MEN OF BING HARRIS THROUGH 100 YEARS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28587, 16 May 1958, Page 15

MEN OF BING HARRIS THROUGH 100 YEARS

This is a human story—the story of hnt expanded over a century to one of New one ~ man enterprise on the goldfields of Central Otago has tcho manage and staff it. s Sfeatest businesses in which the emphasis is still on the people The Harris family has had control throuah .1 by loyal staff, more than 40 of whom hmip A * l these generations; but it has been supported throughout een w,th the company for more than 30 years. loo yea e rs e : ‘ °* W, ‘° haVe * uid ‘ d Bing, Harris and Company Limited through its first

It all started in 1857, when a young man named Wolf Harris jtepped ashore at Port Chalmers immediately started trading o n bis own account. for some years prior to his |rr ival. Wolff Harris had been engaged ir. business in Australia; tut, attracted by the prospects profitable trading when gold wa s discovered in Otago, he derided to seek his fortune in New Zealand, bringing with him a small consignment of men’s working clothes, blankets, etc..

hv d , =l , modest capital. He started ohoJa klng sam Pics of his merthe r™, ° n horseback through seUinn snt n ral , Ota g° goldfields and selling goods to small stores New thus beginning his trader “ reer as a wh ° le - By 1858, Wolff Harris had nV S T first bu slness premises in McLaggan street, Dunedin, and this marked the start of the business as it now exists. Shortly afterwards, Wolf Harris decided to join forces with Adolfe Bing, and a partnership under the title Bing, Harris and Company

was formed. The business was transferred from McLaggan street tc a store in the rear of Turnbull and Company’s premises in High street, where the two young and enterprising businessmen worked with a staff of only two helpers—a packer and a junior. The business rapidly outgrew these premises, and in 1862 it was transferred to a new two-storey warehouse in Lower High street, which had been erected by the partners. Packer To M.L.C. It is interesting to note that a portion of th< company’s present Dunedin warehouse covers the site of this building, which is illustrated in this supplement. The man in the shirt sleeves, who at the time was employed as a packer, was William Bolt, later to become the Hon. William Bolt, member of the Upper House of the New Zealand Parliament. “The partnership between Harris and Bing continued until 1870 when upon the death of Bing, Wolff Harris acquired his interest in the business. Shortly afterwards Mr James Smith was admitted as a junior partner for a period of 10 years, and he, in turn, was succeeded by Mr Frankeiss. x During this period, temporary premises were secured in Wellington, Christchurch, and Invercargill, and the business grew apace, keeping step with the wonderful development of the country In the early days of the settlement of the colony, the New Zealand market was supplied from Australia, and it was no uncommon sight for consignments of merchandise to be auctioned at the wharf to eager buyers when an overseas vessel reached port Wolf Harris, however, pioneered the direct importation of merchandise from the United Kingdom, and made a number of journeys to Europe to buy merchandise at the most competitive prices. London Buying

Because the expanding business required his undivided attention in New Zealand, the next development to take place was the establishment of a permanent London buying house which was situation in Hamsell street in the City of London. The company has operated its own

buying house in London from that day to this and. in keeping with the family tradition, the London office has always been undei the control of a member of the family; first Mr Wolff Harris. then his son. Sir Percy Harris, and at the present time, his grandson, Mr Nicholas Harris. Upon the retirement of Mr Frankeiss from the partnership. Mr James Wilson was appointed general manager and the next development of the expanding business was the erection by the company of three new and modern warehouses in Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin—at that time the head office of the company—was also established in Auckland in 1907 by Mr Benson. A sub-branch, which was operated from the Dunedin warehouse. During the management of Mr Wilson, Mi* Wolff Harris decided’ to reside permanently in London to supervise the buying of the company’s requirements, and the business in New Zealand was left under Mr Wilson’s management.

