Florus Bosch: Farm hand to millionaire

Wairarapa multi-millionaire Florus Bosch first landed in New Zealand in 1960 with his pockets near empty and speaking only Dutch.

The 71-year-old, who until a few weeks ago was still holding business meetings from his sickbed, died of pancreatic cancer on Thursday afternoon.

During the past two decades, Bospark Holdings, the company he owned with wife Winifred, attracted numerous national and multinational retailers to Masterton after building some of the largest retail premises in the region.

Today, the properties form part of a multi-million-dollar property empire straddling the lower and central North Island.

Florus was diagnosed with cancer in December, a year after Winifred was left fighting for her life in the wake of a major stroke.

He spoke to the Times-Age last month about his life, career, and battle with cancer.

"We've made a lot of money but it doesn't matter," Florus said.

"We don't know who will go first and who will still be here next week - it's in the hands of God."

The deeply Christian couple had been together praying for recovery, and convalescing in neighbouring rooms at Kandahar Home in Masterton.

"People ask if I was annoyed or angry or frustrated about getting ill. It comes as a shock and it certainly makes you think, but I've had a good life and, most times, I've done what I wanted to do."

Florus, who came from a family of 14 children in the Lopik municipality in the Netherlands, emigrated to New Zealand with two brothers, joining another pair of brothers already working on farms in Wairarapa.

He was 18 and launched his working life here by milking cows on the Presbyterian Church-run Ann Sinclair Trust farm at Pirinoa, where he quickly became enamoured with Winifred Gray, whose father managed the farm.

"This farmer had the most beautiful daughter and because I couldn't speak the language I was taken pity on, and his beautiful daughter in the evening taught me how to speak English."

After nine months on the trust property, he went potato picking on the Bidwill farm, where he eventually began casual work before entering a 50/50 sharemilking position on a Maori-owned farm at Pukio beside his brother, Kees.

After five years, Florus and his brother purchased the farm from the Himona whanau, running the property side by side. In 1973, Florus bought out his brother and went solo, expanding his herd to 200 animals.

"From that year, we had some very trying seasons with the wet weather and dry summers. But we spent large amounts on drainage and irrigation and managed to maintain and increase our production."

About that time, Florus, then a Federated Farmers representative, heard a visiting American lecturer at Kuranui College urging "farmers to get into Queen St in Masterton and Queen St business to get into farming".

He ran with the controversial advice and, soon afterwards, entered the arena of property investment, buying his first retail premises near the War Memorial in Featherston.

"Farms - with the wet weather and payouts - have always been vulnerable to ups and downs, and it made sense to have another form of investment as a diversification. I had always been keen on property and it wasn't a hard choice to make.

"I bought the shop in Featherston after a lot of research, reading and seminars, but, after a few months, I recognised it was not the right purchase, so I sold again."

He immediately reinvested in a block of seven shops in First St in Masterton and, until about 1979, continued to expand the farm and his property portfolio.

That same year he put on a 50/50 sharemilker at Pukio to "free up capital, and myself" and concentrate on developing his investments. The newer properties also offered him work as a carpenter, he said, a career he had sought since childhood.

"I was buying properties that had a twist to them, where you had to make changes to tap its potential and, being a free agent, I was physically active in the day-to-day building and what needed to be done. It was a pleasure and I did it with joy - always have done."

During the early 1980s, he built one of the first rotary sheds in the region to cater for an expanded herd of 530 cows.

The Bosch property portfolio was likewise expanding and he also acquired a vintage Pontiac and Wolseley car, reawakening a childhood hankering for collection.

"When I was young, my brothers always used to smoke and the packets would come with collectible motorcar cards. I became fascinated by the pictures and started to collect them. I was, and still am, a car enthusiast."

However, the farm began to come undone over the two seasons ahead of the stock market crash of 1987 and, together, the couple endured their worst financial storm.

"We'd bought the 375-acre neighbouring farm and, for two years, there was poor production and start-up problems. Then there was the high interest rates and the crash, and of course that really hurt. Life was somewhat tumbling down on us."

The couple were forced to divest their holdings and Florus had to sell his prized vintage vehicles.

"It was hard having to cash up the commercial properties and I was heartbroken selling the cars just for the farm to survive - they were my pride and joy. I really had a tough time there," he said.

"But we were both believers. We found our faith and life changed. The peace of God came wonderfully over us and we handed everything over to Him. He brought us through the economic crisis."

The Bosch farm and property portfolio not only survived but flourished and the couple rapidly expanded their holdings through the 1990s, treading a faithful path as Christians that led to almost two decades of visiting inmates as part of a prison ministries programme.

"Going into the prisons makes you realise we are all equal. You still have to keep your wits about you and take nothing for granted but if you have a heart for the lost, it is such a satisfying thing."

Florus also built a Masterton showroom to house a collection of vintage tractors and cars - including a 1906 REO, a 1935 Speedwagon, a 1946 Bentley, and a 2000 Bentley - that are kept alongside a modest model railway, a small collection of hats and caps and treasured albums of cigarette cards from Holland.

"I discovered that, at first anyway, you have to steer clear of luxury items if you want to survive in business.

"And for myself, I hate living beyond my means and I hate to be out in the limelight. I'd rather be under the radar.

"But the 2000 Bentley really is a joy to drive and, occasionally, it's nice to live it up, so to speak."

Brian, youngest of his three sons, is today running the family farm at Pukio and Bospark Holdings owns commercial properties in Masterton comprising almost an entire block at the southern end of Queen St.

The Masterton tenants include Countdown, Farmers, Briscoes, Vodafone, Warehouse Stationery, Cotton On, Hallensteins, Michael Hill, Kathmandu, Uncle Bill's, Paper Plus, Number One Shoes, Millers and Noodle Canteen.

The company also owns properties leased by businesses in Wellington, Levin, Palmerston North, Wanganui, Napier and Taupo.

Florus also bought and is restoring Laan Wyk, the 200-year-old Bosch family home in Lopik, as a legacy for his extended family.

But home would always be in New Zealand, where he tried his best to live "the very wise words" of his father, Arie, who had battled through severe hardship. "He taught me to live within my means and to never think I'm bigger than my boots.

"A human being is built to withstand poverty but there's very few people who can stand wealth.

"You must never say never - you can still lose it all. That's why I reckon I'm really lucky and blessed. My life has kept pretty much balanced and New Zealand has truly become my home.

"It is where my children were born and it is where my income is from.

"I love Holland but quite clearly I am a New Zealander. New Zealand gave me my life."