Willard Garfield Weston: Difference between revisions
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Willard Garfield Weston (1898–1978), food manufacturer and industrialist. | Willard Garfield Weston (1898–1978), food manufacturer and industrialist. | ||
1898 Born in Canada | 1898 Born in Canada, son of George Weston. He went on to take over his father's baking business. | ||
He was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who led [[George Weston]] Limited and its various subsidiaries and associated companies, including [[Associated British Foods]], for half a century and established one of the world's largest food processing and distribution concerns. He also served as a Member of Parliament during World War II. | He was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who led [[George Weston]] Limited and its various subsidiaries and associated companies, including [[Associated British Foods]], for half a century and established one of the world's largest food processing and distribution concerns. He also served as a Member of Parliament during World War II. | ||
Birth of son Grainger | |||
1927 Birth of his son [[Garry Weston|Garry]] | |||
1929 The Wall Street Crash almost wiped out the finances of the Weston family. Garfield moved to the UK. | |||
1933 Weston's first acquisition was the biscuit division of [[Mitchell and Muil]], a century-old Scottish baker. He closed the antiquated plant at Aberdeen and moved production to a new facility with modern equipment at Edinburgh, with the intent of mass-producing a more affordable line of quality biscuits. "He sold fancy biscuits at exactly half the price at which they were sold by the world-famous firms all around him and he coined money." Fifteen months after entering the British market, Garfield Weston reported sales equal to the parent Canadian company. He further announced his intention to establish bread and biscuit operations at strategic locations throughout England, Scotland and Ireland. | 1933 Weston's first acquisition was the biscuit division of [[Mitchell and Muil]], a century-old Scottish baker. He closed the antiquated plant at Aberdeen and moved production to a new facility with modern equipment at Edinburgh, with the intent of mass-producing a more affordable line of quality biscuits. "He sold fancy biscuits at exactly half the price at which they were sold by the world-famous firms all around him and he coined money." Fifteen months after entering the British market, Garfield Weston reported sales equal to the parent Canadian company. He further announced his intention to establish bread and biscuit operations at strategic locations throughout England, Scotland and Ireland. | ||
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By 1939, he controlled 30 bakeries throughout the British Isles. | By 1939, he controlled 30 bakeries throughout the British Isles. | ||
1941 Birth of son Galen | |||
Post-WWII Garfield Weston continued to expand his overseas holdings, including brands such as [[Ryvita Co|Ryvita]], acquired in 1949. That same year, his British holding company, with 47 subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, established its first bakery units in Australia. His son [[Garry Weston]] took charge of Ryvita in 1951 and then spent more than a decade expanding company operations in Australia | Post-WWII Garfield Weston continued to expand his overseas holdings, including brands such as [[Ryvita Co|Ryvita]], acquired in 1949. That same year, his British holding company, with 47 subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, established its first bakery units in Australia. His son [[Garry Weston]] took charge of Ryvita in 1951 and then spent more than a decade expanding company operations in Australia | ||
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<references/> | <references/> | ||
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Garfield_Weston Wikipedia] | * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Garfield_Weston Wikipedia] | ||
* The Times May 13, 2003 | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT: Weston, Willard Garfield}} | {{DEFAULTSORT: Weston, Willard Garfield}} | ||
Latest revision as of 16:34, 14 March 2025
Willard Garfield Weston (1898–1978), food manufacturer and industrialist.
1898 Born in Canada, son of George Weston. He went on to take over his father's baking business.
He was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who led George Weston Limited and its various subsidiaries and associated companies, including Associated British Foods, for half a century and established one of the world's largest food processing and distribution concerns. He also served as a Member of Parliament during World War II.
Birth of son Grainger
1927 Birth of his son Garry
1929 The Wall Street Crash almost wiped out the finances of the Weston family. Garfield moved to the UK.
1933 Weston's first acquisition was the biscuit division of Mitchell and Muil, a century-old Scottish baker. He closed the antiquated plant at Aberdeen and moved production to a new facility with modern equipment at Edinburgh, with the intent of mass-producing a more affordable line of quality biscuits. "He sold fancy biscuits at exactly half the price at which they were sold by the world-famous firms all around him and he coined money." Fifteen months after entering the British market, Garfield Weston reported sales equal to the parent Canadian company. He further announced his intention to establish bread and biscuit operations at strategic locations throughout England, Scotland and Ireland.
Within a few years, Weston had acquired a string of biscuit and bread plants in the United Kingdom.
1935 In order to manage the growing overseas venture, he moved his family to England.
By 1937, with 15 plants, employing more than 15,000 workers under the Allied Bakeries banner, Weston was being referred to in the Canadian press as "Britain's Biggest Baker".
By 1939, he controlled 30 bakeries throughout the British Isles.
1941 Birth of son Galen
Post-WWII Garfield Weston continued to expand his overseas holdings, including brands such as Ryvita, acquired in 1949. That same year, his British holding company, with 47 subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, established its first bakery units in Australia. His son Garry Weston took charge of Ryvita in 1951 and then spent more than a decade expanding company operations in Australia
1955 Allied Bakeries purchased the Aerated Bread Co, England's second largest chain of eateries, with 164 budget tea shops and restaurants. Meanwhile, ten percent of all bread in Great Britain was baked in Weston plants while 20 million Weston-made biscuits were eaten daily by the British public.
During the mid-1950s, Garfield Weston began developing a chain of British grocery stores, but early on the venture struggled with losses.
1963 Acquired Fine Fare
1961 Fine Fare undertook a major expansion with 130 new stores opened in 15 months. At one point, Weston introduced Canadian management in an attempt to turn the chain around. Ownership was transferred to George Weston Limited but then switched to Associated British Foods. Fine Fare evolved into the largest supermarket chain in Great Britain with some 1,000 stores and by the 1960s turned profitable
Weston's Associated British Foods, successor to Allied Bakeries, also acquired Twinings, the well-known British brand of tea.
As Garfield Weston approached his 70th year, it was announced that he was stepping down as Chairman of Associated British Foods in favour of his son Garry.
1978 Died
See Also
Sources of Information
- Wikipedia
- The Times May 13, 2003