Tables

Pye Waihi Firsts
1947 Rotary lawn mowers, (small run)
1954 Outside T/V broadcast of a rugby match at Waihi Rugby Park
1958 Single-cabinet stereograms
1959 21 ins black and white television
1970 Cabinets made from a single sheet of material
1971 Printed circuit boards
1971 Radios using transistors and integrated circuits
1972 Colour television production started
1973 Toshiba in line colour tube
1977 Colour television exports to Hong Kong
1977 3 year guarantee on parts and labour
Managers
1932-46 Keith M. Wrigley
1946-47 G. A. Wooller
1947-57(approx) T. J. F. Spencer
1958-60 G. Rowe
1960-81 R. Skinner
1981-82 L. Horton
1982-83 J. Foster
1983-86 R. Evans
Major Dates
1932 Business founded by Keith M. Wrigley
1933 Commencement of manufacture of “Akrad” brand radios - “Futura”, “Luxor” and “Everest”
1942 King’s Hall purchased for 600 pounds. Defence contracts secured. Production of morse keys and buzzers. Signal lamps and sirens for local defence. Radio components for the services
1945 G. A. Wooller & Co. founded - distributors for Akrad. Staff numbers up to 50
1946 January 1st, Keith M. Wrigley died
1947 T. J. F. Spencer appointed manager. Akrad Radio Corporation Ltd formed. Limited capital of 30,000 pounds
1949 Began preparations for black & white TV. Approach Pye of Cambridge
1951 Pye N.Z. set up. G. A. Wooller appointed Managing Director
1954 First N.Z. outside TV transmission from Waihi’s Rugby Park
1955 G. A. Wooller and Green and Cooper (Pye’s N.Z. agents) absorbed. Akrad principal manufacturing unit
1958 Development and production of first single cabinet stereogram. First use of printed circuits in New Zealand
1959 First production run of black and white television
1960 First Paeroa factory opened in leased premises
1961 First Hamilton factory opened
1962 Opening of Moresby Avenue plant
1963 Opening of Barry Road research and development laboratory
1963 Opening of own building in Paeroa
1964 Staff peak at over 500 in production of black and white television. Paeroa factory gutted by fire and rebuilt. Opening of Paeroa record pressing plant
1966 Introduction of highly successful “Sea Phone” line
1967 Pye of Cambridge sold to Philips
1974 Colour television production commenced
1977 Paeroa record factory closed. Takeover of Pye U.K. completed
1979 Philips took over Pye N.Z. Ltd
1981 Paeroa closed. Philips policy of universal rationalisation introduced. Colour TV moved to Naenae and all audio production to Waihi
1982 50th anniversary celebrations
1983 Frankton closed. Major redundancies
1984 Sees the beginning of climb back to full production. Introduction of non-audio lines
1986 Pye Waihi factory closed