In the [accompanying] photograph, the first Chairman of S.A.S.S.D.A., Mr. Eric Stansfield, is seen thanking Mr. Gordon Ricketts on his retirement from the S.A.S.S.D.A. Management Committee. Mr. Ricketts has served on the Committee since the inception of the Association.
“Rickie”, as he is affectionately known among his many friends in the stainless steel world, first came into contact with stainless steel in 1946 when he joined Robor Limited, the company which he still represents. This was after service with the Natal Mounted Rifles in Abyssinia, Egypt and Italy.
When asked to compare the stainless steel market in 1946 with current demands, he recalled that “there were only two sink manufacturers in those days and they were using 18/8, 18 gauge material. In fact, there were only six major stainless steel fabricators on the Reef”. One consolation expressed by Mr. Ricketts is the fact that the price of stainless has dropped by approximately a third since 1946.