ARGENTINE FOSTER FAMILY John Deere times (1973-1975)

THE FOSTER-TUDURI/OLIVES FAMILY

John Deere Parts Department, 1973-1975

Manager: Ing. Jorge Montoto

Secretary: Teresita Belfiori

Spare-parts department personnel   -   Farewell cocktail to Mr.Alan Clewell

So I was transferred to this department. At first I thought I would be given a “desk Job”, which, after all these years of traveling to and fro I would not have been able to withstand.

However Jorge and I had, developed a very good companionship. He was an excellent person and Teresita was a very good and efficient secretary as were most of the girls within the Company.

We had long meetings with Jorge to be able to plan out my future job. So, finally, it was decided that I should visit some dealers and inspect their Spare-Parts Department. At the same time we once more set our eyes on the spare-parts plan that had been presented to dealers previous years and apply it to actual parts sales.

It was a good plan for those years where computers did not exist. The organization depended on it as it had a list of parts that dealer should have in stock and of fast demand, those of little demand and those that had no need have in stock and could depend from JD factory. This was the way to invest in parts of fast financial turn-over. It also presented a balance sheet where Dealer could calculate his investment turn-over.

So off I went to visit different dealers to inspect their parts department. On my return, once again had long meetings with Jorge, reporting that what I had found that few dealers did apply the plan but not properly; Another difficulty discovered, was that many dealers applied all their effort to the sale of tractors and implements and Parts Departments were not well managed and had a tremendous investment in non-movable parts: what we called dead investments.

So finally we decided to propose to JD Management the schooling, in different parts of the country, where not only the dealer would attend but also the Spare-parts Managers. This was accepted and we started mapping out the territories where the meetings would take place, taking into account the geographical importance.

We also filmed a movie comparing the sale of original parts business. The film was based on the series of “The Untouchables” with Elliot Ness and Frank Nitti. But instead of “bootlegging” alcohol it was applied to original JD Spare Parts against the market copies. This film was first presented at the beginning of the meetings and it became a great success.

Once set, the commercial meetings were held in the following territories: Tucuman, Mendoza, Rafaela (Prov.of Sta.Fé), Corrientes, Concordia (Entre Rios), and in the province of Buenos Aires: the towns of 25 de Mayo, Mar del Plata and Bahía Blanca. The course lasted three whole days and we also introduced the idea of self serving promotion stands.

Pormotion stand

The opportunity was also taken to make a big “splash” in the local newspapers:

Click to enlarge

They were very good meetings and helped to a better contact with dealers and their parts Managers.

Ending every meeting an exam was taken on how parts should be ordered.

These meetings became such a success that we decided to, during 1974, apply them again. However there was an important issue.  Only the Spare-Parts Managers were invited and they all took place in the city of Rosario (Prov. of Santa Fe). For before the meetings took place all managers were taken on a long tour visiting John Deere’s factory and its great potential. 

It all took several weeks as we had groups of up to 15 people. After excellent lunches work carried on during the afternoon. Evenings were free.

This was not the only thing we worked up during these two years: based on what was being offered in JD in the States I contacted a well known local factory and developed a radio that could withstand rough weather.

When the radio was presented and tried, it was adopted by the Company, and with all JD730 tractors sold, the radio was applied.

Being the first ones in the market we had arranged with the manufacturer that we would be exclusive for one year. As soon as the year was up other tractor factories copied our style.

The presentation of this radio took place in the city of Pergamino (Prov.of Bs.As.) and about 20 JD730 units with the radio installed were paraded round town synchronized with the local radio where the news of the parade was being informed.  Neighbors came out to the streets. Another good hit.

There is always a funny story to these happenings: one farmer commented to one of our dealers that “on Monday mornings, takes place, amongst the tractor drivers, a race to get on the tractor with the radio.”

In those days tractors were sold without the cabin. These were provided by several factories specialized in their manufacture.  We had noticed that they had no heating system for the operator. Normally he kept his feet warm thanks to the warmth of the motor. So we developed a heater specially adapted to the cabin…which was also a success.

During the first months of 1975 we decided to have a competition amongst Dealers Spare-Parts Managers. So they were invited to head office in Buenos Aires and an exam was taken on administration of their departments applying our plan.  Most of them were very good… So as a reward the two Managers with the highest score were presented with a trip for two people each for a week in San Carlos de Bariloche (Prov. of Rio Negro) all expenses included.

Private life.

As to our personal life during these years, not only consisted in traveling to different area of the country but continued, with Antonia, to attend different dues and parties. By 1975 my sons were of an age of:

Henry17, Charlie 15, Derek 13, Stevie 11 and Brian 9 years of age and doing not so bad a school and sports.    

