30 Years In Business – blog series: A brief history of Quickmail
The party will be in full swing come November this year when Perth mailing & fulfillment business Quickmail celebrates 30 years in business.
Quickmail is has evolved into a mailing and warehousing company that has customers ranging from small businesses to large government departments and corporate organisations.
So how have the last 30 years been? And how has the business grown from its humble beginnings into what it is today?
A brief history of Quickmail-time
The 90’s
Back in 1992, Jean Paul Tedeschi bought a small business called ‘Business Folding’, then he quickly changed the business name to Quickmail. The business was located in Osborne Park and had a few moves during this time due to needing more space as the business grew.
And while we were all dealing with dial up internet and Lunchables where the cool lunch that made you a star in school, Quickmail was already beginning to grow.
In the early days of the business Jean Paul’s wife Jennifer also worked in the business on a casual basis. Daughter Sophie worked in the business in her teen years before going to study at university.
The 2000’s
In 2005 the owners purchased a property in Kenwick and relocated the business to this larger premises. The move enabled the company to increase their machine capabilities including large scale production plastic wrap machines, folding and envelope inserting machines.
The new decade saw the internet get a bit faster and selfies were becoming a thing, but the team at Quickmail were busy at work.
In fact, in 2015 Quickmail purchased Lasermail which meant an increased customer list, staff, and equipment.
Challenges came, that’s for sure.
External factors such as email technology and postage costs meant that the business had to diversify and so they have expanded their offerings in the eCommerce 3PL (Third Party Logistics) space.
In hindsight, this has been the best business move as the team love offering 3PL services to eCommerce businesses both large and small.
Quickmail worked hard to develop this side of the business to suit their client base and help people grow their businesses.
In 2019, Quickmail launched GetQuickmail.com – a fulfilment and distribution platform for eCommerce and Online Stores which integrates with external software such as Shopify and Woocommerce and provides pick and pack services to companies who need to store, pick and send items to customers. GetQuickmail.com is a bespoke software program built by the Quickmail team and is only used by Quickmail staff and clients.
Awards and Recognition over the years
In 2009, Quickmail had a win at the Family Business Australia awards for ‘West Australian Family Business of the Year’. The awards were in recognition of commitment to innovation and quality which underpins business success, and a nod to generational transition and how different approaches can still lead to a successful and sustainable family business.
In 2013 Quickmail was awarded the contract with The Department of Health for the Provision of Warehousing & Distribution Services – this contract is still current which means they have been working together for more than 9 years.
The only constant is change
In 2018 the second generation stepped up. Sophie Stott took over the Management of the business and Jean Paul Tedeschi stepped down from a full time role to being an advisor to the current Managing Director.
The succession implementation was facilitated by Quickmail’s accountant Mauri Mucciaciaro and FBA Advisor John Broons. Both these advisors assisted with decision making but also with ensuring that communication with family members was as clear and effective as possible.
To say that the Management transition was an easy one would be simplifying the situation however once decisions regarding succession were made by the owners and the new management team, the process has worked well.
The present and the future
The 3PL side of the business is growing quickly, but mail will continue to be a part of the business with many marketing experts indicating of a resurgence in this space moving forward.
The future looks bright.
- Currently, Quickmail is one of only 4 accredited Australia Post ‘Bulk Mail Partners’ in Western Australia, which means we have invested in processes to make mail lodgement more efficient and effective and have committed to providing efficient, effective mail campaigns for their customers by following the strict procedures and quality guidelines as required by Australia Post.
- At Quickmail we are proud of our record maintaining clients and employees over long periods. The ‘family’ aspect of the business is important and drives business decisions and employing staff.
- The business has been able to sustain employment for between 10 and 20FTE staff over the past 30 years and this is also due to the entrepreneurialism of Jean Paul Tedeschi who has adapted to changes in the industry and business climate by adding new services, purchasing software and machinery to stay ahead of the competition and making changes to business processes.
- Watch this space!
We make mailing, printing, warehousing and distribution make sense.
Quickmail have been making mailing, printing, warehousing and distribution make sense for three decades. They help eCommerce businesses to store, pack, and send their goods, as well as offer printing, mailing, and distribution services.
Check out what we have to offer and contact us to find out more.
Get in touch with Sophie today to discuss how Quickmail can assist you: (08) 9493 0477 or sophie@quickmail.com.au
www.quickmail.com.au