A CORPORATE BUSINESS Bryant wanted to learn something about canning food and having a fish-canning factory gave him a good opportunity. He was already thinking of converting the fruit-bottling company into a fruit-canning company. Once again Bryant prospered and production at the Grimsby factory increased considerably. In 1912 Bryant's brother Edward went to manage the Grimsby factory and Bryant returned to the fruit-bottling factory to begin its conversion to canning. He completed the conversion in 1913. Thal same year he heard’ that there was a meat-canning factory for sale in Perth, Scotland. The Scottish company was losing money and the banks refused to help’? with a loan without security. In addition, the manager was new, had very litle experience in the food-canning industry and was not popular with the workers. Once again'® Bryant was able to buy a good business cheaply. Leaving his very efficient assistant Tom Turner to manage the fruit-canning factory, he went up to Scotland. When the 1914-18 War broke out'8, the Perth Tinned Meat Co. was making a profit again. Growth in Wartime The First World War had a Iremendous influence on the development of Bryant's three companies. Enemy warships® were very active in the seas around Britain and it was more dificult to import food. Suddenly all companies connected with food production were of vital importance to the nation. Bryant ‘was canning fruit in one of his factories, fish in another and meat in another. He now received considerable financial help from the government to increase production in all three. PERTH TINNED BEEF ‘THE FACTORIES OF WH. BRYANT & CO. IN 1932 Factory situated in a beef cate area GRIMSBY FISH CANNERS Factory situated in the prosperous fshing ort of Grimsby WH, BRYANT & CO. Projected factory in the Vale of Evesham, a rich fruit and vegetable ‘rowing area WH. BRYANT & CO. Fruitcaning factory situated in the heart of the fit-growing county of Kent