The Fruit Broker Who Shipped Bananas to the Arctic—and Planned to Make His Employees Co-Owners

Announcement is made of the purchase by J. B. Powles of the interest of his partner, J. W. Godwin, in the commission house of J. W. Godwin Co. This news was quite a surprise to everyone interested in the trade, and created much comment. The change is one of the most important that has taken place in business circles in Seattle for some time, being the oldest commission firm in the city, and having grown from a very small concern to one of the most prominent of its business houses.

While the title of the firm was taken from the name of Mr. Godwin and all of its business conducted under that name, a large part of its success has been due to the efforts of Mr. Powles, who has been its secretary and manager since 1894. The title of the firm has been changed to J. B. Powles Co. He is now sole owner, and will continue to give his attention to its management.

It may be of interest to our readers to know a little of the history of Mr. Powles. He is a native of England, having been born in London in 1850, and moved to Montreal, Canada, in 1863. In 1880 he went to St. Paul, Minn., where he engaged in the retail grocery trade for seven years. Then he came to Seattle and in the spring of 1890 went into the fruit brokerage business. He secured office room with Mr. Godwin, and from the first met with success. It is worth relating that Mr. Powles imported to this city the first car of bananas as well as the first car of Eastern Concord grapes. Four years later he went into partnership with Mr. Godwin and assumed the position of secretary and treasurer. The gross receipts of that year amounted to $110,000, while for 1903 they will amount to $420,000. During some months of this year the volume of trade has run up to over $50,000, which gives a very clear idea of the progress the firm has made.

Mr. Powles has had charge of the office, including all of the business details, the correspondence, and the placing of orders for the firm during these years, and has probably made the firm better known both by letter and person among the producers of California, Oregon and Washington than any other in Seattle. During the earlier years of the firm's existence all kinds of produce were handled, but as time went on they limited the lines handled, excluding butter, eggs, poultry, etc., confining themselves strictly to fruits and vegetables, which policy has proven a very wise one.

According to Powles, no line is more susceptible to expansion in Seattle than the fruit and vegetable business. The trade of the city and of the state has been steadily growing, and the business with Alaska is becoming its most important single feature. Because of the improvements in transportation facilities that enable produce to be carried quickly to all parts of that country it is now possible to supply fresh fruits and vegetables in excellent condition, where a few years ago they were compelled to get along with dried and canned produce. Apples, oranges, lemons and even bananas are being shipped by this firm right up to the Arctic circle.

There is no house of the kind in the Northwest that stands higher in the esteem of the producers than this firm, and we know that continued under the management of Mr. Powles, who has always taken so active a part in its affairs, it will continue to stand as a leader in its class. When Mr. Powles first came to Seattle he had, like many of its now leading citizens, to start right at the bottom, and he has, by strict attention to business and through fortunate investment in real estate of his profits, been able to accumulate a fortune of $125,000, which is truly a most creditable record.

Mr. Powles' plans are laid to make his employees part owners of the business, and will, as well, pay them the maximum of salaries. His object in so doing is to make each employee permanently identified with the firm and insure their taking the keenest possible interest in its affairs. This is something that no other commission house has yet done in Seattle, and is worthy of note by the growers because it means that their shipments will be given the most careful attention by everyone connected with the house.