Mideco had a long standing and respected associate Douglas Draper (Doug). One Friday evening in 1960, Horace White (Horrie) and Doug were in the office of a Ford executive associated with the construction of the new casting plant in Geelong. During the meeting Doug saw on the desk of the Ford Executive a brochure from an American Dust Collector manufacturer – Sly, and asked more details about it. The answer came back that they are dust collectors, and are really good but they are not represented here in Australia.
Doug being a brilliant salesman, quick and never wanting to ruin a good story just for the inclusion of facts said “Well, you’re in luck, Horrie here has just become their Australian agent,” The Ford Executive was amazed, and turned his gaze to Horrie, is that so? Horrie, tared with the same brush as Doug said yes, we just got it. As they left the office, Horrie said the agreement is so new that we do not have the Brochures yet, may I borrow yours? the Ford Executive obliged.
That night Horrie phoned Sly in America, he told them he wanted to be their agent. They said they were already negotiating with a company in Australia for that. Horrie using that same brush again said “but I already have orders.” Then spent the weekend, with the brochure and a magnifying glass to work out how the dust collectors were made and work out a price. Horrie calculated everything from the materials used to the number of bolts in the frame. Early the following week, Ford Motor Company received the quotation, and by the week’s end Mideco had an order from one of the largest and most prestigious manufacturers in Australia.
Plus, and exactly how it happened, no one alive today knows, Doug had the distribution rights and Mideco had the manufacturing licence for Sly products for all of Australia, which is one of the most prestigious dust collection manufacturers in the world. Mideco was now in the business of dust collectors. They made fiction a reality in a week.
In the years that followed, Doug went through a divorce and Mideco ended up with the distribution rights as well. Everyone at Mideco remained best of friends and business associates with Doug until on the same day. Doug became an employee of Mideco and passed away, in John Nichols office at Mideco, many years later.
Mideco has stayed in the dust management business, in time designed products and concepts in advance of Sly and moved away from them. We have invented and patented ideas and products, and takes pride in our ability do recognise and implement new ideas. Our market is now the world.
*See reference to Doug in Sir Weary Dunlop’s book, The War Diaries of Weary Dunlop, he was also a barnstorming pioneer performing air shows post war.