A delicious spread was rolled out for Ken Doggett’s seventieth birthday party on Friday at paper merchant KW Doggett’s head office in Melbourne. The big occasion for the founder of KW Doggett Fine Paper was celebrated in style, with five Victorian staff putting on a rockstar performance for something extra special. The band, aptly called the Ken Do’s for the night, belted out a punk version of the happy birthday song for Ken (you can catch it on the KW Doggett Instagram and Facebook pages), that had everyone dancing in the hallway. Each state made a stellar effort in creating a video that featured all warehouse and office staff wishing Ken a happy birthday. The cake resembling one of the Doggie’s purple trucks was almost too good to eat
Ken’s speech was short but moving. He thanked everyone for all the effort put into the party and for making Doggett’s what it is today, saying he was very proud of all. It was definitely a night remember. Beginning life as a paper salesman at only 30 Ken went out on his own, borrowed a desk in the office of TT Eadie and started the KW Doggett Fine Paper business. Ken found customers and took the orders while his wife Christine delivered them in the family car, kids in the front, paper in the back. Once Ken cracked the mill direct requirement mark of 1,000 tonnes, it was time to move out of the office and into a warehouse. Ken told Christine that this first warehouse was so big it would last them a lifetime. It was the first of six in Victoria alone. Chris soon graduated from delivery driver to full time mum, so Ken employed his cousin Geoff as a part time driver. After 33 years Geoff is still an employee of KW Doggett Fine Paper at the Preston warehouse, in Victoria. After ten years of solid growth, Ken realised he needed a business partner. John, his brother, started as sales manager in 1985. Together they grew the business, opened Brisbane in 1993, acquired Jaeger Fine Papers (now our Sydney office) in 2003, and opened Adelaide in March 2008. Both Ken and John have always been hands-on and customer focused, but it was the arrival of Simon (Ken’s eldest son and our current managing director) in 1997 that saw KW Doggett Fine Paper become a more professional and strategic operation. Today KW Doggett is the biggest independent paper merchant in Australia by a country mile, with turnover of more than $100m annually.
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