Holocaust survivor was creator of the famous Marbig brand.

Martin Biggs, one of the pioneers of the modern Australian office products industry, has died, aged 97.

Polish-born Biggs, who changed his surname from Biegeleisen after migrating to Australia after the Second World War, founded Martin Biggs and Sons in Sydney in 1973 as a general trading company in the stationery business. The creation of the Marbig range of products started soon after.

The business proved to be very successful and one of Biggs’ sons, Victor, succeeded his father as managing director. The business was sold to ACCO Brands in 1996.

In 2016, ACCO Brands acquired the remaining 50 per cent of its interest in Pelikan Artline.

Long-time ACCO employee Roy Leggo said Biggs was a “true icon” of the office products industry.

“Martin was an innovator and an astute businessman but he was also a very humble man,” he told Office Products News.

A survivor of the Palszow concentration camp during the Second World War, Biggs migrated to Australia in 1952. He married Genia, also Polish, in 1948 and they had two sons, Victor and Danny.