Our holidays in February were spent by the sea side in the beaches of Miramar and Necochea.

However, February 1975 was quite different: we packed our “Estanciera” with all the necessary items, including tents, and drove towards Cinco Saltos to visit old friends.

We left home one early morning crossing all the South-West of the Province of Buenos Aires (route 5 passing through important towns of Bragado, 9 de Julio, Pehuajo,Trenque Lauquen, etc.) the and spent the night at an hotel in Santa Rosa (Capital city of the province of La Pampa). The following morning continued down to General Acha and then route 152 passed by the hill Lihuel Calel up to Puelches and  then right down  to the town of Chelforó right on the banks of the Rio Negro. Here we took out easy chairs and had some lunch while we watched swans passing by.

By the banks of the Rio Negro at Chelforó

During the afternoon arrived in Cinco Saltos, said hello to friends and settled at the Lago Pellegrini where Caroline Ackerblad had loaned us a house on the lake.

CLICK TO SEE MAP

We remained there for over a week where we rowed and swam most days. Evenings were spent visiting friends or the surrounding area.

One occasion, which we often remember with Antonia and the boys, was:  We were invited for dinner at the Ruca Carel club which was situated amongst the farms. In the dark of night, near the club, my car lights broke down.  So the only solution I could think of was getting Henry to sit on the bonnet of the car and with a heavy duty torch, slowly drove till we found the Clubs light.

Watching the filling up of Cerros Colorados dam.

From Cinco Saltos, after saying goodbye to old friends we continued our journey towards San Antonio Oeste  Once there we visited our friends Elisabeth and Osvaldo Baraschi. Who were kind enough to take us to “Las Grutas” beach where we pitched up our tents. We had a wonderful dinner at the Baraschi´s home consisting of very fresh sea food.

At the beach there were hardly any people those days as it was all quite wild, so we had an excellent time swimming and playing in the sea.

After a few days we departed towards the capital city of the province of Rio Negro, Viedma. Small town in those days (18.000 inhabitants- today 50.000). We pitched our tents at a camping site and enjoyed the “El Condor” beach. I took the opportunity to visit the farms of I.D.E.V.I. where I was most welcome.

We were not far from “La Lobería” where hundreds of seals and sea elephants lived and could be seen. 

http://adventuresoflands.wordpress.com/

Our last night in the beach ended in disaster. After dinner and whilst sleeping in out tents we were caught by a very strong storm, rough winds, thunder and pouring rain flooded the whole area. Many of the tents just were torn away, amongst them ours. So with Antonia, Henry and Charlie guided the smaller boys to the car and returned to pick up our completely wet belongings and threw them at the back of the car. We remained sitting and watching other people running all over the place and then look for refuge in their cars.

It was around 4 a.m. and we were all very wet but we slept a little and when the storm abated we started our way home. We stopped on the route to Bahia Blanca, by then thanks to the warmth of the car we were nearly dry, and had a very good hot breakfast and we were off on our way.

We returned by route 3, arriving at the town Olavarría by midday and after a good lunch I decided to drive straight home which we did after driving around 1000 Kms. Arriving well but tired.

CLICK TO SEE MAP

However, once again Argentina was in a political turmoil, so everything came to a stop. I occasionally went traveling inspecting dealers Spare-parts offices. But my personal situation, within the Company was of frustration as I did not see a clear future neither a sufficient income.

The months went by until October and we were invited to a course at the factory in Rosario (Sta.Fe) .There we were finally informed of a series of new tractors were coming into the market.

So away were to go the JD730 and JD445 and instead a very modern set of tractors: JD2330 (45H.P.), 2530 (61 H.P.), 2730 (75 H.P), 3530 (92 H.P.), 4530 (106H.P.) all with new High-Low transmission.

DJ 730 at Santa Fe factory

The official launching took place during that October, in the city of Paraná (Prov.of Entre Rios). All dealers and ranking personnel of John Deere of all the country were present. It all started during the evening, with a cocktail party followed by an excellent dinner. After which we were shown into a large amphitheatre and a very merry musical show, with known songs applied to the new tractors. We even had the presence of the famous Juan Carlos Calabró who made us laugh with his charming jokes.

And then entered the scene, one by one, each of the new models. The uproar and the clapping by all present were spectacular. A night never to be forgotten.

The following day we all had lunch at a big local club and slowly we all returned home.

