b'S R A EY LY R AE E H TChapter 1Dixon & Haddon:The back storyDixon & Haddon was formed when straighten them out so he promoted her to but not before throwing in some extraBob Haddon set up shop with Barry the finance role. land and extending Bobs lease for anotherand Judy Dixon at Span Farm in 1972.When Barry and Judy got together theyfive years. It was a family affairBarry and Judywere living in Royal Oak, while Bob wasMeanwhile, Les Collins steel fabrication were a married couple, having tied thestaying with his parents in Mt Roskill. business went bust. Not wanting to lose a Barry was a harrier runner and when Bobclient, the steel merchants proposed Barry knot in 1960, and Bob was a youngerwas training for rugby league, the pair wouldtake over the business. He did, renaming it brother to Judy. But their story beginsrun long distances together. Barry Dixon Ltd. Barry and Judy mortgaged much earlier. Bob and Barry ended up working togethertheir house and the merchants financed them at a steel fabricator owned by a chap calledfor five years, but we paid them off in three, Bob got his start in the railways as anLes Collins on Carr Road, Mt Roskill. After arecalls Barry.apprentice boilermaker, following in his dadswhile, Bob was keen to go it alone and in theThe trio remained close. Barrys workshop footsteps. He learnt from the best and cut hislate 60s he leased some land at Span Farm forhad a punch and shears machine and Bob teeth fixing locomotives. a pittance, moved into an old sheep shearingwould often be found there late in the Barry came from Wellington and wasshed on site and established Bob Haddon Ltd.afternoon using the machine to make cleats largely self-taught in the steel business. The shed was small and it leaked each timefor his own jobs. Then, when Bob announced He was very observant, read a lot and couldit rained. When it was dry, Bob preferred tohis desire to build a factory, Barry and Judy pick up anything if he put his mind to it.work outside.were interested in taking on the project as an When Judy left school she did a short stintSpan Farm land owner Bill Miller, ainvestment. The couple built a factory at Span at a grocery store then went on to work forgorgeous old fella, full of knowledge, took aFarm with a view to giving half of the space a painter. She found that his books were inshine to Bob. A couple of years after Bob setto Bob for his business and leasing out the poor shape and she took it upon herself toup there, Bill sold Span Farm to developers,remainder. However, the lease on the other 11'