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Apex
In
1932, the Apex Ice Cream Co. Ltd was established by George
Gourley and C. McFadden. Gourley
had worked for Perfection
Ice Cream since 1928, so had some
experience of the industry.
Apex
started operations in a tiny factory, with less than 600
square feet floorspace,
in Peterborough St., Christchurch. Equipment was an old vertical
ice cream churn, and a single vat used for pasteurising,
cooling and chilling the mix.
 The
original Apex factory
in Peterborough St..
-
The Frostee Digest, NZICMA archives.
In their first year,
they sold 7,000 gallons
of ice cream; in
the second year,
20,000 gallons, outgrowing
the building. Rather
than sell to shops, they decided to employ salesmen to sell direct at fairs,
picnics, outdoor functions. They also supplied ice cream sandwiches direct to
fruit markets, offices and factories.
The company had a strong community involvement from the very start, as reported in The
Press on 12 November 1934:
The sixth bicycle hike excursion held under the auspices of the Apex Ice
Cream Company was held yesterday, and 1000 cyclists made the trip from Victoria
Square
to the Pleasant Point Domain. The procession was headed by Mrs O'Sullivan, the "grandmother
cyclist" and was ended by the bicycle ambulance lorry, loaned by Mr R Mutton
(Lyttelton), which found useful work to do. The presence in the afternoon of
the Kew Brighton Municipal Band, which played an enjoyable programme, attracted
further visitors, and there must have been 2000 present when the programme of
sports was carried out.
In 1935
Apex took out a lease
on part of the Avon
Butter Company premises at 25 Manchester St., a ten-fold
increase in space. However it was the Depression, cash was
short,
and George and a friend had to box and pour the concrete
floors for the freezers themselves, while running the business.
Apex
Ice Cream advertisement, 1936.
In February 1936, Apex Ice Cream
operated a stall at a special air pageant at Wigram aerodrome,
held to raise funds for the widow of famous WWI air ace M.C.
"Mac" McGregor, who had been killed in a flying accident
at Rongotai a week or so earlier.
Apex now took on the retail trade, but with most shops not
being able to afford freezers, the company decided to purchase
and re-sell their own commercial refrigerators on time-payment.
This meant financing, and they decided to convert the business
from a private to a public liability company.
New equipment
was also purchased, a 40-quart Emery Thompson Brine Churn,
and an 80-quart Cherry Burrell.
Until 1939, Apex used ammonia refrigeration compressors,
but in the early war years, converted to fully-automatic
Freon equipment.
The
second Apex factory in Manchester St.
-
The Frostee Digest, NZICMA archives.
In 1938, famous Canadian wrestler and Olympian Earl McCready
(pictured below) visited Apex, and endorsed the company's
product as "a marvellous training food for athletes".
In one lunch at Apex, he is reported to have eaten 13 sixpenny
cartons on end, finishing off with a super-size cone of strawberry
ice cream 'for dessert'!
Earl
McCready enjoying some Apex Ice Cream.
-
The Frostee Digest, NZICMA archives.
During the Second World War, with petrol rationing in place,
and to reduce delivery mileage, Apex and its two main Christchurch
competitors, Perfection and
Top
Notch,
agreed
to divide the city up into three territories.
Apex made the news on 25th January
1943
when
one
of its heavy trucks, driven by a Mr F. Fisher, collided with a tram
and overturned on the western line in Colombo St., "seriously disrupting the
late
afternoon
rush".
In 1944, Apex Director and distinguished military surgeon, Brigadier
P. A. Ardagh, C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C., of Christchurch, died on active service in
England. Ardagh had attended Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg when he
was
wounded, introduced new front line blood transfusion methods to the New Zealand
Division,
and at one time had been senior medical officer of the whole of the British forces
in Italy.
1947 - Apex Ice Cream set up an 80-quart Vogt ice cream churn
on their stand at the New Zealand Industries Fair held in Christchurch, and wowed
the crowds by producing ice cream for four hours a day, filling sixpenny cartons
at the rate of 1800/hr.
