Nor'West News: May 07, 2019

NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday May 7 2019 11
The highs and lows of Firestone factory
Murray Williams of the
Papanui Heritage Group
highlights the history of
the Firestone Factory in
the second of a series of
articles
LAST MONTH we reviewed
the genesis of the plant in
Langdons Rd. We now turn to its
subsequent history.
When completed, the original
size of the plant was about 7000
sq m and the production capacity
was 546 tyres and 400 tubes
per day.
In 1950 the company showed
its optimism by adding another
3000 sq m to the size of this
facility.
In 1962 the company celebrated
the production of three
million tyres since the factory
opened in 1948, while its daily
rate was now up to 1000 tyres.
By 1971, Firestone employed
230 workers involved in the
manufacturing process as well
as 46 in administrative roles and
a further 90 salaried staff. The
firm also supported a number of
travelling salesmen and an ancillary
business retailing tyres and
repairing punctures.
Firestone developed an integrated
marketing campaign to
establish its brand to the people
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of Christchurch.
In 1952, it started a sponsored
weekly half-hour programme
over Radio 3ZB with a selection
of popular light music of the day.
Cole Porter, George Gershwin,
Ivor Novello and the Luton Girls’
Choir were some of the artists
who beguiled listeners into accepting
exposure to advertising
jingles and slogans.
By 1985, the factory was contributing
$25.5 million in wages
and salaries and $13.1 million
in sales taxes to the local and
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national economy. However, at
this time it was becoming more
difficult for the company to
maintain profitability.
Relations between management
and union were not always
harmonious but a greater problem
was the Government decision
to open up the economy by
phasing out tariff protection for
locally manufactured goods.
By 1988, Firestone had sold the
business to the Japanese-owned
Bridgestone which maintained
production until 2009.
Fujitsu’s Catechin Filters are
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Respiratory Foundation NZ’s
Sensitive Choice ® programme.
In the last few years, the
physical evidence of the oncethriving
plant has been removed
and replaced with retail and
office buildings although the
Bridgestone name remains in the
reserve built on land donated by
the company.
Currently, the local Rotary
group, the Papanui Heritage
Group and the city council are
attempting to turn the clock
back to 1850 when this area was
a small part of the native forest
which covered a larger piece of
Cherry on top
9C Cherry Place, Casebrook
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HISTORY:
The rail siding
to the rear of
the Firestone
factory, circa
1948,
PHOTO:
BRUCE
SHALDERS ​
land that ran between modern
day Langdons Rd and beyond
Vagues Rd.
The project aims to re-establish
native bush on a narrow corridor
on the northern side of the
railway track to the north of the
Bridgestone Reserve.
The first planting took place last
year and the next stage will be the
provision of a noticeboard which
will explain the project in more
detail.
•Reference: Carol Hayward,
Fifty Years of Manufacturing
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