Dental pioneer passes away

William (Bill) Green, owner and founder of Australian dental manufacturing and import company William Green Pty Ltd, passed away at his home on November 22, 1998. He was 82.

Bill Green was one of the first people to establish a local dental manufacturing operation which provided real competition against the overseas companies.

In a tribute, William Green Pty Ltd sales manager Joe Gorman described Bill's contribution to the dental industry as truly pioneering.

"In 1946, Bill recognised there was a shortage of expertise to provide service and spare parts to many brands of surgery equipment in use at the time, so he started his own business to specialise in the repair of dental equipment, local and imported," he said.

"Waiting for imported parts to arrive was not always an option, so in order to service a diverse range of products, Bill manufactured his own special parts to keep them operating.

"William Green Pty Ltd evolved, and with the experience gained, he used his knowledge to produce his own dental unit incorporating all of the best ideas from his years of association with all types of dental units."

Educated in Sydney, Bill started as an apprentice at Electro Dental Manufacturing in 1932. By the late 1930s, he was a key figure in product development at the company and major successes included supplying the newly opened Sydney United Dental Hospital.

His life from 1946 was dedicated to the development of William Green Pty Ltd and supplying the dental profession with quality Australian products. He was a firm believer in investing in service and training to provide effective support of a product. He firmly believed in this philosophy, combined with equipment reliability, sustained the company through the years.

Today, William Green Pty Ltd employs more than 30 people and supports 100 local distributors of speciality manufactured components.

He was an active member of Rotary for more than 30 years. His contributions included playing a role in providing dental units for overseas charitable projects. In 1964, he was recognised for his service with an honorary life membership of Rydalmere Rotary Club.

Bill continued to work at William Green Pty Ltd right up until his death. It was what he loved doing. He is survived by his wife Hilda, and their two children, Frances and John; and their families.