History Whitcoulls

1 history

1.1 coulls somerville wilkie
1.2 whitcombe & tombs
1.3 merger

history
coulls somerville wilkie

coulls somerville wilkie had origins in coull bros, founded in dunedin in 1872 brothers thomas, william, , james francis coull. printing , publishing company, operated crawford street south of city centre.. through merger , partnership, name changed several times before becoming coulls, culling & co. ltd., name under traded 1902 until 1922. culling in company s name thomas culling, regarded ‘father of printing in otago’, business work extended founding of several newspapers, notably otago witness.

in 1922, coulls, culling & co. merged j. wilkie & co., becoming coulls somerville wilkie, name under operated until 1971. j. wilkie founded in 1870s james wilkie, , bought william george somerville in 1894. stationer , bookseller, j. wilkie & co. operated princes street until amalgamation coulls, culling & co. in 1921.

whitcombe & tombs

whitcombe & tombs began in 1882 in cashel street, christchurch, partnership between teacher of french had become bookseller, george hawkes whitcombe, , printer george tombs.

in 1883 company among first registered under companies act 1882. had market dominance several decades. thousands of schoolchildren taught aid of whitcombe s progressive primers , later enjoyed whitcombe s story books such adventures of hoppity bobtail.

the company, in common companies, did not have trouble-free relationship employees. court judgment whitcombe & tombs limited v taylor (1907) 27 nzlr 237 stated principle established custom or practice may become part of contract (as noted court of appeal of new zealand in ca246/03, century later, despite half dozen intervening changes of employment law).

merger

in 1971, whitcombe & tombs merged coulls somerville wilkie become whitcoulls, , has since been sold several times. operates retail chain only.

the limited company described here has changed name reflect changes in ownership. became holding company printing , packaging corporation limited @ time of merger. became whitcoulls group limited in 1982, wgl group limited in 1993 , has been known wgl retail holdings limited since 1995. still on companies register company number 120265. current ultimate parent can traced appears whitcoulls finance in australia, acn 109 241 394.

after period under ownership of uk company w. h. smith, in 2004 whitcoulls sold redgroup retail operations company owned pacific equity partners, subsidiary of uk-based insurance company prudential. on 17 february 2011, redgroup retail (including borders, angus & robertson whitcoulls chains) placed voluntary administration ferrier hodgson appointed administrators. on 26 may 2011 announced company had been sold project mark ltd, part of james pascoe group owned norman family have history of turning around troubled companies such farmers department store.