Richard William Vincent Izard

1 Nov

The circular saw-blade company, once owned by Richard Izard is was for a time one of the country's most successful businesses.

Wanganui-born Izard, educated at Wanganui Collegiate School and Massey Agricultural College, returned to the land as a major sheep and cattle breeder after a spectacular foray into manufacturing.

He established Izard Manufacturing Company at Wellsford, north of Auckland, in 1980 with state assistance. During his ownership, the company became the largest producer of tungsten carbide-tipped saw blades in the world, supplying between 30 and 40 per cent of the American home-handyman market.

When the company was sold to Irwin International in 1991, it was employing 200 Wellsford people and had a turnover of $50 million.