b'CHAPTER 04GROWTH AND ACQUISITIONSIN THE 1970S, AUSTRALIA WAS EXPERIENCINGIt turned out to be a great move. Almost as soon RAPID ECONOMIC EXPANSION AND SOCIALas they were finished, the sheds were rented and CHANGE, WHICH INCLUDED A LOT OF RESIDENTIALfilled up. So we built another ten, and another, until DEVELOPMENT AND GENTRIFICATION. This createdeventually we had about a hundred of them there opportunities for Andy and Nev, who were ready to rentat Moorebank, Andy says. And we said, Hey, this out whatever people needed to build their dream home.is going okay. It was one of those things that just It was a decade of growth and acquisitions for both theclicked, creating a demand for something the market business and the families. While greenfield locationsdidnt even know it wanted. By 1979, Kennards were opened, the brothers also moved into acquiringMini Storage had changed its name to Easi-Stor, and existing businesses. opened a branch in Queensland.In the first two years of the decade, they jumped atTIME TO GROWBUT IN THE RIGHT WAYthe chance to purchase more than an acre of land withWith the mini storage a hit, Kennards decided to try industrial zoning in the growing residential and industrialanother venture in 1977a joint venture in Conveyor area of Moorebank, and relocated the Greenwich storeand Hoist Rentals with Barry Newton. This also proved to Herbert Street, Artarmon, after complaints fromto be a success, and the idea of separate, specialised neighbours about firing up jackhammers and chainsawsbusiness units took hold. Some worked better than in the wee hours of the morning. They also entered aothers; the U-Do-It Self-Service Centre opened and joint venture with Noel Fearon in Lambton, Newcastle,closed within five years.creating Kennard-n-Fearon Hire. They also bought out Fasta Equipment Hirea crummy little joint accordingTo ensure the branches ran efficiently and cohesively, to Nevin Ipswich, Queensland, representing their firstNev drew up daily, weekly and monthly duty rosters, foray out of New South Wales. which included the three oclock clean-up that is still in place today. Andy and Nev invested time into creating As the Kennards Hire footprint grew, so did its range.systems that could easily be followed, and trained The firm pioneered aerial access equipment in Australiastaff to be able to handle whatever came up, so the with the purchase of two Get Smart fifteen-foot scissorbrothers were free to take many fact-finding trips and lifts, and opened the U-Do-It Self-Service Centre at 204attend overseas conventions, something they both Wyndham Street, Alexandra. It was also around thisloved to do. They developed an employee manual Opposite Fastatime that Andy and Nev decided to branch out into awith a red hardcover that included information about Equipment Hire,new venture, once again copying a great idea they hadthe companys history, philosophy and expectations. Bundamba, 1972. come across in the United States: self-storage. All stores were given a standardised layout so that customers were satisfied with the cleanliness and Self-storage was unheard of at the time and theorganisation of the environment. It was a far cry from brothers did wonder whether it would catch on. Afterthe scrappy, disorganised yards of the operators of the all, everyone had their own sheds, so who would wantday, and customers took notice. to rent a garage to put stuff in there? But they saw the potential and constructed ten sheds at the back of theDespite their success, with merchant bankers willing lot at Moorebank, which became Kennards Mini Storageto throw money at them, Andy and Nev decided to in 1974. always be conservative with their borrowings. This was'