Gooses: What's in a Name?

 

What's in a Name?

We get asked this often,  so I thought I would put pen to paper to let you know how the story goes:

Two mates, one an Aussie, and one a Kiwi. Neil Booth and Ian Campbell embark on their overseas adventure to Europe together. Picture this, these two lads sitting on their blankets outside their tent in a camping ground in Italy. A tourist bus pulls into the Camping Ground, and these tourists are buying the local t-shirts. And from there, the brainchild was launched.  They thought, 'we can print and sell t-shirts to these tourists and make some more beer money'.

Plan hatched, so they began their business venture in a tent in Italy.  Quickly they were making more than beer money, then Ian the Kiwi took off to London where he believed there was another market to conquer, and that was our national game Rugby.  He started selling supporter printed t-shirts to rugby followers. This could be a thing back home. So Ian and Neil hatched their Australian and New Zealand plan to print and sell t-shirts in their country of birth.

What will we call it?
That's bloody simple said the Kiwi -  we will name it after you. We cannot call it Neil said the Aussie. No, you silly bugger we will call it Gooses which is Neil's nickname. Neil has a reputation for doing silly and mischievous things and that is how the name was born.

Both of them returned to their native lands and embarked on setting up business in Christchurch and North Sydney. Ian began in his garage and each day dressed in his suit, his briefcase and his best smile, he would walk the streets of Christchurch selling his Tourist Tee Shirts. In no time at all the business grew and leasing of premises and hiring of staff was the next step. In the dizzy heights of Gooses NZ, there were 22 Printing and Factory staff plus Admin and Sales staff. All t-shirts were made and printed in Christchurch.  A huge proportion of all t-shirts were sold into New Zealand Tourist Shops countrywide, and Gooses was the first Company to be offering this service.  The tourist tee designs were award-winning, for being humorous, and uniquely Kiwi.

Whilst the business has changed, there are certain things we pay homage to, and that is of loyalty and good friendships.

Ian and Neil are still the closest of friends to this day.  

Both businesses are still going strong – all a testament to the strength of character and vision of two mates.

"a true friend is the greatest of all blessings"

(Please note the above is only a small part of the history of Gooses Screen Design!)