As a token we all received a record with all the played tunes titled: “JOHN DEERE MEJORO LO MEJOR” which I still keep amongst my records

And the following diploma:

After this show we were all sent to different areas to make a public presentation on the new models, I was sent to Roque Saenz Peña (Prov.of Chaco) with the dealer Don Andrés Parra whom we were in excellent terms.

We had a cocktail party for the local authorities and the press and then made the announcement which was published the following day in the local paper.

On my return I had an interview with our Vice-president to explore what  future I could expect within the Company. I was informed that only if I took up administrating another territory which would take me to live inland once again I could remain in JD. Of course, I could not do so due to the boys schooling. So, after deep thinking, I decided to visit my old friend from the cattle-buying days, Ronnie Bryant, who was then Manager of the British Chamber of Commerce and we had a bit of a chat. A few days later I was called in for an interview with a General Manager of a company commercializing locally made motors and gen-sets and was seeking for a Sales Manager, as he was returning to England. The position and salary were quite tempting. So after much thought I accepted the offer to a new experience and a change of life.

I was very sorry to depart from John Deere: the training, knowledge and contacts all over the country were so great that it served me for the rest of my working life in different jobs I had during the years as may be seen in my C.V. that follows:

Even today, there are many of the old dealers of my time which I drop into their office and I feel most welcome.

 MOTOR AND GEN-SETS (1975-1978)                                    

ANY FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT CLICKING HERE

Photographic edition by Julio E. Foster. Click for more info.

ARGENTINE FOSTER FAMILY STORY (Part 4 Continued)

The Fosters/Tuduri Olives

John Deere time (1969-1972)

So on the 2ⁿ  of January 1969 I started working in the fairly new established Industrial Department. 

We had the following Industrial Machinery to offer in the local market:

JD200 loader and backhoe and JD730 tractor, both totally built in JD factory in Argentina (refer to previous photo)

On the other side we imported JD760, JD770 Motor Graders and the JD440 Logger:

Although this equipment was for moving logs many clients used it as a front end dozer. Cleaning the smaller trees within the area and leaving the land clear so that the larger trees were available for felling and carting to the saw-mill.

The Industrial Department was manned by the following:

            Manager:                      Edgardo Albertí

            Territory Managers:      Julio Pagani, Powlovsky, Derek Foster

Industrial dealers were named and organized in important areas in the country: San Fernando (Buenos Aires), Tucumán, Corrientes, Córdoba, Mendoza, Comodoro Rivadavia (Chubut), Río Grande (Tierra del Fuego).

I personally named Taverna Hermanos in the town of Olavaria (Buenos Aires).

We attended thorough schooling on the different Industrial and Agricultural models at John Deere factory in Granadero Baigorria, near Rosario, in the province of Santa Fé.  All attending the courses received the following diplomas:

They were three excellent years full of new experiences.

Our first job was traveling down to Viedma (Rio Negro) together with the Mechanic Division for the delivery and service of all the sold JD760 Motor scrapers to be used to open the irrigation waterways for the I.D.E.V.I. (Instituto de Desarrollo del Valle Inferior del Rio Negro).

We became very efficient in attending National, Provincial and Municipal administrations, where we offered, in public tenders, reasonable prices against other competitive companies. Many motor graders were sold this way especially to Municipalities as it was ideal equipment for leveling earth roads.

A big tender was “bagged” in the following way: we presented our bid to the Provincial Road Building in the province of Corrientes for 60 JD730 tractors which we lost. However, as soon as competitor’s prices were known they were informed to main office and we set a very reasonable price for a tender we won, for 160 JD730 tractors to the Road Building Association in the Province of Buenos Aires.

Social life:

No sooner we arrived back home, from Patagonia, we became members of the Lomas Athletic Club together with my friend  Charlie Dodds and picked up playing tennis together with our wives Esther and Antonia. Also became members Mariana and Roberto Didoné. Our sons and daughters were trained in Rugby and Hockey.

On Saturday mornings we used to play a foursome with Sonny Whickham, Charlie Dodds, Donald Savage. On Sundays tennis was played with Charlie and Esther against Antonia and I after which we would all have lunch with all other friends.

At home: Charlie,Jackie,Antonia,Derek,Esther and Charlie (Jr.)

All these years we also attended the Caledonian Balls and the “Camp Week Show” at the Strangers Club starring good old “Chaco Kember” and his crowd of Merry Makers.

During 1970 with Antonia we decided to enlarge our house. To that affect I sold a plot of land I had bought in Cinco Saltos, with plans that, if we decided to settle there, build our own home. With the Chocón dam and advancement within the area, the price of land became so interesting that when I sold it we were able to enlarge our house a further 80 square meters.

Finished enlargment.
Notice: no iron bars in those days.

