User:Hughesdarren/sandbox/Anchor Foods

Anchor Foods or '''Anchor Foods Pty. Ltd.''' is an Australian food company based in Western Australia.

The company was founded by Gilbert Wood, a mariner and merchant from the Shetland Islands who took possession of an umpaid cargo and opened his own store. The store was named G. Wood, Son & Co. and was based in Angas Street in Adelaide in South Australia after a partenership company was formed between Wood, his son Peter and an employee named James Gartrell. They soon expanded with stores being established in Broken Hill, New South Wales and Fremantle in Western Australia.

Currently the company produces a variety of products for the retail, food service and commercials markets including; flour, vinegar, birdseed, cordial, herbs and spices and cooking aids.

History
Wood expanded from his Angas Street property to a new building in Rundle Street in 1857. In 1875 he formed the partnership with his son Peter and James Gartrell.

By 1892 the head office for Western Australia was established in Cantonment Street in Fremantle with other branches in Perth and Kalgoorlie. The Perth branch in Murray Street also had a large warehouse as part of the offices.

The business continued to grow, and in 1896 the much larger premises at North Terrace were built as the new headquarters.

A new warehouse was completed at the Perth branch in Murray Street complete with new packaging equipment in 1908. The company was the sole agent for Sunlight and Life-buoy, Lever Brothers products, Quaker Oats, Cailler Chocolates, Macintosh's Toffees, Heinz's Pure-Food Products, Oxo and Anchor self-raising flour. The flour was being packaged by the company along with Terai Tea products at the Fremantle warehouse.

The firm was registered as limited liability company in 1920 with £500,000 in nominal capital. The paid-up snares were held by the members of the firm and by the family of the late Gilbert Wood with none offered to the public. The directors were: Peter Wood (Chairman), James Gartrell, R. G. Alderman, Robert Keith Wood, and R. A. Haynes from Adelaide along with and Sydney Lodge and H. L. Stapleton from Fremantle with Mr. N. B. Newland appointed as secretary.

In the same year a large warehouse was built at Port Adelaide, a portion of this building also served as a factory for the production of the Anchor lines. The modern building had a a floor space of about 140000 sqft and was equipped with up-to-date machinery and appliances including a food testing laboratory.

The current factory and office buildings located in Carrington Street in Fremantle were built in the 1970s. The offices were significantly upgraded in 2011 to a more modern open plan.

Bennett & Fisher Limited acquired the company in 1978.

Goodman Fielder owned the company in 1986 and had an annual turnover of A$100 million, but 15 years later turnover had reduced to A$15 million.

David Clapin acquired the business in 2002 for A$7 million with the intention of growing the company and repackaging all of the 500 products it offers. In 2006 the annual turnover was A$26 million which increased to A$32 million in 2009. Staff numbers increased from 80 in 2007 to 120 in 2009.