Steric was founded in 1964 by Sydney businessmen Graham Steel and Brian Rich. The pair came up with the Steric company name by combining the first three letters of each of their surnames. Almost immediately, another Sydney businessmen, William (Bill) Brownie, took over Steel’s share of the company.
For its first four years, the business operated out of small, leased factories in Sydney – first in Kogarah, then Carlton, in the St. George area of Sydney. As with any new company, over those early years, Rich and Brownie worked tirelessly to keep their company afloat. But Steric soon found its stride.
Over the decade from 1964 to 1974, William Brownie and Brian Rich built the business into a leading name in commercial food manufacturing in Australia. Upon Rich’s retirement in 1974, Brownie took full ownership of Steric.