and we kept on fighting till 1932 before we got the order; also it is the only 200 h.p. Freezer drive in New Zealand with double reduction chain drives.

One of the most important events of 1932 was the despatch of W.T. Christian to England to get himself an education, and we hoped a real interest in those things which made up our life and business.

During the difficult times of early 1932, we found it mighty hard to keep up the morale of our selling staff and we were very loath to part with any of our technical men whom we had proven to be the right people. We therefore improvised methods of keeping them employed and give them a spell from the continuous canvassing for business with apparently no hope of immediate results. One of these methods was to employ Mr E.C. Parker and Mr E.R Tabart two or three days a week at the Garage at my home in Ngaio, in remodelling one of our Sunbeam cars so that it should be a travelling advertisement and demonstration of Renold Chain Drive, as well as a medium of travel for the salesmen.

Eventually they made a very presentable job of this, and we got it suitably painted and written, and it certainly was owing to its remarkability in design and lettering, sufficiently remarkable to be of excellent advertising value.

As you will see from the picture, we incorporated therein a moving exhibit, not only showing a moving chain drive, but also telling the story of chain drive on a cylinder, which was timed to move every five seconds, the movement of course being driven by Chain Drive and by means of cams thereafter. The revolving cylinder gave a complete story in six movements, and when the driver rolled up to the kerb, he automatically switched on a little motor worked from a battery, and anybody passing would always stop sufficiently long to read the whole story put on the screen, and as time went on, we definitely traced original enquiries from that Demonstrator at the kerbside all over the country.

The most lucrative advertising for Renold & Coventry & A.R. Christian Ltd., that we ever invested in - the 'GREEN FLY'.

When this was completed, we took the opportunity of giving all stockists a little boost. As we got into a stockist's territory, we put on fresh signs over the doors which advertised his place of business and his connection with Renold, and they also found it to be an excellent boost.

I might say that the body-building of the amateurs proved to be very well done. It stood up wonderfully for many tens of thousands of miles, always looked neat and we think, always did its job.

The line was valuable to them as a profit line, and our sales didn't suffer if two wholesalers fell out, we got the same turnover. When this was recognised, an apology was forthcoming and they were reinstated.

A similar state of affairs appertained once or twice in the retailers' section. When they found themselves without the profitable line and unable to get further supplies, they also came to the line and stayed in the line, with the result that the policy to-day, or rather before the War, gave Renold-Coventry an 80 per cent market, and since the War a 100 per cent market.

The Brampton business was a very costly thing, a fiddly business of small things - grosses of them and not much profit - the worst feature being that it took up a tremendous warehouse space and so little value.

One of the most difficult early problems for the Freezing Industry, i.e. to electrically drive tandem freezer in such a manner as to permit the use of high and low pressure Corliss Valve Engine should electric power fail during freezer season from 290 h.p. motor, installed 1933. Has run seven months continuously twenty-four hours daily every year since, and is still in perfect order. This job gained us the confidence and goodwill of Thos. Borthwick & Sons (A'sia.) Ltd., which we have enjoyed completely ever since.

1933 saw a gradual return to better trading conditions in New Zealand, which grew from the Ferodo business, consequent on a little competition between the two distributors, and further expansion in Renold brought about, particularly in the Conveyor section, by the Freezing Works' strike and the compulsory mechanisation of the killing line. The growth of our business and Phelan & Lonsdale's, meant that the old wooden building got more and more crowded, so that at the end of 1933, in neither upstairs nor downstairs, or even in the cottage at the back, was there room to 'swing the proverbial cat.' It got so bad that Phelan Lonsdale were desirous of the relinquishment of the balance of the lease, and further than that, I was very, very worried about the terrific weight we had on the old structure, which was built in '72, and had in turn been the first Sunday School, and first Dance Hall and General Meeting House in Wellington. The earthquake centred in Napier in 1932, shook our building very badly and we were all the time scared that it would be, before we were prepared for it, condemned by the City Council; so when an enterprising architect came along and wanted to know if he couldn't service, we gave it a lot of thought, and after talking the matter over with our tenants, they agreed that if I built a suitable building and gave them the necessary space, they would take a further three years' lease at an agreed upon rental. Although I quickly decided that I could not afford to build unless it could be done without encroaching on business finance, and I didn't see how that could be done, we just quietly went along trying to feel our way towards finality. Actually this architect showed us such a wonderful job - just what was possible with the land available (only 60 per cent of it was really being used at this time) - that we eventually got enthusiastic, went into costs, were encouraged by the Government with a promise of a subsidy of 33 per cent of the cost of the labour employed in the building, and considering all these things, decided to make a real effort to get that building, still definitely only and if it could be done without in any way interfering with the finance necessary for a growing business. I won't weary one with the details of this somewhat financial tangle, suffice it to say that we did eventually come across one, Castle, Chairman of the Norwich Union Insurance, who, although the security was far from being sufficient, had sufficient confidence in myself and the firm through previous transactions, to take me as security, together with the insurance policy for that part of the physical security that was lacking.