Apex
Ice Cream, NZ Industries Fair, Christchurch, 1947.
-
Frostee Digest.
In
1954
Apex
built
a
new
factory
from
scratch,
described here in The Frostee Digest, December 1954 issue:
Today the Apex organisation, with George Gourley still guiding
its destinies, is installed in its beautiful new factory
at 100 Durham Street, Christchurch. It is without doubt
one of the finest food factories in the Dominion. Built in
reinforced concrete and steel and finished outside in an
eau-de-nil cement colour, it presents a very pleasing
appearance. When the vistor steps in the door he is greeted
with a highly-polished cedar vestibule. The executive
offices are finished in beautifully grained New Zealand
plywoods to dado height. Above this, the walls and ceiling
are in fibrous plaster and painted in the modern trend of
contrasting colours. The general effect is very pleasing.
Behind the main offices is the general dining-room, finished
in pastel colours. Attached to the dining-room is an up-to-date
kitchenette with stainless steel fixtures and all necessary
equipment. A small ambulance room has been built and, should
any of the staff take ill or have an accident, they are assured
the best possible attention.
The
third Apex factory at 100 Durham St.
-
The Frostee Digest, NZICMA archives.
The pasteurising and manufacturing rooms are totally enclosed
and are both tiled dado height with peach-coloured glazed
tiles, and above this all walls are plastered and finished
in pleasing pastel shades.
All compressors are housed in a separate room. There are
two freezing chambers, each 40 feet by 20 feet. These rooms
run between the manufacturing and the despatch, and
are each controlled by two 5-h.p. Freon Compressors which
have no difficulty in keeping temperature down to minus
10 degrees at all times. There is a general store room of
3000 square feet. The despatch department has plenty
of room for their requirements, and for the garaging of the
company's fleet of vehicles. There is also an up-to-date
garage workshop.
Apex
Ice Cream enamel sign, 1950s?
-
longwhitekid.
Apex
Jaffa Cream Bomb wrapper, 1950s?
-
Serendipity Antiques, Timaru.
Three
of Apex's directors in 1954 - Cyril Sturge, C. McFadden,
and George Gourley.
-
The Frostee Digest, NZICMA archives.
Apex
delivery van, Mackay St., Greymouth, ca. 1950.
-
West Coast New Zealand
History.
Some time in the late 50s, Bob Rodgers joined the company
- he had previously run a family-owned business, the Zenith
Milk Bar and ice cream manufacturing company, Stafford St.,
Timaru.
After George Gourley passed away in 1958, his son Winston
ran the company for a period, and when he left the industry,
Jim Campbell took over the management.
1959 - Apex took over
another Christchurch manufacturer, Everest Ice Cream.
Apex
Ice Cream Co. point-of-sale marketing material,
ca. 1960?
-
Owen Norton collection, via Shona McCahon.
Apex
Ice Cream Co. point-of-sale marketing material,
ca. 1960?
-
Owen Norton collection, via Shona McCahon.
On 1 July 1960, Apex took over one of its main Christchurch
competitors, Top Notch Delicacies Ltd..
Later
that year, Apex itself was taken over by General
Foods Corporation (Tip Top Ice Cream). Bob Rodgers
became Tip Top's South Island Manager.
General Foods announced that Apex's
factory would be expanded and upgraded to become Tip Top's
main South Island manufacturing base.
In 1962, General Foods purchased land on Blenheim
Road to build a brand new factory, which eventually opened
in 1968, and the old Apex factory was closed.
 More
about Apex at longwhitekid ...
References and related sites:
Longwhitekid - history of Peter Pan, Tip Top, Meadow Gold, Wall's, Hokey Pokey,
and much more:
http://longwhitekid.wordpress.com
NZ Ice Cream Manufacturers Assn. archives, and "Frostee Digest" journals,
1943-1972.
Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand digitised newspapers database):
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/
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Ice Cream Brands from the Past. |
