Pacific Dunlop

As at 2001, Pacific Dunlop had installations and/or offices in Australia, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, North America, and European Economic Community with 151 manufacturing facilities, 1300 retail outlets and about 40,000 employees worldwide.

History

1888: Scottish-born John Boyd Dunlop, a veterinary surgeon in Belfast, Northern Ireland, invented the pneumatic bicycle tyre. A group of Irish businessmen from Dublin realised the potential of the tyre and in 1889, together with Dunlop, formed a syndicate to float what would become The Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company.

1889: the first pneumatic bicycle tyres to reach Australia arrived in Melbourne and within two years the Dunlop Company was established in Europe and North America.

1893: the Dublin Company opened a branch office and factory at 27-29 Tattersall's Lane, off Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. The factory assembled and finished part-manufactured tyres imported from England.

The introduction of the pneumatic tyre was a success, however the Dunlop Company ran into financial difficulties and a decision was made to sell its overseas holdings.

1897: sales and administrative side of the business was transfered from Tattersall's Lane to two small shops at 247-249 Swanston Street. In 1899 these premises became the first Registered Head Office of the new Australian Company.

1899: Richard Garland and John J. Palmer of Toronto, Canada purchased the English Dunlop Operations in Australasia and floated a company trading as The Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company of Australasia Ltd, as an Australian company. The formation of the new company coincided with growing interest in the motor car. The new Company leased and later purchased premises at 108 Flinders Street, which became the Registered Head Office of the Company until it was sold in 1979.

In October, The Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company of Australasia Ltd was listed on the Stock Exchange of Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.

1902: a tyre factory was established at Port Melbourne.

1905: the Company made the first of its many acquisitions with the purchase of its main rival, the Barnet Glass Rubber Company. This company originally produced waterproof clothing but subsequently manufactured tyres.

1906: Dunlop changed its name to The Dunlop Rubber Company of Australasia Limited.

1920: The Legal Entity was incorporated in Victoria on 16th August, 1920, and since that date has been the ultimate Parent Company of the Group.

1926:The Dunlop-North British Shoe Company was formed, with a factory at Abbotsford, Victoria.

1927: Dunlop England purchased five hundred thousand shares in the Australian Company, giving the English Company a twenty-five percent equity in the Australian Company.

1948: Dunlop Footwear began production at its factory in Bankstown, New South Wales.

1958: Slazenger Australia became a subsidiary of Dunlop Rubber and was renamed Slazenger Australia Pty. Ltd.

1967: Dunlop Rubber changed its name to Dunlop Australia Limited.

1969: Dunlop acquired Prestige/Holeproof, a leading textile and clothing group, Hollandia Shoes Pty. Ltd., Universal Textiles (Australia) Limited, Warrnambool Woollens Co. Ltd., Factors Ltd., including the Holeproof and Jacquard companies in New Zealand, a major interest in Grosby Footwear Pty. Ltd. (seventy-five per cent) and Berlei Hestia Limited (seventy-five per cent).

1976: Grosby-K.P. Inc., manufacturers of footwear for women and children, was established in the Philippines.

1980: Dunlop and the Olympic Group merged and the Parent Company changed its name to Dunlop Olympic Limited.

1982: Dunlop Olympic acquired a seventy-five per cent interest in Winestock Footwear Pty. Ltd., subsequently increased to one hundred per cent, making the parent company one of the largest footwear customers of the Peoples' Republic of China and complementing the already substantial links established since 1968 under the Dunlop brand.

1984: Grosby Footwear entered the Japanese market.

Dunlop U.K. had retained a minority shareholding in the Australian company. This was sold and the Australian company completed buying back its business when it acquired Dunlop New Zealand, which had been sold to Dunlop U.K. in 1929.

1985: Dunlop Olympic acquired the Hamilton Shoe Company of U.S.A., manufacturers of the Penaljo range of footwear.

Dunlop Olympic purchased the sixteen per cent minority interest in Holeproof Industries Ltd. (New Zealand).

1986: Dunlop Olympic changed its name to Pacific Dunlop Limited, which reflected the company's increasing stature as an Australian and international manufacturing and marketing enterprise and its growing position in the world's markets.

Pacific Dunlop Limited sold its Holeproof New Zealand interests to Rainbow Corporation Limited.

Pacific Dunlop Limited expanded its footwear operations in the United States of America with the acquisition of Desco, a New York based manufacturer and importer.

Pacific Dunlop Limited shares were listed on the London Stock Exchange on 31st December.

1987: Pacific Dunlop Limited shares were listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on 25th February.

Pacific Dunlop acquired Niblick Pty. Ltd., manufacturers of golf shoes.

1987: Pacific Dunlop Limited acquired Bonds Industries, manufacturers of clothing and textile products including the brands Chesty Bonds, Grand Slam, Gotcha, Cottontails, Baby Gro-Wear and Dri-Glo and Dickies Towels.

Pacific Dunlop Limited acquired Coward Shoe Inc., a New York-based retail and mail-order business.

1988: Pacific Dunlop Limited acquired the New Zealand licence for adidas from Canterbury Apparel Limited. This purchase included the adidas footwear manufacturing plant in Christchurch and the marketing and sales organisation.

Pacific Dunlop Limited acquired Red Robin Pty.Ltd., manufacturers of socks, tights and leisurewear.

Pacific Dunlop Limited's Consumer Products Division was re-named Pacific Brands.

1989: Pacific Dunlop Limited acquired Tuf Footwear Pty. Ltd., a major producer of safety footwear, which became part of Pacific Brands.

Pacific Brands won the licence to manufacture and market the Jockey underwear brand in Australia.

1991: Pacific Dunlop transferred its Registered Head Office from National Bank House, 500 Bourke Street to 101 Collins Street, Melbourne.

Pacific Dunlop formed the Western Pacific Rim Advisory Board as a high-level regional consultative group to assist the company's expansion and involvement in the Asia-Pacific region.

1992: Pacific Dunlop opened a Grosby Footwear factory in Shenzhen, Southern China and a Holeproof Underwear factory in Taiping, Southern China.

1995: Pacific Dunlop expanded the operations of its Pacific Brands Group in Australia and New Zealand with the acquisition of Boydex Outerwear, one of Australia's largest importers of outerwear, product including woven shirts, t-shirts, jeans, sourced from China, and Holeproof Corporation (New Zealand), maker of underwear and socks.

1996: Pacific Dunlop sold its fifty-one per cent interest in its Australian and New Zealand Joint Venture to adidas International. The sale followed an approach by adidas seeking full ownership, under the terms of the Joint Venture, and realised a net gain of more than $50 million to Pacific Dunlop.

Pacific Dunlop sold its Dunlop Industrial Footwear business to OPSM Protector Ltd.

1997: Pacific Dunlop became a Team Millennium Olympic Partner to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Products supplied included garments by Bonds and Berlei.

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