The future of Kwik Kopy Wetherill Park is up in the air six months after its owner of seven years called in the liquidators, forcing the master franchise to move in and take over.
David Bell, CEO at Kwik Kopy Australia
Dominic Mabon took over the store in Wetherill Park, NSW in 2008, and according to the CEO of Kwik Kopy Australia, David Bell, grew it ‘tremendously’ before ‘losing focus’, which led to the near sinking of the business. Speaking with Australian Printer Mabon says, “The business went downhill with my divorce. And some customers owed me money, one owed $80,000.” David Bell, chief executive of Kwik Kopy Australia, says the business is in a thriving area of Sydney and ‘just because the owner has gone into liquidation, it doesn’t mean the business has too’. Bell says, “The business is going strongly and it used to be one of the best performing stores we had. But when Dominic took his eyes off the ball the business started to go down. “But that doesn’t matter as the store is in a growing area of Sydney and it has been doing well.” He says it is common for the master franchise to take over a struggling business, grow it and then sell it to someone else. However there have been no concrete offers yet. “At the moment we are talking to a few people in the printing industry who could be potential buyers. But as yet we do not know who will take the offer. So we will manage the store until we find an appropriate buyer,” Bell says.
He says the store at its peak turned over more than a million dollars after Mabon and his partner grew the business. Bell says, “But with small business to business companies the success depends on the relationships the owners form with corporate clients. This ensures the business continues to grow and do well. It also means the revenue goes up and down very quickly as it is dependent on those elements. Under the management of the master franchise it currently operates with three ‘flexible employees’, which allows Kwik Kopy Australia to release them if necessary. Bell says for the amount of work the store is currently receiving ‘three employees are enough’. The store has a two colour offset press and a digital press.
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