GOLDEN DAYS FOR F. T. FARFAN & SONS

Esmond Farfan has piloted his company, FT Farfan & Sons, for the past 50 years. His golden achievements include serving as a BWIA pilot while at the helm of his business.

This year FT Farfan is celebrating its 50^th anniversary with a week of celebrations from October 12 - 18, which will end with a long-service awards.

The company's history dates back to the post-World War II era, when the company, named after his father Fernand Theodore, was established in 1946, as a small family business, said 75-year-old Farfan.

"My father was involved in the saw-milling business and when I came back from the UK in 1946, I went to help him in his business," Farfan said in an interview with the Business Express.

As part of a fledgling forestry industry, Farfan saw saw-milling as an opportune business venture with the capacity to generate income for the small family business.

He, however, admits that "nobody [was] really interested in forestry and the forest industry," in that period.

Together with his father, Farfan opened a small office, which they rented on St Vincent Street, Port of Spain and started selling saw-milling machinery.

"When I started selling machinery I used to work three days a week because I was also a pilot with BWIA," said Farfan, who joined the airline after he served as a bomber pilot in World War II.

When his father died in 1956, Farfan claimed to have no other choice but to continue the business because of "dealings with the bank".

The astute businessman never found any difficulty in managing the business and in flying for BWIA because, "when you are a pilot you have a lot of free time".

Born in 1922 at Montserrat Hills near the southern village of Mayo, Farfan left this country in 1942 at age 19 for the United Kingdom to begin his training as a pilot. Three years later, he found himself in the middle of a war, which was sweeping the world.

"I was shot at a few times but it was my choice. I was young and I wanted to see things," claimed Farfan.

After spending five years at war and gaining a wealth of flying experience he returned to the country and joined the national airline as one of the pioneering pilots.

He, however, opted to start his own business because "being a pilot is not intellectually stimulating".

Three years after the doors of FT Farfan & Sons were opened Farfan married Hélène. They've been together for the past 48 years.

"I am still very interested in the possibilities of our forest and what we can produce from it," said Farfan, explaining how his business expanded.

The company was relocated to Sackville Street but soon had to move again because it kept growing.

To keep up with his company's pace, Farfan bought two and a half acres of land at Bhagoutie Trace, San Juan, but the business was moved in February this year.

"The present location on which the company is located is called Ibis Acres, Aranguez because the Scarlet Ibis used to fly in the area which was also a swamp."

It took about five years to fill up and develop the area before they were able to relocate the business, he observed.

Although much of his time has been devoted to his company, Farfan says he manages to "sail when I can because sailing and flying are what I enjoy doing".

Today, FT Farfan remains a private business, which has diversified over the past 50 years.

The company's main activity is servicing the engineering and offshore oil industries.

FT Farfan & Sons sells wire rope, rigging fittings, chain and hoists and also operate a rigging shop.

Another aspect of the company is the servicing of the forestry and wood-working industries which includes servicing of chain saws, brush cutters and pumps as well as heavy wood-working and sawmill machinery of all kinds.

The company is also the distributor for Lincoln Electric of the USA, Lincoln Smitweld, Norweld and Thermadyne International of USA, which is part of the welding services division.

FT Farfan represents several other companies like the American Manufacturing Company of the US, suppliers of virgin quality synthetic ropes, polypropylene and nylon, Crosby International and Van Beest of Holland.

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