We called for tenders and the Norwich Union agreed to advance the cost of the building. We had, however, contracted with Messrs. Phelan & Lonsdale to provide them with premises at the same rent they were paying us during the time of the demolition of the old, and the building of the new building. It took us some months to find premises of which they approved, and the rent of which we could afford to pay.

1930-1931

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In 1930, although general trade conditions were not too good - were receding in line with the world situation - a little of the lack of capital expenditure, was made up in the commencement of real appreciable replacement business of our very early Drives, and business as a whole was maintained fairly well right through 1930.

In May of this year I journeyed to England via America; this time crossing the Continent by motor car, in company with Mr Charles Parker, Mr Stead of Sheffield, and Mr Orkner of Sydney.

I had a great reception in England from our principals, and was mighty fortunate in that the amalgamation between Renold Company and the Coventry Chain Company took place while I was still in England, and I was able to set forth the case of A. R. Christian Ltd., and show justification for our being the Agents for the new Combine. This was very fortunate. There was one big snag, however. It was made a condition of the combined Agency that the whole of the stock in New Zealand of Coventry chains and wheels for industrial purposes were to be purchased for cash by the new Agent, and while our finances were considerably better than they had ever been, they were by no means enough to sustain a sudden call for many thousands of pounds of this description. However, we got over this by sharing the burden with those people we had benefited by keeping to ourselves the exclusive Agency - ie., the Stockists - and we insisted on them sharing equally the burden, so that difficult stile was gotten over.

1930: Second Annual Conference of New Zealand Hans Renold Industrial Stockists

Back Row: Messrs. B. G. A Harkness, F. W Martin, Charles Hubbard, O. C. C Moffat, W. H Tooley, A. I Harrison, Evan Peterson

Front Row: Miss Gibson, Messrs. Eric Williams, J. H Vose, A. R Christian, Charles Palmer, J Peterson, Senr.

Also, while in England in 1930, although the matter was not finally decided, it was mooted, that we should also become Agents for all products of Renold and Coventry. Up to now we had not been representatives for the motor and cycle trade.

On my return from England I found that New Zealand was beginning to be influenced by the world depression and trade was receding. Fortunately, however, for some considerable time, our special specialisation on Freezing Works and Primary Production helped us to keep going at a reasonably good standard on Renold; Ferodo all the time decreasing in sales value, and everything being a very hard fight.

Meantime, at this period we had a particularly good and happy crowd for a staff, and therefore we made good in 1930 a lot better than a lot of people in similar businesses did.

During 1931 the fight got harder and returns got less in all lines. These were really our hardest and most uninteresting years, other than the fact that we were finding plenty of opportunities for creation in mechanisation for Freezing Works, and although we did a tremendous lot of creation and designing, for which there were never any corresponding orders, we definitely did educate ourselves, and it got about amongst the freezing engineers that we did our job and could help; so that when a problem wanted solving, we had the opportunity of solving it and supplying the goods. Nevertheless things got worse and worse, and actually through February, March, and April, 1932, our turnover in total was less than our wages bill for those three months.

1928-1929

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It soon became obvious that Mr Gould was no longer capable of keeping pace with the tempo of Carlyle and myself, so Mr Frank Martin was enlisted (he is also still with us) and quickly got a great interest in the job and the people in it, and I don't think it has ever waned.

By this time our specialised method of selling had proved to be really sound, and we had, by personal contacts and by yearly conference and a daily educative communication to each and every stockist, gotten most of them quite as enthusiastic as ourselves, and as their success and consequent profit grew, their enthusiasm grew likewise as ours did.

