James Muir Cameron Fletcher

Infobox Person
name = Sir James Fletcher Jnr


caption = Portrait of Sir James Fletcher Jnr
birth_date = 25 December 1914
birth_place = Dunedin, NZL
death_date =death date and age|2007|8|29|1914|12|25|mf=y
death_place = Auckland, NZL
occupation = Managing Director Fletcher Holdings 1942 - 1979
Chairman of Fletcher Holdings from 1979 - 1981
President and director of the Fletcher Challenge 1981 - 1990.
salary =
networth =
spouse = Lady Vaughan Fletcher
children = Three
website =
footnotes =

Sir James Muir Cameron Fletcher ONZ, (often known as Jim or JCcite web|title=University of Auckland Business History Project - Fletcher Challenge|url=http://www.businesshistory.auckland.ac.nz/fletchers/founders.html|publisher=University of Auckland|accessdate=2007-08-31] ) Junior (25 December 1914 – 29 August 2007cite web|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0708/S00362.htm|title=Sir James Fletcher dies at 92|author=Fletcher Trust|publisher=Scoop|date=30 August 2007|accessdate=2007-08-31] ) was a New Zealand industrialist known for heading Fletcher Construction, one of the countries' largest firms. His father, Sir James Fletcher Senior, founded the company in 1908.

Early life and family

Fletcher was born at Dunedin, New Zealand on Christmas Day 1914. He was James Senior's second son.

In 1942, the year Sir James became head of Fletcher Holdings, he married Vaughan Gunthorp, his office assistant. They had three children - Jim, Angus Fletcher and Hugh Fletcher. Their eldest son Jim was killed by an intruder at his Bay of Plenty bach (holiday home) on New Year's Eve 1993. Angus married Christine Fletcher, former Crown Minister and Mayor of Auckland, and Hugh now runs Fletcher Holdings.

Fletcher Construction

In 1937 Sir James joined his fathers' construction business. Following the election of the First Labour Government in 1935, Sir James senior established an enduring friendship with the government, leading to Fletchers' building some of the first state houses in New Zealand. When James senior was seconded by the government in 1942, James junior, took over the running of Fletcher Holdings. At the time he was just 27 years oldcite web|title=Sir James Fletcher, the mild-mannered man of steel|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10460854|date=31 August 2007|author=Graeme Hunt|publisher=New Zealand Herald|accessdate=2007-08-31] . Among his achievements was the forestry joint venture with the Holland National Government in the 1950s to build the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company mill at Kawerau. Sir James was chairman of Fletcher Holdings from 1972 - 1981 and was president of the new Fletcher Challenge conglomerate from 1981. He resigned as a director of the company in 1990.

He was knighted in 1980.

References

ee also

* James Fletcher (industrialist)
* Hugh Fletcher
* Fletcher Construction
* Fletcher Challenge