This arrangement had considerable disadvantages at a time when communications were slow, and in 1905 Mr Wolff Harris decided to end the series of partnerships and to convert the business into a public company. Under the Articles of Association, Mr Wolff Harris was appointed governing director for life. Mr Leslie Harris, who was then resident in Dunedin, was appointed managing director in New Zealand, while Mr Percy A. Harris, his younger brother (who was associated with the London office), was appointed to the board of directors. Wolff Harris Dies These appointments continued in force until Mr Wolff Harris died at the age of 93 in 1926. when Mr Leslie Harris and Mr Percy Harris became joint governing directors. Mr Percy Harris, the father of the present joint governing director (Sir Jack Harris) was called to the Bar on leaving Cambridge, and entered politics, being a Liberal member of the House of Commons for many years.. A baronetcy was conferred upon him in 1932 in recognition of his public services as Chief Whip of the Liberal Party and his valu-

able work as a member of the London County Council.

W. S. G. Milne, S. M. McLernon. J. V. Jerram. Mr Nicholas Harris is resident director in London, where he controls the operations of the London office. He is assisted by an associate director, Mr W. G. Simpson, and Mr L. Jordan, who are in charge of the company’s buying. The tangible assets of the company which have been amassed over 100 years of trading are matched by the value of its' goodwill among 6000 retailers who; are regularly supplied with their j requirements, and by the accu- j mulated experience of the staff.' many of whom have devoted a j lifetime to their careers with the' company.

In 1944. Mr Leslie Harris and Sir Percy Harris relinquished their appointments as joint governing directors, but retained seats on the board. They were succeeded by Sir Jack Harris, the grandson of the founder, and by Mr J. L. Griffin, who are the present joint governing directors. Two great-grandsons of the founder, Mr Christopher Harris (a grandson of Sir Percy Harris) and Mr Alexis Harris (a grandson of Mr Leslie Harris) now represent the fourth generation in direct descent from the founder to be employed in the business. Great-great Grandson It is an auspicious augury for the future that in the company's centennial year, Mr Christopher Harris has become a father of a son—a great-great-grandson of the founder—and it appears certain that the family tradition will therefore be carried far into the second century of the company’s history. The company, which started in such a small way, now has a nominal capital of £600,000, and the shareholders’ funds exceed this sum by more than a quarter of a million pounds. It occupies modern warehouses in the business centres of all the main cities of New Zealand, and it is interested in no fewer than 14 subsidiary and associated companies whose products it distributes. In addition tc its London office, the company maintains buying agencies in New York. Paris, and Kobe. The developments which have taken place could not have been achieved without the initiative and enterprise of the early partners who, in turn, were succeeded when the business became a public company by managers under whose wise direction the business weathered many difficult trading periods. The first of these managers to be appointed was Mr Gerald Benson, who became manager in 1907 after having been a departmental manager with the firm for the preceding four or five years. Mr Benson is still a director and is in charge of the Dunedin branch. Other managers whose names are well known in the wholesale trade in the Dominion were Mr Alexander Knight, Mr W. B. Lees, Mr C. B. Trimnell, Mr G. Cowie, and Mr C. N. Fraser who, with Mr Benson, “held the fort” during the Second World War. Present Directors The present directors in New Zealand are: Sir Jack Harris. Bt.. Messrs J. L. Griffin, G. Benson.

Several members of the staff have completed 50 years of seivice. among them Mr G. Benson and Mr Angell, Of Dunedin, while in every branch of the company there are heads of departments whose experience with the company and whose connexion in the trade extends over a very long period of years. '

The company is also represented throughout New Zealand by a large staff of travellers, | nearly all of whom started in the business as young men and have made their careers with the company. There are over 40 senior employees whose service with the company exceeds 30 years. Among those who are living in retirement after more than 50 years of service with the company are Mr C. N. Fraser, Mr J. Marks, and Mr H. Thomson. Modern Developments The spectacular development of the company in its early years matched the spectacular development of the country during the same period. It should not be thought that in recent years, however. the company has stood still. In the last 20 years, for instance, the company has extended its manufacturing interests by the establishment of seven whollyowned subsidiary manufacturing companies and has acquired a financial interest in three associate companies. During the last three years, new and modern warehouse premises have been secured in Auckland, and extensive alterations and additions have been made to the Wellington warehouse. These developments have been financed by the retention of profits in the business. and it is of some interest that shareholders’ funds during the last 20 years have increased by more than half a million pounds. Assisted by a loyal and experienced staff, with the goodwill of thousands of customers, and in a sound financial position, the directors look forward to the second century of the company’s existence with confidence in the future