As the enlargement was taking place and we were arriving to the month of July 1970 and our boys were about to start their School Winter Holidays I foresaw a total family disaster so we urgently took an Austral flight to Tucuman and spent two lovely weeks with my brother and his family at the camp in the Pre-Cordillera

When the flight landed in Tucuman, at the airport was my brother Digby with his car and no sooner we had our luggage, drove the 100 Kms. North to the “estancia”.

We were received by Digby´s wife Estela and all four nieces and nephew (all slightly older than our sons). The cousins, as usual, were friendly amongst themselves and had a very good time riding horses and up to mischief.  

The “estancia” was, I believe, about 40.000 Hects. and parts of them were spread amongst the mountains of the Andes.  So, there was a lot of territory to explore.

Brian, Mariquita, Charlie, María Inés, Digby, Henry, Carola, Derek, Stevie, Patricia. All Fosters

Antonia. At the far back the Andes Mountains.

Foster cousins on horse back at the estancia

Antonia and myself about to go on a ride.

Back to horses

We rode our excellent horses, to the most extraordinary sites; up mountains, plains or rivers. Amongs them the Tala, Barburin, and others. Except for the Rio Tala, that limits the provinces of Tucuman and Salta, the other rivers just flowed a trickle of water. Yet, during summer, with snow melting up the mountains they all could become an avalanche of roaring water and bouncing stones. One summer there was a Catholic School camping near by one of these rivers when one of the foremen heard the noise and galloped at top speed and managed to sound the alarm. Priests and schoolboys quickly left the place but all their belonging were swept away. 

Another time, a few years later following the trail I often rode my horse by the bed of the Barburin river the road had completely disappeared due to an avalanche.  

On this occasion we had arrived on time for the annual branding which was good fun. During the winter months, pastures, up the mountains, become scarce and cattle tend to come down to the plain seeking forage. That was time when the stray cattle was enclosed in paddocks and served by pedigree Brahma bulls.

So we trooped all the cattle into the pens and started parting the calves from their mothers. I had never worked with this breed of cattle before but to make a roundup was something crazy….  cows would go all over the place, break down pens, jump the fences, gallop away, stop and stare from afar. They could be real devils.

The calves having been parted and the mothers led away the branding started. The peones, on foot, trying to lasso the calves were not so good at it. My dear brother Digby had explained how it was done in Corrientes (refer to Saddle Bums). So I had no choice than to run, get calves by the ear and mouth, turn its head and down it would go. Right away his legs would be tied and then dehorned, castrated and check for injuries to be cured and, finally, branded.

After this rough treatment many calves would get up in a bad mood and charge the nearest person about. That is how I nearly was thrown into the cattle dip trough.

That July the weather was especially good: very warm days and cold nights. On one occasion that we walked all the way to the Tala river, towards midday, whilst crossing over a bridge of a fallen tree one of my boys “fell” into the water and all cousins followed suit having an excellent time in their daily clothes totally wet. No harm done they all sloshed their way back home.

Digby had a very good assortment of fire arms. So, at times we got into the Jeep with all the ”artillery” and drove off to practice shooting. During one of these outings we met a deer chewing away at the corn harvest. We stopped the jeep and watched it for a while, my brother’s eyes and mine met and without a word drove away, having decided it was to pretty to kill.

And so the two weeks holydays ended returning home finding that the house enlargement was nearly finished.

We returned to the estancia in Tucuman for Christmas 1971, where we also had a wonderful time but as the swimming pool had not yet been built so we spent most of the mornings at the river Tala where good fights flogging river weeds and mud took place amongst us all.

However, on this trip, arriving at midday we saw a funny happening: frogs were coming out frantically from everywhere. We did not quite understand the reason for this until the children called out “snake”. They had found, at the back of the house a “Yarará” snake. One of the elder boys got a stick and pinned its head but it became loose and hid under a large fallen tree. As a toad came down the veranda the snake, with great speed, came out of hiding, bit the toad trying to drag it under the tree. Digby took his 38 calibre revolver and shot the snakes head off. And that was that.

During that year of 1970 a satellite dish was installed between the towns of Balcarce and Mar del Plata. The manager was Otto Nielsen who had been at school with me.

However, this news played within our family in the following way: my Father-in-Law Antonio, an engineer working in the firm Transradio, and many others, with the satellite communications working, were left without a job during 1971. Meanwhile, in Spain, Dictator Franco signed an amnesty law allowing all those that had fought in the Civil War (1936/39) on the Republican side to return home and to their old job.

