Agents six years later as a wool broker. Before marrying and moving to Auckland in 1913, he played senior rugby and rowed, but the tug of the big city and a job with Fort St wholesale merchants LD Nathan was too strong. In 1916, Crisp embarked in trade on his own as a broker within the Wholesale Merchants Federation of New Zealand, which took him into locally produced and imported food products. His first agency appointment was ‘Karilac’, a dairy product developed in Otago by the Truby King Karitane Foundation for Childcare. By 1922, he was on a roll. English salt manufacturers Geo Hamlett & Sons appointed Crisp as their New Zealand representative, followed by American dried fruits giant Rosenberg Bros and commodities company John Cornell of London. But then the import controls hit in 1935 and, combined with the economic slump and coming war, almost decimated James Crisp. However, with his two strategic staff back on board, the company was quickly running back to normal, even though the import licensing continued up until 1949. As mentioned, when the National Party was elected into government in 1950 the import controls were abolished, leading to an upsurge in imported foods. James Crisp did very well in these years and, seven years later, took on his nephew, John Hall, (his sister Elsie’s son). John, also a food broker in Auckland, became an equal partner to James Crisp. Ken Dickey joined James Crisp as a Customs and Shipping Clerk, after having experience at Smith & Caughey, and was encouraged to shift into a sales career. This proved a successful move, with Dickey becoming a highly respected Indent Trader in the food industry. Import licensing was re-imposed during 1958, disrupting free trade. However, James Crisp successfully managed to maintain business continuity where newer competitors found it hard, as they had no trading history for license allocation. John Hall was among the foremost opponents of government disruption and a president of the NZ Bureau of Importers between 1964 to 1966…the foremost trade group in the pursuit of the abolition of import controls. This was finally achieved in the late 1970s. James Crisp died in July 1968. Later that year, the firm became a limited liability company and John Hall the major shareholder. The company grew at a steady rate. John Hall (now 92) is well and truly retired, after handing over the reins to his sons Richard and Henry in the 1990s. Richard and Henry Hall are both directors of James Crisp today, with backgrounds in the stock and station industry, merchant finance and sales. Backdrop: Karangahape Road, by unknown photographer, ca 1930s. Alexander Turnbull Library. 1/2-071823-F James Crisp joined Dunedin’s Hallenstein Bros at the age of 15 as a ledger keeper, moving on to Wright Stephenson and Co Stock and Station Agents six years later as a wool broker. www.foodtechnology.co.nz 23 From left to right: John Hall, James Crisp and Fred Marshall (1957). John Hall (92).
1-48 FT June16
To see the actual publication please follow the link above