My Partner and friend Duncan McGregor celebrates his 80th birthday on October 31, 2020

 

Bob Carter (left) and Duncan McGregor are inspecting a press sheet from Arthurs-Jones' six colour Heidelberg Speedmaster. This is a photograph taken in 1987 and published in Print Action. 

Bob began his printing career from the bottom rung and worked his way to chief production manager. Duncan did the same in the sales department leading, encouraging and rewarding others for a job well done. When it became time to take over the firm Dunc stepped up and put his stamp on a company that had been in business since 1905.

This and other postings are backgrounds to my search for refinement. InRefinement Inc. is an organization with one employee me. There are people, institutions, work places, artistic and sporting endeavours that inspire - or otherwise - our goals and life styles. Duncan McGregor is one of those people who changed my life with seven little words, "Would you like to work in sales?' It was 1964 and I was 23 years of age.

The old Sterling Rd plant with the modern day Logo

I joined AJ in 1963 as a feeder on a two colour Harris press. My immediate boss was Art Hill, a fine and learned man who taught me well. Our boss Wilf Hickey was a scoundrel of a man whose attributes or lack thereof shall not be posted here. When I stood up to him on an important issue he said to his sidekick, "He won't be working here for long." A few months later Hickey was fired when it was pointed out that he demanded kickbacks from our suppliers of ink and paper. "This is how it's going to be, he goes or I go." These words were spoken by Mr. R. McGregor to Mr. B. Adams the current owners. Hickey was turfed but not prosecuted. It was 1965 and there was a great deal of house cleaning to be done.

Five key employees had started another competing printing business while employed by Arthurs Jones. When they were exposed after many months of their activity in and outside of AJ, they too were fired but not prosecuted or sued. 

During the period 1956 to 1965 one client demanded too much of AJ's time, machinery and staff and AJ never made a profit on that work. They had to go, and the decision was made in 1965.

New employees, new equipment, pay off the payables, get the receivables in faster, get new and better clients and get on with the plan to build the dream printing company and I was a part of it in 1966. 

Twelve years went by in a flash when I received a letter inviting me to buy shares in Arthurs Jones. I wrote a checque and handed it to Duncan faster than the winds of refinement could blow. It was 1978 and AJ was booming as planned.

Fourty-two years later (2020) one of the emails that I received from Duncan and the McGregor family (wishing to build an internet video celebrating Duncan's 80th birthday) said this:

"I am always pleased to be reminded that I had a small part in your great success in sales at Arthurs-Jones and I often wonder why you bought into the “dream” immediately while so few of the others did not.

I remember the day after you received the letter announcing the share offering and you arrived at my office door with a cheque for $50,000.00 and said that you wanted to be part of the future of our Company and for certain you were a huge contributor to our success.

You have been a great partner and friend Gary."

The video they gave to Duncan on his birthday was filled with stories told by friends and family that start around 1955 up to the present day. This was my three minute contribution to the full video lasting over an hour:

https://youtu.be/BPzjimS9_74

I realized early in my sales pursuits that I knew little about the general printing business. Gradually it became clear to me my customers and prospects had more knowledge of the processes than I did. What was I going to do? I became a listener; in conversation I was brief and asked questions of everyone. I learned from everyone; I learned from books, seminars and older employees who enjoyed sharing their knowledge and experiences in our business and in life [and I know that you know not everyone is willing to share their knowledge and expertise]. I learned one of the first rules in conversation is to be a good listener, and to pay close attention to what is being said as well as the person who is talking. I learned that when I was speaking it was important to be brief and, to ask questions that encourage others to jump in.

I learned that my education required reading fiction and non fiction, newspaper articles on current national and international events. I learned to write clearly and spell correctly with proper punctuation. [Am I doing okay here?] This is incredibly important whereas a misspoken word or sentence can often drift away with the speed of conversation, a written error never disappears.

In my day to day activities I always tried to be truthful and optimistic that things would turn out right. For that to happen the right procedure, amount of time, and materials to be checked and checked and checked again by all of our participants had to be part of what we did. Trust is also a factor that is not to be taken lightly. When Duncan was asked why I was so successful, he said that I can be trusted. When he was asked what I was doing at a time in my office when I was staring out a window, he said I was thinking. I've never forgotten what he taught me and others he worked with and for, in and outside of Arthurs Jones Inc.. 

Bob, Duncan, Gary, Dave and Palm Trees

My last day at AJ June 28, 1998