Howard Blight remembered as a stalwart of the office products industry.

 

Howard Blight, long-time managing director of Cumberland Stationery (pictured), has passed away at the age of 83.

 

Blight bought Cumberland in 1968 when it was primarily involved in the manufacture of small leather photo albums.

 

He transitioned the family-owned company to plastic products, extending the range over ensuing years to become a major force in the wider stationery market with around 90 per cent of products being imported.

 

In 2019, Cumberland Stationery was acquired by US-based ACCO Brands and absorbed into the company’s Australian business.

 

Howard’s son Craig told Office Products News that horse racing was his father’s passion and one of his horses – a three-year-old gelding named Headhunter – won a maiden at Doomben in Brisbane on the same day he died – 22 January.

 

John Donaghy, managing director of Discount Office National, added: “In 40 years within the office products industry I never met a more genuine and caring person than Howard Blight. He was a great person to do business with and the whole industry will be poorer for his loss.”