The theme of this magazine – “Wisest and Youngest in the Industry” proved a challenge to tie in with an historical document, until it dawned on me that one could not have the youngest, who could then subsequently become the wisest, in the industry if one was not first able to attract people into the Industry. I had saved a pamphlet from the Files of Samson Paints Ltd published by the N.Z. Paint Manufacturers’ Association in November 1969. This pamphlet was intended to be distributed through Guidance Counsellors at Secondary Colleges to attract young people into the various potential careers in the Paint & Surface Coatings Industry.

Though I have no recollection of having seen the pamphlet around its publication date, and my route into the Industry was accidental rather than deliberate, the pamphlet had a certain nostalgic quality as the publication Date was at the end of my Sixth Form year at Secondary College, so I would have been part of the intended demographic this pamphlet targeted. For this reason I fortuitously kept it, which enables me to share it with you now.

The Guidance Counsellor still exists in the modern Secondary College, so there may still be a potential market for publications of this type. At the very least the successor of the N.Z. Paint Manufacturers’ Association, The New Zealand Paint, Ink, Resin and Adhesive Manufacturers Federation Inc (NZPIRAMF), could have a section in their new web page, at http://www.paintman.org.nz/, devoted to careers in the Industry.

Of particular interest is the change in paint companies that has occurred since 1969. Not all paint companies are members of the Paint Manufacturers Association, now or in 1969. The 14 paint manufacturers who are listed as members of NZPIRAMF do not appear in 1969. None of the 16 separate companies or 29 manufacturing sites, if one assumes each listed address of a paint company is a manufacturing site, appear in the list of NZPIRAMF members taken from the www.nzpaintfed.co.nz site. Of the list of member companies published at the end of the pamphlet I did not include Re vertex Industries, the original name for Nuplex, in my count as I have assumed they were a supplier, even though their Construction coatings division could be regarded as a Paint Manufacturer.

It is interesting to look over the list and consider where each company is now. Listed in the next paragraph is the fate of the 1969 PMA members as far as I can remember – if I have got any wrong I would appreciate it if any reader could correct my errors or fill in my gaps of knowledge by e-mailing me at peterw@propaints.co.nz