So, in 1972 we saw my in-laws return to Minorca, after so many years (in Antonio’s case since the year 1939). They lived happily for some years back in the midst of their family until Antonio suffered a stroke and within a month he had been very handsomely pensioned off as he was unable to work again.

 After this my In-laws returned to Argentina. But until Antonio’s death in 1984 they traveled to Mahon, Minorca, every year, to spend the summer months with their family by the Mediterranean, sea side.

1972 also marked being able to buy my first car from Alvarez who worked in the accounting department. It was what we called locally an “estanciera” a large utility unit that would fit all my family.

Myself and my Estanciera.

As my sons continued their studying at St. Michael’s College Antonia that was fluent in French, having lived in Paris during 1947/1950, entered in the fourth year of Alliance Française after which majored in French Literature and two special courses that would allow her to teach, which she did for many years and St. Patrick’s, St.Alban´s, and at the Alliance.

Back in John Deere the rough internal policy continued: American personal were made to return to the States due to the local political situation. Pawlovsky, Julio Pagani, Fred Bowden, Mr. John Kirton (Accountant Manager) and others I cannot recall also left JD.

As to me, when I walked one Monday morning of 1971 I was called to my boss’s office being informed that as from that moment I belonged to the Accounting Department together with Phillip Fuller.

I was not surprised of the change but I was so for Phillip as he was a specialist in Spare-Parts – and

very good at his job.

So we were bunged into a small office and explained that our job was to finish all commercial ties with ex-dealers who were in debt with the Company. In fact what had happened, and by no cause, we had been “honorably” demoted. This came to my knowledge quite a few years later.

As far as I recollect there were three rough dealers to catch up with.  One in Santa Fe, another in Tucuman and one in the province of Buenos Aires.

I took Santa Fe and Tucuman. If at the beginning I was upset at this change having Tucuman I foresaw week-ends at my brother’s estancia.

I started with Santa Fé, very nice people. We went out hunting their clients all over the territory and got good response. So much so that that account was shortly closed.

Then on to the province of Tucuman, had a wonderful time. Started by, together with the dealer, visiting all their clients. Saw a lot of my brother and had a good contact with the dealers of the city of Tucuman, Carlino Hermanos. Who later branched out: one as agricultural dealer and the other took on the industrial line.

With this ex-dealer at the South of the province of Tucuman I took the same policy as in Santa Fe: that is, with a partner we went out to visit farmers to get them to pay up. This territory took me six months of traveling and slowly but surely we were able to cash in. However there were a few clients the dealer always found difficulties to visit. The situation became so strained that, finally, dealer confessed that they had kept the money. I informed our office and they sent out a Company Auditor, Sr. Bonora, to arrange the final payment and legal matters involved.

I passed on to give a helping hand to Phillip Fuller who had a hard nut to crack and was finding many difficulties with the dealer in the province of Buenos Aires.

The matter was that it was not Phillip’s “piece of cake” as was really, as commented before; he excelled in “Spare-Part” business. He was an excellent person, a veteran of WW2, quiet and very good companion. At our job together we had very many interesting conversations.  However, I did not really know, at the time if he was ill or not, but I often sat in the office with him, or whilst traveling he did not look well. As the months went by he felt worse and finally was taken to home/hospital never to return again.  Quite sometime later I went to say farewell to him at his funeral at the Scotch Church in town.

One of the experiences he mentioned, I will never forget, was having done his military service in Argentina he traveled to England during WW2 as a volunteer. At his first army drill he had the sergeant in charge called him out and pointed “you’ve been in the army before”.

So I traveled South of Buenos Aires to give assistance to Phillip. Having had the experience in Tucuman I immediately jumped to the conclusion that here were not innocent people.

So after a few times we went out with the dealer in his pick-up we realized we were going around in circles. I returned to main office, requested a car and together with Phillip we went to visit customers on our own. When we got to the bottom of the problem we were in a position to assume the dealer had kept the money. So one morning we got the dealer into our pick-up and took him strait to the farmer that had the largest debt and let them clear up the matter. Farmer was so angry he pulled a knife on the dealer. I still do not know how we were able to calm down the man.

So a day later our Company Auditor, Sr. Bonora, popped in and once again ended all payments and legal matters involved. 

So a job that was calculated would take two years was finished in less than one.

And so it came to pass that I was sent to work at the Spare-Parts Department where I also picked up a very good marketing experience.

Faithful JD730 tractor at work at Monte Hermoso beach february 2014

To be continued: SPARE-PARTS DEPARTMENT. (1973-1975)
ANY FURTHER INFORMATION
PLEASE CONTACT CLICKING HERE
Photographic edition by Julio E. Foster. Click for more info.