New Paint Warehouse In Moorhouse Avenue Opened

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29251, 8 July 1960, Page 8

New Paint Warehouse In Moorhouse Avenue Opened

A house of many colours could well describe the new warehouse premium of RA.KM. Paints (HJL), Ltd, *-in Moorhouse which were officially opened at an informal function by the firm’s Chairman of directors (Mr F. H. Bass) early last evening. Ot riiAtiy more -ttmt MgW square feet, the building is constructed in the main of brick, and concrete with an inm (double-V) roof. Bitrance to the office Mock is from Moarbouae avenue and to ibe wartiwuae. from Horatio •uteci. While occupying its former site in Lichfield street near the Central Fire Station, the firms, with a view to having its own premises, spent three years looking over likely sites in and around Christchurch. The present location was decided on about 12 months ago. Two houses on the site were sold and towed away and the contractors, the Williamson Construction Company, began work in February. When the building was completed in: June the changeover from the Lichfield street premises was made during one weekened. with the aid of about 30 members of the staff, several fork lift trucks, and a relay of trucks. The company has another big South Island redistribution centre at Dunedin, and plans are already

under am to have a similar move therv. The new centre in Moorbouse avenue wtil be supplied by the firm's factories at Lower Hutt and at Auckland. In the office block are Six offlem of varying sixes. The tenasM office is the largest, and the smaller is far the store supervisor. There are two cafeterias, one for tiie store staff and the other for office staff and visitors. The' modem colour scheme in this part of the building was designedby the firm’s South Island colour consultant, Mr John Copp, to show off the .firm’s range of products. Mr Copp also designed all the functional office furniture which is at a black and white The new building also has a demonstration and lecture room. A 30ft by fiMt room, it has a large black and white rharked ponnrilwl. folding door that can Be drawn back to reveal the general office, and can be used for films. Altogether 22 persons are employed at the new centre. From here paints will be distributed throughout the South Island from Nelson to the West Coast and down to Waimate, where the Dunedin office takes over. Christchurch people were decidedly colour conscious, said Mr C. A. Davis, senior executive of the company, when he spoke at the opening of the new warehouse. Mr Davis said that,* looking around the city, it Was obvious' that people were proud of their homes. They were clean, bright and colourful Since the formation of his company in New Zealand the board of directors had never wavered in their support “We have grown over the years from a very small organisation into a very large one," said Mr Davis. Mr Bass, who came from Wellington for the ceremony, said that only last month his company had celebrated its 25th anniversary, “although in Christchurch unless it is an anniversary of more than 100 years it doesn’t seem to count for much.” Speaking of the growth of the city and its environs, Mr Bass said the opening of the new premises in Moorhouse avenue illustrated the company’s faith in the future of Christchurch.