About this time we invented the Reduction Unit for use in Milking Sheds where an electric motor replaced the petrol engine, and also for use in any case where a double reduction Chain Drive was necessary up to 5 h.p. capacity. When we got our first order for 200 of these units in one hit, we began to feel that we were really 'in the business', and this, together with our ever-increasing success in the larger sphere of horsepowers, showed that enthusiasm to be a constant driving force. We still remember with pride those early 100 h.p. jobs at Miramar Brick Works, Murphy Brick Works, the Picton 100 h.p. Generator, and at the same time, the Picton Freezing Works, twenty other smaller drives.

Our first effort at designing for a specific purpose...

AND THE FIRST RESULT THEREOF, since when many hundreds have been sold with Renold Drives.

And so 1929. During this year we noticed the steady recession of the sale of Ferodo goods. You will bear in mind that the commission on this line had practically kept us alive during the period of establishment at a loss of the Renold line, and we were very concerned to notice that this was tailing off somewhat disastrously. I had, therefore, to devote some considerable time to this line at this time, leaving the Renold section in the capable hands of Mr Carlyle.

1929 saw real results culminating from the concentrated effort of getting specialised selling on Renold. It might be said that in 1929 the effect of real team work was felt not only by A. R. Christian Ltd and Stockists, but by the whole of the industrial fabric of New Zealand. In our primary industries we got really established. Ninety per cent of the churns that were put in Dairy Factories during 1929-30 and '31 were Renold Chain driven, and it is safe that in 80 per cent of the electrification of Freezing Works, Renold Transmission was applied during the change-over; the change-over from gas engine to electricity, or change-over from D.C. to the standard 400 volt A.C. current. The biggest step forward in Freezing Works for Renold was the 290 h.p. job at the Gisborne Freezing Works - our first attempt at a heavy and most awkward load possible for transmission, and in doing this particular job and others at the same works, we convinced the fraternity of Freezing Works Engineers that we had the efficient transmission which was of the reliable character that they had been seeking for a long time. In doing this we gained the confidence of these engineers sufficient for them to give us their problems, not only of transmission, but of mechanisation, which was just commencing to be necessary owing to increasing difficulties arising from the Freezing Workers' Union - and so on.

We therefore set out late in that year, having recognised the foregoing, to go even one better in specialisation, that was, specialisation on specific industries - kicking off with Freezing Works and Woodworking Machinery, and the success of that specialised speciality selling was the greatest education to ourselves and our stockists that we ever had, proving once and for all that there was no limit to the scope we could create, and given the necessary capital available in New Zealand to spend, our success and the size of our turnover depended entirely on our own intelligent specialised efforts.

During 1929 our sales of Renold Chain Drives reached an average of 1,000 h.p. per month.

Meantime, during this year Ferodo also got a little fillip, in that a further distributor was appointed, in the shape of a new firm, Messrs. Phelan and Lonsdale, who late in 1929 took the lease of part of our premises, and were very active and interested sellers of Ferodo on our behalf.

1926-1927

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The Dunedin Exhibition finished in May 1926, and at this time it was pretty obvious that we were at last growing too fast for our London friends, and that certain embarrassment was taking place, owing to the locking of their capital, and not being quite satisfied that I knew all their story, I determined to go Home on a quick trip and find out. Early in April I left for San Francisco, made the minimum stops, and actually arrived in England on the 28th day from leaving - which at that time was just about a record. Under the circumstances, seeing that I had just written and said I was going, and that was all there was to it, I got a very poor reception, in fact, I didn't get a reception at all. Nevertheless I had an objective, and after ten days of arguing and so on, I gained that objective. I found out the trouble and came ot the conclusion that just as our friend in London had put all his confidence in me in 1921, thereby giving us the opportunity of creating a business for both of us, now it was my turn to, at whatever sacrifice, do anything and everything possible to alleviate the postion inadvertantly brought about by bad trade and large deliveries of timber to our friends in London. Having decided what I wanted, I immediately got busy on the cable and got Carlyle and Lewis to liquidate everything possible, even at a loss if necessary, in preparation for this return to London of such capital as was possible.

Meantime I made then what has ever since proven to be the most interesting and profitable visit, that is, profitable to this firm and myself, that I had ever made on the firm's behalf, that was, a visit to H G Jenkins of the Hans Renold Chain Company. After the first hour with this gentleman, I was sold for ever and enthusiastically sold, on the Renold Chain idea, not only on the idea, but on the goods and the honest quality thereof that Renold manufacture.

