De Garis expanded the business rapidly, and in 1910 borrowed heavily to establish a packing shed, Sarnia Packing Pty Ltd, which later became part of the Sunbeam Foods Group.
As part of his dried-fruits marketing De Garis travelled to Western Australia where, in 1920, he purchased the property of the Hassell family at Kendenup, for the purpose of building a new settlement to grow apples, potatoes and farm produce [REF].