Kalamazoo (Aust.) Ltd further records, together with Howie, Beale and Clark family papers, ca. 1911-1995

MLMSS 8865

fonds

ca. 1911-1995

Textual Records, Clippings

402395

2.48 metres of textual material (17 boxes)

Kalamazoo (Aust.) Ltd. are office systems suppliers of Lane Cove, N.S.W. Kalamazoo was the trade name given by English printing house Morland & Impey Ltd for a loose-leaf binder constructed on a flexible thong principle which had just been invented in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA.

In December, 1915, Charles Howie Pty Ltd was set up by Charles E. Howie in Aberdeen Buildings, Collins Street, Melbourne, to market Kalamazoo loose leaf ledgers in Australia. In 1918, an agreement was reached between Charles E. Howie and Morland & Impey Ltd (now known as Kalamazoo Ltd) for the establishment of a joint company to be known as Kalamazoo (Aust) Pty Ltd, to "take over the entire Kalamazoo trade of the Commonwealth".

On 28th January, 1919, Kalamazoo (Aust) Ltd was incorporated and registered in Victoria with Australian and British capital, and Charles Howie was appointed Chairman and Managing Director. He held those positions until 1969. The new company absorbed Charles Howie Pty Ltd. Head Office was established in Sydney in the Swift & Co building, 16 Clarence Street. Melbourne office retained as branch premises..

In 1925, soon after the laying of the foundations for Sydney's Harbour Bridge, Kalamazoo erected a factory on Victoria Street, North Sydney in 1940. In 1927, Head Office moved to 330 George Street, Sydney. In 1929, Mr and Mrs Howie bought the shares of Morland & Impey Ltd and Kalamazoo (Aust) Ltd became a wholly owned Australian company.

Since 1944 Kalamazoo Australia maintained production of all the traditional products from its North Sydney plant with machinery and computer programmes delivering first class service and quality to make Kalamazoo one of the largest printing and solution companies in the Southern Hemisphere, Kalamazoo moved its plant to Sefton in the early 90's and then to Granville in 2003.

Following turbulent times in 2004 & 05, Kalamazoo was purchased by Colleagues Information Solutions, after which the Kalamazoo Group was formed. We are now producing the tried and trusted Kalamazoo products from our Perth plant with the group now employing over 60 people in its full time operation that runs around the clock.

Kalamazoo was a leader in the marketing of adding, accounting, addressing and punch card machines. In the 1920s and 1930s, Kalamazoo installed punch card systems in many Government and Australian businesses.

References:
Compiled from the collection
History of Kalamazoo, http://www.kalamazoo.com.au/history (accessed 28 February 2013)

BOXES 1-2
Charles Howie papers including loose-leaf bound notebooks relating to travels Europe and America, ledgers and business records of Kalamazoo, 1941-1968

Scrapbook ‘Family history in past and present centuries’ by Charles E. Howie with of newscuttings and draft notes for printed pamphlets, loose excerpts from periodicals and newspapers and genealogical records, 1911-1959

Letters of correspondence between Charles E. Howie and Members of United Stated Congress Washington D.C. with printed pamphlets, 1956

BOXES 3-7
Personal papers relating to Charles E. Howie and Eric Howie, business records, printed material, newscuttings and loose leaf bound ledgers relating to Kalamazoo 1918-1974 compiled in March 1978

BOXES 7-16
Business, accounts and financial records and printed periodicals relating to Kalamazoo (Aust.) Ltd, Howie family papers and Eric Howie personal papers as Chairman, ca. 1963-1996

BOX 17
Papers relating to the Howie family, 1924-1954, Eric Howie papers 1962-1974 and research material on Howie family history, compiled ca. 1970

Charles Howie papers as Managing Director collected by Eric Howie ca. 1963-1969 including papers relating to overseas travels, 1954-1965,

Beale Family History in Ireland written by Charles Howie, 1931? 1981?

Printed book ‘Clarks of Street History of Shoe Makers, 1825-1950’, prepared ca. 1950 by Lee Barber as part of 125th anniversary celebrations of C. & J. Clark Ltd

One Kalamazoo loose leaf binder folder

Copyright status:: In copyright - This collection has multiple rights owners
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Information upgraded as part of the Manuscripts Unprocessed eRecords Project 2012-2013

Other Kalamazoo (Aust.) Ltd. records are located at Y12572-Y12584 (MLMSS 1892).