John Spalvins, (born Jānis Gunnars Spalviņš, 1936) in
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
, was Managing Director of the
Adelaide Steamship Company
The Adelaide Steamship Company was an Australian shipping company and later a diversified industrial and logistics conglomerate. It was formed by a group of South Australian businessmen in 1875. Their aim was to control the transport of goods b ...
from 1977 until the company's collapse in 1991. During this period under Spalvins' control, "Adsteam" became
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
's major corporate entity with interests and significant holdings in retailing, food, wine, dairy, hardware, building, banks, and numerous other companies.Damon Kitney (2011 "Spalvins breaks silence on Adsteam collapse" The Weekend Australian, 9–10 July 2011, pp 4, 25-26 "Spalvins built up one of Australia's largest industrial conglomerates, which took in David Jones,
Woolworths
Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to:
Businesses
* F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores
* Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shops ...
Tooth & Co
Tooth and Co was the major brewer of beer in New South Wales, Australia. The company owned a large brewery on Broadway in Sydney from 1835 until 1985, known as the Kent Brewery. It was historically one of Australia's oldest companies, having be ...
Spalvins spent the first 13 years of his life in Latvia before his mother brought him to Australia.
In 1957, aged 21, he became company secretary of Camlec where he remained until 1973. During this period he studied economics in the evenings earning a degree from the
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...
.
The Adelaide Steamship Company
In 1973, Adelaide Steamship's then managing director (and later chairman) Ken Russell head-hunted Spalvins to aid in revitalising the company. In 1977 Spalvins was appointed managing director, and in 1980 Spalvins and Russell commenced their acquisition and control of David Jones, followed through the 1980s by acquisition of numerous Australian "household names" including, but by no means limited to,
Tooth & Co
Tooth and Co was the major brewer of beer in New South Wales, Australia. The company owned a large brewery on Broadway in Sydney from 1835 until 1985, known as the Kent Brewery. It was historically one of Australia's oldest companies, having be ...
, (
Penfolds
Penfolds is an Australian wine producer that was founded in Adelaide in 1844 by Christopher Rawson Penfold, an English physician who emigrated to Australia, and his wife Mary Penfold. It is one of Australia's oldest wineries, and is currently p ...
,
KB Lager
KB Lager, named after the 'Kent Brewery', was once one of the most popular beers in NSW. It was popularised amongst a younger demographic by the fictional beer-swilling rugby league legend Reg Reagan as his beer of choice.
KB sponsored rugby lea ...
Bodalla Cheese
Bodalla is a small town on the South Coast, New South Wales, South Coast of New South Wales, Australia, and located in the Local government in Australia, local government area of Eurobodalla Shire. The town sits on the Princes Highway, and is con ...
,
Pura Milk
Pura may refer to:
Places
* Pura, Kushtagi, a village in Koppal district, Karnataka, India
* Pura, Iran, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran
* Pura, Tarlac, a municipality in the Philippines
* Pura, Switzerland, a municipality in Ticino, Swi ...
,
Peters Ice Cream
Peters Ice Cream is an Australian ice cream brand, now a subsidiary of European food firm Froneri. It was originally developed by an expatriate American, Frederick (Fred) Augustus Bolles Peters in 1907, using his mother's recipe.
History
The c ...
AWA
Awa (or variants) may refer to:
People
* Awa (given name), notable people named Awa or Hawa
* Awá (Brazil), an indigenous people of Brazil
* Awa-Kwaiker, an indigenous people of Colombia and Ecuador
Languages
* Awa language (China) or Wa (Va) ...
Woolworths
Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to:
Businesses
* F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores
* Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shops ...
).
Retirement
Following the collapse of the Adsteam share price, in March 1991 it was announced that Spalvins "would be terminated as an Adsteam employee". He departed on 5 July 1991.
For many years, Spalvins and his second wife Gale divided their time between "Kintyre", their home in
Springfield, South Australia
Springfield is a green and hilly inner-southern suburb of the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. It is located in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges, around south-east of the Adelaide city centre. The suburb is part of the hills- ...
, their villa on Hamilton Island, and their units in the United States. They continue to spend at least three months each year in the United States at their home in
Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley is a resort city in the western United States, in Blaine County, Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum in the Wood River valley. The population was 1406 at the 2010 census, down from 1427 in 2000."Do as I say, not as I do" The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 May 2004.Damon Kitney (2011 "Spalvins wants Indian miner to tell full story" The Australian, 8 March 2011Ian Porter (2004 The Age, 4 May 2004
Family
On 16 December 1961, Spalvins married Cecily Westall Rymill (b. 1939, d.14 April 1991). They had two sons. The Age, 19 October 2002.
After Cecily's unexpected death, aged 53, from a rare blood disease, Spalvins subsequently married Gale.
Australian Financial Review
''The Australian Financial Review'' (abbreviated to the ''AFR'') is an Australian business-focused, compact daily newspaper covering the current business and economic affairs of Australia and the world. The newspaper is based in Sydney, New Sou ...