Robert G. Garvie set up his own business in Bon Accord Lane, Aberdeen, in 1895 to make and sell a range of agricultural implements and machines, including threshing mills.
In 1966 the business was “very busy” with orders – for Africa. The success of the business was recorded in the Aberdeen evening express of 24 August 1966:
“Aberdeen firm wins big order for machines
An Aberdeen engineering firm has received an order worth £45,000 from East Africa to build and export 20 rice threshing machines.
The order came, despite “fierce opposition” from similar firms in America, to the Aberdeen-based firm of R. G. Garvie and Sons, engineers, millwrights and joiners, 2 Canal Road.
A spokesman for the firm said that it is the only one in Britain to produce the machines, which are all-steel construction.
They will go to Mali, in east Africa, where rice production is being stepped up.
The machines, costing £2250 each and of the firm’s own design, are expected to keep the 40 men employed at Canal Road “very busy indeed” from October, when building starts, will December.
Metal
A further 30 employees at a subsidiary firm, the Enterprise Sheet Metal Works will also be kept busy supplying metal for the machines.
The spokesman added: “A representative from Mali called on us recently and was shown through our works and had a chance to see the rice threshing machine. He was very impressed.
“It was as a result of his visit that we received the order-against fierce opposition from America”, he added.”
