General News
27 December, 2024
Chairman steps down
LES Gason is arguably one of Ararat’s most significant businessmen.
LES Gason is arguably one of Ararat’s most significant businessmen.
For decades, he has been at the helm of local manufacturing business A.F. Gason.
He’s seen a lot of change and employed a lot of people since starting at the company more than 60 years ago, but just before Christmas he officially retired.
At 83, Les has held a leadership role at the business almost all of his life.
“I started at the age of fifteen and I was looking after the business at sixteen and a half while my father was away crook for about six weeks.
“My father was the managing director and I had the capacity to get out and sell product,” he said.
“When I became 21, my father gave me the opportunity to buy a third share in the business, it was a partnership of three and after about four years we set up A.F. Gason Pty Ltd.”
Les said the company is conservative by nature and its success is due to operating within its means.
“My father got burnt out in 1951 (Christmas Eve) and at that stage he had an overdraft which was relatively small in today’s terms. At 10.30 that night, as he was looking at the ashes, the bank manager came up to him and said I want to see you in the office when we open after Christmas because we want to recall the debt.
“That said to my father, I’m going to instil it in my son to keep clear of debt and that’s what we’ve done.
“We have a philosophy of working within our capacity to pay not our capacity to borrow and that has served us well because if you take the agricultural industry, on a number of occasions it has gone flat.
Les said despite his departure from the board, the company was in good hands.
“I think it’s fair to say Wayne (Gason – Managing Director) has done an excellent job building up a relationship with a number of other very strong companies whereby we do a lot of sub contract work for them.
“Today you’ve got in the business the farm machinery business which has a couple of areas like broadacre, mowers so you’ve got that bit of flexibility. You’ve got the wood heater business which is another area and my grandson Morgan, who has just gone on the board, is the sales manages of that division and then you’ve got sub contracts which we have three of four major companies we supply product to all year round.
“That gives you that stability you haven’t got if you have one line of product only,” he said.
“I’m certainly confident of the family interest in Ararat. This last 12 months has been fairly tough for a lot of manufacturing businesses, the economy isn’t that buoyant. In our case, there will be a turnaround quite solidly in February, March and April. How strong that will be will is going to be dependent on when the election is held.
Les said while he is no longer on the board, he will still watch the progress of the company with interest.
“Being the major shareholder, I will still obviously have an interest,” he said.
Ararat Rural Council CEO Dr Tim Harrison said Les Gason has been an important part of Ararat’s growth and prosperity.
“A.F. Gason is a really important, multi generational employer in Ararat. They produce leading edge agricultural equipment, they’re a very agile and very well run company and Les has made a really big impact.
“He’s a really good operator, he’s very relatable and I’ve found him a pleasure to deal with,” Dr Harrison said.
“Gason is a critical part of our local economy. It doesn’t matter what else happens, it doesn’t matter what new businesses come to Ararat, companies like Gason will always be the cornerstone of our local economy, they’re here though thick and thin and a lot of that is down to Les.
“We should be very proud as a community of the contribution Les mas made,” Dr Harrison said.
Ballarat based Jessie Harman has replaces Les Gason as Chairman of the Gason board.