Bryan Stokes, the man in the shed Cartridge World co-founder, passed away on 26th of December 2022, aged 74.
Cartridge World grew from humble beginnings in 1988, when co-founder Bryan Stokes began manufacturing and selling cartridges from his garden shed in Australia. His philosophy of working tirelessly and being adaptable to consumer needs soon had lines around the block with customers thrilled to save on printing supplies.
Cartridge World grew from this perennial thirst of consumers wanting the right deal. In 1997, the company opened its first franchise location in Adelaide, Australia. By 2004, 100 stores spread across the world.
In 2007 Stokes and his partner, Paul Wheeler, sold an 80% majority stake in Cartridge World to Wolseley Private Equity for a reported $60 million (€55 million). The two partners retained individual 10% stakes in Cartridge world. At the time of the sale, Cartridge World was operating over 1,500 stores worldwide.
In June 2015, Wolseley Private Equity sold Cartridge World for an undisclosed amount to OPC manufacturer, Suzhou Goldengreen Technologies.
David Connett, The Recycler’s former Editor and Publisher said: “Bryan was a visionary and saw the franchise opportunities, when many of us didn’t. Testament to his thinking is that the brand successfully continues today.”
