Come in for cake Thursday
Kate said.
Working in the shop has been of huge benefit for Graeme and Kate’s daughters. ‘‘We really promoted the ‘girls can do anything’ attitude and encouraged them to build their own castles.’’
‘‘They are all now independent professionals in their own rights.’’
ONE of the most enjoyable aspects of being in the stationery business has been watching technology evolve. When the Guilfords took over the business they had one of only two Eftpos machines in Matamata installed at their shop.
In 1993 electronic type writers were the ‘‘big’’ thing. They flew out the door.
Fast forward to 2013 and there are tablets, and other gadgets galore.
Starting out with an old cash register, nowadays Paper Plus has its own computer system and its own website: paperplus.co.nz, where you can buy a huge range of products 24/7 and purchase books, stationery and office furniture and supplies.
‘‘You have to embrace change and run with it or unfortunately your business will shrivel up to nothing,’’ Graeme says.
Graeme and Kate currently employ six fulltime staff and three part-time staff.
The staff boast more than 50 years’ experience in the book and stationery business and each staff member has their own specific area of speciality.
Along with running a successful business in Matamata, the couple have also jumped on board with many community initiatives.
Graeme joined the Rotary Club of Matamata not long after moving into town and has just about finished serving his time as the club’s president.
‘‘It’s very important for me to be involved with the community,’’ Graeme said.
The couple has travelled extensively and Graeme’s various journeys have taken him to third world countries including Tanzania, Africa, India and Nepal.
Graeme has taken stationery over to these countries and given it to small schools where the students are in desperate need of a good ruler or protractor.
The Paper Plus Group is also heavily involved with gifting stationery to schools in other countries and just last year Paper Plus Group chief executive Rob Smith and Paper Plus’ books spokesperson Kerre Woodham travelled to Nadi School in Fiji with a container full of school books and stationery.
Graeme tends to live by former American president John F Kennedy’s words: ‘‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country’’. He replaces the word country with community.
The Guilfords have watched generations of families walk through the doors of their shop and have also built lifelong friendships.
‘‘When we first came to Matamata, we thought we wouldn’t stay for long,’’ Graeme said.
‘‘But it’s an awesome town and fantastic people live here so we’ll be here for a while yet.’’