Long-standing envelope maker goes into voluntary liquidation.

 

One of the oldest stationery businesses in South Australia has closed after 171 years.

 

ES Wigg and Son, which has a company history dating back to mid-1800s, has gone into voluntary liquidation.

 

Having emigrated from England, Edgar Smith Wigg founded the company in 1849 and started manufacturing account books when he bought - at nominal cost - 600 reams of foolscap paper which had been lying unused in a store for many months.

 

The company started out as a bookseller but set up an envelope manufacturing business in 1901.

 

In 2005 the company’s stationery shop was sold to WC Penfold and in 2016 the envelope business was sold to a New Zealand company Candida.

 

Candida will continue to manufacture envelopes in Adelaide, but about 20 of the 60 Wigg employees will be made redundant.

 

The future isn’t clear for ES Wigg & Son which says it will now “re-invent itself” and enter another business or industry.

 

Envelope manufacturing had become Wigg’s entire business after it sold its retail stationery operations a decade ago.

 

Candida will operate in the historic premises for several months after it takes over at the end of June, but will shift the operations to a smaller plant elsewhere.

 

ES Wigg & Son managing director Tom Davidson, the fifth generation of his family to work in the business, said increased competition and falling Australia Post mail volumes had led to the decision.

 

“It’s sad we will be leaving this industry, but we’re hoping to invest in another business or industry in the near future,” Davidson told InDaily.