"Lance Hill's brother-in-law Harold Ling returned from the war and joined him to form a partnership in 1946. Ling became the key figure in expanding the production and marketing of the Hills Hoists."My mum's Uncle Rol, Harolds brother, was a part of the team with the firm. Hills Hoists started with an idea to get into business, between two founders [0] during WW2.
The problem: If you were a housewife with kids there was no easy way to hang clothes. [1] String a rope between two poles was the common way to do things. Two problems, you need two sturdy poles and have to move to hang clothes. The company started in at home in Glenunga, Adelaide. Here is view of the order book and Glen Osmond Road factory in '46. [2] Every year after that the company size grew, the factory in '47 [3] and so did the team. [4]
If you were a house wife in the 40s, 50s and you needed dry clothes this was the way to do it. [5] There was another manufacturer on the market (Gilbert Tonnes #24553/25 - 1925) [6] but the patent for the winder (gearbox to raise and lower the hoist) expired. It was only in the 50's did Hills decide to file patent on the winding mechanism. [6] I'm not sure how Hills avoided patent infringement here but eventually the Toyne patent expired and on 22nd March, 1956 the patent was applied for the winding mechanism (crown wheel and pinion). [7]
By the 60's the factory had grown somewhat [8] and the move to diversification started. From Hoists, play equipment, then TV servicing, Television antennas, exhausts and electronics. All this was made possible by two founders, and a good core team.
This is what a manufacturing startup looked like in the late 40's, and 1950s. By the 80's this was a billion dollar company that by the 60s expanded into the UK and overseas. If you look through the photos you really get an idea of how many people were employed and what kind of scale the production was.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsholdingsltd/page2
Most kids who grew up in Australia in my generation, had one of these contraptions in the back yard [9] to swing, hang-off and use in ways not thought of by the founders. [10]
I last saw mums uncle Rol at my grand mothers funeral in '85. He'd travelled from Adelaide that hot summer and we talked about his war service (Tobruk) and Hoists. Rol offered a job in the electronics division (Antennas), but I was at Uni at that time, declined and thanked him. Computers were my fascination.
Reference
[0] https://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsholdingsltd/8512016128
[1] https://au.pinterest.com/pin/393009504952667831/
[2] http://nationaltreasures.nla.gov.au/3E/Treasures/item/nla.in... / https://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsholdingsltd/8531995775
[3] https://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsholdingsltd/8531994695/
[4] https://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsholdingsltd/8511081973/
[5] https://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsholdingsltd/8510969367/
[6] http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/ols/auspat/pdfSource.do?f... (pdf) / http://s742.photobucket.com/user/bazza4338/media/Stampboards...
[6] This is the gear mechanism patented https://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsholdingsltd/8532993704/
[7] http://www.dinkumaussies.com/INVENTION%2FLance%20Hill.htm
[8] https://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsholdingsltd/8533529532
[9] https://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/5721585751
[10] https://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsholdingsltd/8511172789/
