ONE of the few businesses anywhere in the country to encounter two global pandemics, Arnold's is used to adapting to change.
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Having marked its 40th anniversary in Wodonga last week, the fifth-generation family business has dealt with the Spanish flu (1918) and now the present-day coronavirus crisis.
Arnold's fourth-generation operator Louise Arnold said the fruit and vegetable wholesaler and retailer had flourished by evolving to serve the border communities.
Ms Arnold said her ancestors and forward-thinking, late father Paul Arnold had established a robust business model.
"Arnold's is quite unique because it straddles both sides of the border," she said.
"But our business went through the Spanish flu, so this is the second pandemic in our history!"
Arnold's general manager Ben Arnold said Arnold's had weathered the COVID-19 pandemic with escalating home deliveries.
Having introduced Arnold's Online in 2003 at Paul Arnold's behest, Mr Arnold said they hit the ground running to serve border customers when national lockdown measures were introduced in March with a second Victorian lockdown in August.
"In the first wave, it was a credit to our staff that we could handle what we did," he said.
"During the second wave (Victorian lockdown), we had another spike in home deliveries."
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Ms Arnold said her dad had shown great foresight to settle on the Osburn Street site four decades ago.
She said Arnold's Wholesale was opened on September 1, 1980, while the retail outlet Arnold's Fruit Market followed in 1988.
"Dad was criticised at the time by some for moving to Wodonga," Ms Arnold said.
"But the Wodonga site was sizeable and just perfect for what he wanted to do."
Arnold's celebrated its 125th year of service on the Border in November 2017. In 1897, JG Arnold opened a shopfront in Olive Street in Albury, where the business stayed until 1980.
After a revamp, the 1929 Chevrolet Arnold's delivery truck will soon be seen on the streets around Wodonga.
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