1919 – 2019
100 Years of Norman G Clark
In the centenary year the family told the company’s story in 23 bulletins – dyes and starch, desert crossings and log skidders, aeroplanes, a fire, and the Horton and Nexen products still made in Melbourne today.
The Founder
Chemicals and Textiles
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2
1930s – 1960s
The post-war period
Norman’s sons came home from the war and rebuilt the firm on Dutch potato starch, Swiss screen mesh and new machinery agencies.
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3
1952 – 1990s
Mr Carbon Black
A chance call from an American led to the Cabot carbon black agency, a new plant at Altona and a rubber and plastics business that lasted 30 years.
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5
1958 – 1960s
The reed plant
For a few years Norman G Clark made the finest loom reeds in Australia, using a cold-cured process licensed from the USA.
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12
1950s – 1960s
F W Scragg & Sons
Selling false-twist nylon machinery from Macclesfield meant a trip to England with ‘Fearless Fred’ Scragg.
Engineering and Horton
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4
1963
Horton and Deublin
In 1963 a licence from Horton made Norman G Clark an Australian manufacturer – and an introduction to Deublin soon followed.
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6
1950s – 1960s
Engineering development
From a 20-foot workshop in Latrobe Street came screen stretchers, safety chucks and bowed rollers – plus agencies, side ventures and a few strange ideas.
Off the Highway
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7
1960s
The Nodwell story
Canadian tracked carriers that could cross muskeg, swamp and the Simpson Desert – and the transport company Norman G Clark set up to run them.
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8
1963 – 1970s
The Timberjack story
The Canadian log skidder that changed Australian logging – and the loaders, tilt blades and adventures Norman G Clark built around it.
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11
1960s
Grand Ridge Timbers
To prove the Timberjack in steep hardwood country, Norman G Clark bought a bush sawmill at Boolarra – and briefly became sawmillers.
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14
1970s
Timber industry spin-offs
Saw chain, guide bars, chainsaws, loaders and compressors – the products that came with Timberjack and FCE.
Ventures and Lessons
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9
1967 – 1976
Airchart Flying Services
A tax-saving aeroplane grew into a charter airline, a mapping contract and a commuter run to Sale – which never made money.
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10
1973 – late 1970s
Forest & Construction Equipment
A Clark Michigan dealership in three states, set up with Italian partners – and an expensive lesson in parts, warranty and trust.
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13
1970s
Repfin Finance
A finance company to clear FCE’s trade-ins – and monthly trips to Tasmania to collect from customers who didn’t want to be found.
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15
1980s
General Mills
Selling guar gum to the nickel mines of Western Australia – and learning the danger of winning all the business.
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16
1993
A W Chesterton
A move into ARC protective coatings in the 1990s – a good product let down by poor support.
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20
1970s
Coopers Filters
A self-cleaning air filter that worked everywhere – except in the heat of Whyalla. Finding out why took a lesson from textiles.
Built to Last
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17
1979 – 1989
The fire, 6 June 1979
A fire gutted the Brunswick premises in 1979. It took ten years, and three moves, to bring the business back under one roof.
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18
1970s – today
The machine shop
After the fire the workshop moved from fabrication to CNC machining – and on to robots and ‘lights out’ production.
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19
1963 – today
Horton fan clutches
From a bus air-conditioner clutch to the fan drive on almost every Australian heavy truck.
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21
1950s – today
Web control and guiding
Seventy years of guiding and tensioning fabric, film and paper – with Erhardt+Leimer, Fife, Nexen and IBD.
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22
1982 – today
Flight Systems
An engine protection system that watched pressures, not temperatures – and saved Australian mines millions.
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23
2019
Norman G Clark brands
The brands Norman G Clark represented in its centenary year.
A letter for the centenary year
Norman G Clark Centenary
Norman G Clark has embarked on its 100th year of service to Australian industry.
Established in Melbourne in 1919, by Norman Gray Clark, our grand old company has continued to serve and prosper. We have managed to do this in spite of a major depression, several recessions, a world war, constant economic rationalisation – and a technological revolution.
Still 100% owned and managed by the founder’s family, we continue a long standing commitment to Australian manufacturing.
License agreements granted to us in 1963 by the Schilling family, still our highly valued friends & colleagues, continue to the present time. The Horton & Nexen products we manufacture in Australia today, remain a cornerstone of the business.
We also proudly continue and value our other long standing complimentary relationships. In their respective markets, these companies manufacture the finest products in the world, ie.
- Deublin Company, Illinois, USA
- Nett Technologies, Ontario, Canada
- American Cooling Systems., Michigan, USA
- IBD Wickeltechnik, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
- Erhardt + Leimer, Augsburg Bavaria, Germany
- Index Sensors & Controls, Washington State, USA
- Miner Elastomer Company, Illinois, USA
- SUCO Robert Scheuffele GmbH & Co, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
- ADL Insulflex, Ontario, Canada
- Oblan SA, Santa Fe, Argentina
As we approach a much anticipated milestone, the Clark family sincerely thanks and acknowledges all employees, from every era, for their magnificent loyalty and unfailing service.
Of course, and importantly, we express wholehearted and sincere appreciation to all our wonderful customers across the decades.
Without our customers, this centenary would not have been possible.
John R Clark
Managing Director
17th May 2018