Rocking the Boat? - A History of Scales Corporation Limited

Published by Hazard Press. This first edition published 2002.
Hard cover and dust jacket. Very good condition.

Scales Corporation Limited is a major shipping agent, cool store operator, pet food processor and apple grower. But for most of its history, the core business, Geo. H. Scales Ltd., was a decidedly quirky venture. It began as a farmers' protest movement and for nearly 80 years it ran chartered wool ships against the Conference Lines. Scale's Articles of Association restricted ownership to sheepfarmers. It once made too high a profit for a director's conscience! In 1941 this tiny farmers' 'shipping line without ships' landed the monopoly rights to the mighty Soviet merchant marine's business. Strange indeed.

Drawing on a variety of sources, leading academic business historian Gavin McLean has unravelled the compelling story of one of New Zealand's most interesting businesses. ROCKING THE BOAT? pulls no punches and will be read with interest far beyond the ranks of staff and shareholders.