I utilised a few days at the Works to soak in as much as ever was lying about and that could be pumped into me, and before leaving I had got P S J enthusiastic too, and notwithstanding financial troubles at the time, had ordered a reasonable stock of Standard Stock Drives, which at that time went up to 10 h.p. only, to be sent forward to New Zealand.

Having determined that it probably would be necessary to liquidate the very valuable Ferodo stock we had, so that capital could be sent to London; I would have to sell it to some wholesaler, and in return, give him the exclusive selling rights for either the whole or part of New Zealand for some period of years. Nevertheless I determined to do that, and I determined that during that time of recovery, I would on my own, without staff and with minimum of expense, attempt the correct establishment of the Renold Chain Drive in New Zealand, again using specialised selling methods as we had done with Ferodo.

This decided upon, I got the first boat I could get that would get me home quickly, and actually arrived back on the 89th day from leaving - having had 30 days in England.

Interior Caledonian Hall, showing stock and samples of Renold Timing Chain, Vehicular Chain and Chain Drives. Office on left. Ferodo Stocks on right-hand wall, not visible.

I immediately got all hands in Wellington and took stock. Within ten days of my arrival everybody, excepting Mr Carlyle and Joe Self, got either a week's notice or a week's pay in lieu of notice, and was finished, leaving Carlyle to clean up one or two things in the liquidation of the stock, and Joe Self to handle it. Within sixteen days £4,500 of the £6,000 odd we had in stock was sold, and within a month of the date of arriving here, I remitted to London close on £6,000, which, apparently saved the day. Also by this date, Carlyle had cleaned up everything he possibly could, and he got a job and sailed for Australia, and Joe and I started to create a new business, after determining that we couldn't beat the policy that had been followed by Ferodo, that is, sufficient price to interest stockists to sell at a reasonable profit all over the country, and insistence on specialised selling by myself and everybody connected with the line.

To assist in the economy, we rented every part of the premises that we could find a tenant for and made the little bit that was left do for ourselves. This pioneer work continued for six months, the most difficult part being to find the correct type of engineering salesman to introduce and put over this, what appeared to be an absolutely new thing in New Zealand, in the form of Transmission, and although to get the right people, quite a few passed through our hands - to those early pluggers, we owe quite a lot - they did eventually get there.

Early in 1927 my time was greatly taken up with appointing and educating stockists. First, Charles Palmer of Auckland; second, Peter Kennedy of Christchurch; third, our old friends of Ferodo fame, Messrs R B Denniston of Dunedin; fourth, Wilkins Ltd of Invercargill; fifth, Union Foundries, Stratford, Hawera and New Plymouth; sixth, Holben & Hubbard of Palmerston North, and a year or two later Messrs Vulcan Foundry, Napier.

Up to this time, the staff had comprised: Mr Joe Self, together with a typist, one, Miss Blackie, and a part-time accountant; but Miss Blackie got married and, in January 1927, I engaged Miss Gibson as typist (and she is still with us); also a semi-retired accountant by the name of Gould. Towards the end of 1927 Mr Carlyle re-appeared in New Zealand and appeared to me just the very man to police and keep enthusiastic the stockists that had been appointed. We were certainly gradually getting established, and our Chain Drive sales steadily approached £5,000 per annum, by July 1928.

1924-1925

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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.

1922-1923

2007-03-31T07:05:00.000-07:00

1922 found me spending more money than I was earning, in general expenses, advertising, travelling, and so on, but with every encouragement from Messrs E C Brittan & Co to carry on and not be scared of being short of capital, and so long as progress was being made we did carry on, all the time making progress, but of course, at a loss. Towards the end of 1922, one, D T R N Lewis advertised he wanted to buy a Partnership in a profitable business. We came together and we decided that we could get on better together than apart; he put in a matter of £300 (it lasted about a fortnight) and he started to be a very interested salesman. He quickly agreed that the premises had outgrown their utility, and secured the front premises of Messrs. Petherick's in Lower Tory Street, at a rent of four guineas a week - rather a jump from 8/-, and other than we continued to make bigger and bigger sales, we had nothing but the consequent harder work and more of it, during 1922.

