Obituary: Kenneth Grenney

By ARNOLD PICKMERE

* Kenneth Grenney, Auckland business leader. Died aged 86.

Kenneth Ernest Francis Grenney, a former president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, was a man of wide interests.

Known for his courtesy and practical, commonsense opinions, the former managing director of Motor Traders (NZ) Ltd was involved in many business interests and directorships.

Born in Devon, England, Ken Grenney migrated to New Zealand after WWII.

As a businessman he was interested in issues such as trade and, from the 1960s onwards, the challenges facing New Zealand with Britain moving into the European Economic Community, as it was then called.

He warned in 1969 that New Zealand would have to start making a better job of marketing its butter to Britain.

"New Zealand tends to look upon Britain as a captive market," he told the Herald.

"Surely we must realise that the situation will arise when we will have to fight for our sales."

He pushed selling New Zealand butter on its merits rather than price, just as the Irish, under marketing man Tony O'Reilly, were starting to do with Kerrygold butter (now an international foods brand).

He also voiced such seldom-advocated notions as the Pacific and Asia becoming important future markets for New Zealand.

He argued New Zealand needed more immigrants to reach its National Development Conference targets.

Ken Grenney was one of the original members of the Securities Commission, was part of the Development Finance Corporation and a former chairman of directors of Sheraton Hotels in Auckland.

He was also an investment adviser to the Government of Nauru - an example of his interest in the Pacific Basin and its development, particularly for the many people living at subsistence level.

That saw him in 1970 on the New Zealand committee of the Pacific Basin Economic Co-operation Council, which he supported enthusiastically - although he criticised its name, saying "by the time you've said it people have lost interest".

Between 1972 and 1984 he was a trustee of the St John's College Trust Board in Meadowbank, Auckland. Anglican Bishop Peter Atkins said Ken Grenney was a major influence in the building of the Kinder Library at St John's, housing one of the premier collections of theological books and archives in New Zealand.

He was also a leading figure in the development of the shopping complex on the board's leasehold land in Meadowbank.

In his private life Ken Grenney visited the sick in hospitals. Bishop Atkin described him this week as "one of this world's gentlemen, who respected other people of whatever background, creed or colour and whose courtesy and humility was a shining example".

Ken Grenney's crowded funeral was at St Aidan's Church in Remuera, which he attended for many years. He is survived by his wife Kate, children Paul, Veere, Jane and Sarah, and grandchildren.