Theo H. Davies & Co.
| Company type | Private (formerly) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Trade, agriculture, sugar plantations, steamship agency, groceries, dry goods, hardware |
| Founded | April 1845 (as Starkey, Janion & Co.) in Liverpool, England |
| Founder | James Starkey, John Starkey, Robert Cheshyre Janion |
| Defunct | 1973 |
| Fate | Sold to Jardine Matheson |
| Headquarters | Honolulu , Territory of Hawaii (now United States) |
Area served | Hawaii, Philippines |
Key people | Theophilus Harris Davies (partner and leader), Francis Mills Swanzy (managing director), T. Clive Davies (board member), John E. Russell, Geoffrey C. Davies (chairman), Gerald M. Wilkinson (chairman), James H. Tabor (president), Harold E. Weidig (president), Milton Pickup (president) |
| Products | Sugar plantations, trade goods, steamship agency services, groceries, dry goods, hardware; later franchises including Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar |
| Owner | Davies family (until 1973); Jardine Matheson (post-1973) |
Theo H. Davies & Co. was recognized as one of the prominent Big Five enterprises engaged in trade and agriculture within the Territory of Hawaii.
History
The company originated as Starkey, Janion, & Co., founded in Liverpool in April 1845 by James Starkey, John Starkey, and Robert Cheshyre Janion. Janion reached Honolulu in August of the same year, introducing the initial cargo of goods for sale. He secured valuable land along Honolulu Harbor following the closure of Ladd & Co., including undeveloped parcels linked to a claim by former British Consul Richard Charlton. The Starkey siblings imported merchandise from England, exchanging these for Hawaiian products and gold. With the advent of the California Gold Rush, the firm expanded its operations to include a proprietary fleet and took on representation duties for Lloyd's of London insurance locally.
In 1849, William Lowthian Green, a British national, became part of the company; after the Starkey brothers departed in 1851, the firm was renamed Janion & Co. Welshman Theophilus Harris Davies joined in 1857 as a clerk under Green’s supervision and attained partner status by 1859. Although Davies temporarily left, he returned in 1867 to restructure the struggling business, eventually forming a new partnership with Janion in 1871.
Davies secured investment capital from London to fund sugar plantation ventures on Hawaii Island and refinanced Honolulu Iron Works in 1875, collaborating with Alexander Young on future projects. Upon Janion’s passing in 1881, Davies assumed full leadership and expanded into steamship agency services, groceries, dry goods, and hardware sales. Under Hawaii’s Provisional Government, the enterprise incorporated as Theo. H. Davies & Co., Ltd. in January 1894.
Following Davies’ death in 1898, Francis Mills Swanzy was appointed managing director while T. Clive Davies, son of Theo, joined the board. By 1917, T. Clive Davies and Ernest Hay Wodehouse served as joint managing directors until Davies’ unexpected demise. The company constructed a new headquarters building in 1921 and later established the 32-story Davies Pacific Center at 841 Bishop Street during the 1960s.
In 1928, Theo H. Davies & Co. broadened its international presence by inaugurating a branch in Manila and acquiring sugar plantations within the Philippines. Leadership saw transitions through John E. Russell (up to the 1950s), Geoffrey C. Davies (chairman), Gerald M. Wilkinson (chairman), followed by presidents James H. Tabor, Harold E. Weidig, and Milton Pickup. An attempted acquisition by Dillingham Corp. was unsuccessful in 1967.
Remaining under family ownership until 1973, the firm was sold to Hong Kong-based conglomerate Jardine Matheson. It became the first among the Big Five companies to exit sugar production by divesting Hamakua Sugar Company in 1984 to Francis S. Morgan; Hamakua subsequently declared bankruptcy in 1992.
After withdrawing from sugar operations, Jardine diversified Theo H. Davies’ business interests by obtaining Hawaii franchises for brands such as Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Mercedes-Benz, and Jaguar. Beginning in 2003, Jardine progressively sold off its holdings in Hawaii.
Theo H. Davies (Manila), established in 1928, functions independently under Philippine entrepreneur Eusebio Tanco with ventures spanning education, insurance, shipping, and overseas employment services throughout the Philippines.
See also
External links
- Theo H. Davies website (Singapore) This company is operated by descendants of the final Davies family members who oversaw Theo H. Davies in Hawaii, and it is not connected to the Hawaiian enterprise.