b'S R A EY LY R AE E H TOne big familyGeorge and Harry Weller have fondFor the men thatmemories of being kids at the Dixon &worked at Dixon &For those reminiscing about the early daysHaddon childrens Christmas parties, whereHaddon in the earlyof Dixon & Haddon, one word is a constant Santa would arrive to hand out presents. family. Not only was it a family owned-and- The pair met there long before workingdays, the company wasoperated business, for the men that worked attogether in the workshop. We practicallyalso their work family. Dixon & Haddon in the early days it was alsogrew up together, says George.their work family.Then there were games of cricketTwo thirds of their waking time was spentbehind the workshop, periodic barbeques to with workmates, reasons Bob. You had to getcelebrate a job well done and, like clockwork, along well together.Friday drinks. Everyone knew everyone else and, thanksIt was like one big family.to the rugby league grounding, they all likedBob notes that Dixon & Haddons extended similar things and the family culture grewfamilyall of the whnau that shared their from that. Bob had a genuine interest inloved ones with the companyplayed a major peoples lives and interests outside of work,part in its success. I would like to thank them and knew the name of every workers wife andall, particularly my wife Karyn. Without her their kids. support I would not have been able to devote One day stands out in George Leefesso much time to the business.memory. We were outside talking and Bob said to my old man, I look at you as a brother and I look at George as a son. Thats what Bob was like. Laurie gave Dixon & Haddon 35 yearsuntil he died in 2014, says Bob. At his funeral I said to his family, thank you for sharing him with us.29'