This year marks 44 years since our family-run firm was launched. No, we can’t believe it either!
We found an old photograph of an office display from the past – and it shows just how much things have changed over the years.
Progress is something people take in their stride and the extent of change in the course of our daily lives is often only appreciated when comparing one era with another – in our case 1974 to today. When looked at in this light the changes become phenomenal.
To put this timeframe into perspective here are a few things that happened in 1974:
The first McDonald’s opened in London, the first episode of Porridge was aired, Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo, Richard Nixon was forced to step down as US president and Britain was on terror alert with a series of IRA attacks.
The world has moved on a pace since then and at the forefront of the changes has been the technological revolution and the knock-on effect to working practices of businesses, individuals and other organisations.
Not only are the desks and furniture in our photograph quite a different colour to many in our showroom today but the items on the desks are also very different. The desk has a blotter, a piece of blotting paper in a frame used to absorb excess ink, to protect the desktop – needless to say we do not sell many blotters now!
It also has what we would call an ‘adding machine’ in the bottom corner – again not something you would see in a 2018 office!
Back in the 70s an office layout was fairly similar in all places of business – phone, somewhere to keep your correspondence, contracts, employee and client details, a typewriter and maybe a telex or fax to send and receive those important messages.
In 2018 the basics are different. Typewriters have long gone, pens and pencils are still used but most work is now done via a computer keyboard and printer.
We saw the fax machine come and go and satellite technology improve to the point where communication across the globe is now instantaneous.
During the last 44 years we have worked with a variety of companies, both large and small, in filling their needs when it comes to office supplies, stationery and other equipment – and we have seen the office changing.
We have moved with the times and adapted just like any other successful business and by understanding the needs of our clients we are able to stay at the cutting edge of our industry, leading the world of the office into the new modern era – wherever that happens to take us in the future.