Early in 1923 we added to our Sole Agencies the Hardy Universal Joint for motor cars, manufactured at the time by Messrs. E J Hardy & Sons of Witton. At the time there was mightly little demand for replacements as only three or four English cars and trucks were fitting these as equipment at the factory, but it seemed reasonably obvious that their popularity would grow, and although it was quite a few years before replacements became appreciable, it has been a continuously growing line with us, and right up to this date, is still going strong.

A very brief visit from the principal of this firm, Mr E J Hardy, soon after we had gotten the Agency, assisted us greatly to appreciate the potential value, and his enthusiasm and our efforts were by no means misplaced.

About February or March 1923, I opened a mail from our London Office, and out fell a leaflet headed: "What are the Air Waves Saying?" - and underneath those words was a picture of a little crystal wireless set in an oak cabinet. The price was £5 5s, and the lies (at that time we thought so) that were printed on the back of the leaflet were really more than anybody could stand, except to have a great laugh at. However, seeing that we had never had any pamphlets or any reading whatsoever from E C Brittan & Co that hadn't been well worth reading and thinking about, we didn't throw it away, and eventually thinking that our friends L M Silver, who had the premises above us, being Electricians, and so on, would know something about it, we took the leaflet up to them, so that they could also enjoy the laugh. To our great surprise, they eventually convinced us that it was not lies, that it was possible to get this little box and a pair of headphones and listen to speech and music from the air outside, and with nothing but a strip of aerial hung on to a garden post.

We were still sceptical until one Burnett invited us to his home to listen to the wireless. His home was at Seatoun, his wireless set was in a back shed, and why it was called 'wireless' we don't know; but after forty minutes of sitting and listening intently with the 'phones on, Mrs Christian and myself did actually hear speech and music, but we didn't hear who it was sending it announce the fact, and I think we came away only half convinced that it was not some music and speech we overheard from a nearby house.

However, we were eventually convinced, after which I couldn't get the thing out of mind, and again consulting Silver and Burnett, they agreed that there could be no harm done if I got a few of them out, because one or two chaps were starting little Broadcasting Stations - so I ordered fifty.

Strange to say, about this time I had a letter from a friend I had made in San Francisco when going and coming the previous year to England. This letter also told us about the wonderful things in wireless that could be done and all the wonderful things that were purchasable to do with it, and actually asked us if we would like him to act as our Agent over there, and send out what he called "Memorandum Bill" - pay for it if you take it, and send it back if you didn't want to pay for it - various gadgets that were coming out daily in the radio business. Again, head over heels in love with the thing, I cabled friend Harkness to send up to a limit of £100 those things he would deem readily saleable for that business, and he surely did.

The result was, we were really compelled to employ somebody that knew something about Wireless. I advertised, and in response came one, Wilfred Burgess, a very fine young man enthusiastically knowing his job. He quickly made up an order for America - bits and pieces with which young men and old men could make crystal sets, and as quickly got exclusive Agencies for some excellent lines.

In the meantime we had cleared our front window, we had done a bit of advertising, and when the goods arrived we made a good display, and within a week we had one constant stream of school-boys coming in and purchasing from 4 o'clock to 6 o'clock every night, and in fact, it was very difficult for Burgess to get away before half-past seven - if he didn't close the door. This went on for a long time.

Meantime, the Sets arrived, with which Mr Burgess was delighted. We were able to get some headphones. We advertised to give anybody a demonstration that cared to come in, and I suppose that after that advertisement for a long time we sold at least one Set per day with a pair of headphones, and I won't tell you what an excellent profit we made on it.

In the meantime, of course, Ferodo, Hardy, and other things were not forgotten. That was my baby, and I left the whole of the Radio to Mr Lewis, Mr Burgess, and later Mr Dick Long, who joined us late in 1922. Arthur Tinney was still fulfilling on his own all the previously named functions on a very much increased business. Ferodo turnover was going up very nicely and the Trade, the Retailers, were quickly finding that we were in certain things, such as Clutch Facings, and so on, giving a service to New Zealand that had never been previously enjoyed - hence the pricey feature of our goods was not much in mind.

The 'Remarkable' Sunbeam known throughout New Zealand as 'Queen Ann.' Driven in New Zealand well over 100,000 miles by Dick Long. The engine and transmission was eventually fitted to a 21-seater bus, and for four years averaged 460 miles per week.

