Draft:John Percy (Jack) McNamara - Regina Confections Ltd

Jack McNamara was a New Zealand businessman. He was founder and managing director of Regina Confections Ltd, New Zealand.

Born:  25 January 1908Aston Manor, Warwickshire, United KingdomDied: 13 March 1999 (age 91)                         Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand Occupation:           Founder and Managing Director of Regina Confections Ltd, NZ

Early Life ^[1]

Born into a working class family in Birmingham, England, in 1908, he was the eighth of nine children. The early death of his father led to the family emigrating to New Zealand in 1925 where they settled in Burnside, Dunedin. His first job in New Zealand was as a delivery boy on a horse-drawn bread cart. Later he worked for stock and station company Donald Reid & Co, where he caught the attention of the branch Manager, who encouraged him to study accountancy. Jack attended night school in Dunedin and qualified as a Registered Accountant.

A Confectionery Career ^[1]

His early accountancy roles and introduction into the world of confectionery production began with The Phoenix Company Ltd (later Mackintosh Caley Phoenix) followed by J Romison & Company Ltd (later to become Regina Confections Ltd). In 1937, the estate of Julius Romison put J Romison & Company Ltd up for tender. Jack McNamara, backed by a group of Dunedin investors, successfully tendered for the business for the sum of 875 pounds. Romison’s Confectionery Limited was established and Jack was appointed Managing Director.^[2]

The outbreak of World War II brought sugar and chocolate rationing, impacting factory production.  Jack, who had volunteered for the National Reserve in 1938, was called up for the army in 1940, where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant. After the war, Jack was the driving force behind a new, leading edge factory. The company considered sites in Dunedin, but ultimately settled on more favourably priced land in Oamaru, an Otago town which also offered readily available staff for the new factory. In 1946, the company name was changed from Romison’s Confectionery Limited to Regina Confections Limited^[3].

Public notice name change for Regina Confections 1946.

Construction of the Oamaru factory began in late 1946, but with post war supply shortages, it was not until 17 November 1949 that the new factory on the Thames Highway was officially opened by the Minister of Industries & Commence, the Honourable Arnold Nordmeyer.^[4] Jack oversaw several company expansions.^[5] In 1954 a joint venture was set up between Regina & Scanlen’s Goblin Sweets Pty Ltd (Australia) to manufacture chewing gum. The company was known as Chewing Gum Products NZ Ltd. By 1960 a chewing gum agency had been negotiated with Topps, the largest chewing gum manufacturer in the world and branch warehouses had been set up in the main centres of New Zealand.^{[2] [6]}

Published in Otago Daily Times, 18.11.49.

Regina Confections Staff Photo August 1956 (Jack McNamara seated front row, 8th from left).

In 1963, Regina became a Public Company, and in 1965, Jack became Chairman as well as continuing his role as Managing Director.  At this time, Regina employed around 130 staff. In 1970, Jack presided over the completion of a chewing gum factory in Regina Lane, a joint venture between A.W. Allen Ltd (formerly Scanlen’s Goblin Sweets Pty Ltd) and Regina. The chewing gum division became known as Allens & Regina Ltd.   Jack remained the senior executive of both Companies until 1983. His involvement with confectionery, chocolate and chewing gum manufacturing ended with his retirement as a Director in 1986, after nearly 50 years at the helm.

Sweet Success

Under Jack’s directorship Regina manufactured a wide range of confectionery for the New Zealand market including marshmallows, fruit-gums & jellies, toffees and bubble gum. Popular products included Chocolate Fish, Fruit Puffs, Big Charlies, Bubble Gum Collector Cards and the iconic Pineapple Chunks.

Community and Interests^[1]

Jack McNamara also played an active role in the local community.  He was on the executive and Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, an executive member of the Otago-Southland Manufacturers’ Association and Chairman of the North Otago division. He was also on the  executive of the North Otago Progress League, a member of the Oamaru Fire Board, and president of the Oamaru Rotary Club. He served on the Oamaru Borough Council for six years and was Chairman of the Finance Committee. He had a long association with the Royal Forest and Bird Society, and in his retirement continued his keen interest in golf.  He was a supporter of St Luke’s Church and of the Forrester Gallery.

Personal

In 1932 Jack married Evelyn Boswell and they subsequently had three sons: Deryk, Malcolm and Kent. The boys worked in the factory during their school years at Waitaki Boys High School. In later years, eldest son, Deryk was on the Board of Directors of Regina for 18 years (1963-1981) and Allens & Regina for 15 years (1966-1981). Jack lived a full life and died at his home at Oamaru on 13 March 1999. He is survived by his two eldest sons, eleven grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.

References

^[1]  Obituary of John (Jack) Percy McNamara, The Oamaru Mail, 7 April 1999.

^[2] History of Rainbow Confectionery, https://web.archive.org/web/20090428063332/http://www.rainbowconfectionery.co.nz/rc-history.html

^[3]    Public Notice 1946: Name Change Announcement, by JP McNamara.

^[4] “Factory Opened - Employment for Seventy: Valuable Local Industry” Otago Daily Times 18 November, 1949

^[5]  Regina Confections Industry with NZ - Wide Market: North Otago, On the March The Oamaru Chamber of Commence & North Otago Progress League, 1959.

^{[6]  “}We are here to stay and we mean business” Magazine advertisement (no date?).