Canvas workers to quit
RETIRING canvas worker John Wessels is getting close to the last stitches on a long career.
McGraths coowner Mr Wessels, of Dunedin, has been making and mending canvas products for the past 48 years.
He has done everything from making tents, awnings, trailer covers and signs, to handsewn repairs on oldfashioned suitcases.
Nowadays, he works more with PVC and plastic than canvas.
Mr Wessels turns 65 on Thursday, and he and business partner Bill McQueen (75) have decided to sell McGraths, which has been operating in Dunedin since the 1800s.
‘‘I think I have had enough now,’’ Mr Wessels said.
‘‘It’s time to do something different.’’
He began a canvasworker apprenticeship in 1973, making square canvas tents for Wintest Industries.
His first boss was his father, also a canvas worker.
One of his early tools was a pair of wool shears to cut canvas.
He learnt how to handsew, fold materials, lay them out, mark them, and splice rope.
‘‘That’s all a dying art,’’ he said.
Three years into the apprenticeship, Wintest became the Great Outdoors, in Turakina Rd, South Dunedin.
‘‘We used to do the tents for all of Australasia for the Great Outdoors.
‘‘It was a massive factory.’’
‘‘I would do all the cutting for up to 200 tents at a time.’’
When the factory closed in 1978, Mr Wessels began his 43year career at McGraths. A lot has changed.
‘‘We don’t make tents any more, because it’s all imported,’’ he said.
‘‘I do lots of banners for several signwriters in Dunedin.’’
His theory is ‘‘you look after your breadandbutter customers’’.
Among them were Palmers Mechanical, OceanaGold and Billington Transport Ltd, he said.
He had done a lot of work for firefighters, ambulance and rescue helicopter services.
Then there were offthestreet customers needing repairs for tents, caravan awnings and packs.
McGraths has had several locations, including at Prince, Manse, Great King, Hanover and High Sts and then finally 4a Hope St.
In 1998, the thenowner of McGraths offered to sell the business to Mr Wessels and Bill McQueen.
‘‘Bill and I have been partners for the last 23 years,’’ Mr Wessels said.
‘‘He has been a fantastic business partner.’’
Mr McQueen, who previously worked at Hillside, managed the accounts at McGraths while Mr Wessels worked on the tools.
They plan to retire at the end of March and the business is for sale.
Mr Wessels is married to Diane Wessels, a carer at Ross Home.
Now he wants to get back into trout fishing with his best mate Frank Van der Zanden.
‘‘We were doing it as kids but he continued with it whereas I had a very long break and am just getting back into it.’’