Also in 1923 Ferodo Ltd introduced Spring Interleaving, and to demonstrate this as an aid to sales, we imported a 60 h.p. Sunbeam with a Cabriolet body of 1914 vintage, which on arrival we had fitted up inside instead of the upholstery at the back, as an office with two occasional seats. At each side of the desk was drawers of samples of various lines, and the outside was painted like a circus-van, it really was, as intended to be, 'remarkable' for advertisement purposes. Nobody had ever seen anything like that out there in that type of a car, and certainly nobody ever saw anything plastered about with advertising to equal it.

We found we had the very man to use this Sales Car to the best possible advantage in Dick Long, so he loaded up with bits and pieces of wireless and Ferodo, and during the year 1923 he drove it at least 50,000 to 60,000 miles, the length and breadth of New Zealand. The procedure being to drive into a garage and instead of going into the proprietor's office, he would invite the proprietor into the travelling office to make his purchases, which for a considerable while was very successful. At the same time Long was busy selling wholesale to small wireless dealers all over the country, the bits and pieces that we were now importing in large quantities, through friend Harkness, in San Francisco.

At the end of 1923 our wireless business was such that it almost demanded a depot in Auckland, and this our old friend Tom Shean took on, with periodical assistance from Mr Long, Mr Burgess and Mr Lewis, when available on the territory.

1920-1921

2007-03-31T06:32:00.000-07:00

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.

From The Author

2007-03-31T06:11:00.000-07:00

BETWEEN OURSELVES!

August 1st, 1942 brought to mind the fact that it was the 21st Anniversary of trading for A R Christian Ltd, and I suppose it was quite natural for me to look back at the many milestones on the way, and from that cursory look back, there came to mind many interesting features of the flight, and then I wondered whether those facts may be of sufficient interest to other of my colleagues and friends to be worth while recording. Finally I decided that I would attempt a very brief synopsis of the high spots.

As it progressed, I found myself quite interested, and while what could have been recorded comprises considerably more than has been recorded, still in the main, my motive has been accomplished. While I am sure no apology is required to my friends for its bluntness in many parts, and while I hope it will not be necessary, still I would say that it was impossible for me to avoid my words when recounting certain features and incidents, from reflecting not my thoughts at this time, but my thoughts and feelings at the time of the happening; so I would like all who read this to remember that when I wrote of the past, I was in the past, and that impressions and conclusions of that time are not the same entirely as they would have been with the knowledge and experience since gained.

To quite a few whom I hope will read this, I trust that the facts and incidents recorded may with them, as with me, recall the greater multitude of facts and incidents unrecorded, and with those few, I feel that this little record will enable them to get a reasonably complete picture, and from that picture, get a little fun from the knowledge of their great assistance towards its possibility and the results.

As with everything in this world, all things haven't been pleasant, and all the road hasn't been straight; but in the main and running through the whole 21 years, there has been between our principals, our London Office and New Zealand, and between the New Zealand concern, its employees and its clients, that willing co-operative service which, I believe, has made possible that happy co-operation towards service, that has been recognised subconsciously by our clients here, and has registered that goodwill all round by which we live.

So with errors and omissions in this case excused, please accept the following reminiscences.

With my Compliments,

Arthur Richmond Christian

Distribution List

2007-03-31T06:03:00.000-07:00

At A R Christian Ltd (and family):

Mrs A R Christian
Mr A R Christian
Mr W T Christian
Mr W H Carlyle
Miss I M Gibson
Mr A I Harrison
Mr G D Lockhead
Mr F W Martin
Mrs E C Parker
Mr E C Parker
Mr J Rowntree
Mrs H L Seebeck
Mr J W Self
Mr A Tinney

Others:

Mr A Blackham of Ferodo Ltd, Chapel-en-le-Frith
Mr J H Blackwell, Warrington
Mr F V Brook of Brook Motors Ltd, Huddersfield
Mr H L Harkness of Allied Industries, San Francisco
Mr E J Hardy of Hardy Spicer & Co, Birmingham
Mr H G Jenkins of the Renold & Coventry Chain Co Ltd, Manchester
Mr P S Jimenez of E C Britten & Co, London
Mr E W Mills of the Renold & Coventry Chain Co Ltd, New York
Mr J H Vose of the Renold & Coventry Chain Co Ltd, Sydney