retires after 45 plus years in the recreational fishing industry
Starting his career in the recreational fishing sector in 1974 working for Hyams Wholesalers, Paul in 1982 moved to Benbow & Co (at that time known as Spencer Benbow). Working through a number of ownership and management changes Paul continued to run the business until his retirement in April 2020.
Well known throughout the WA tackle industry, Paul was one of those guys who would always go the extra mile for customers, maintain a proactive and at all times professional approach in all his dealings. He was and still is, the quintessential Mr Nice Guy.
Paul was a big supporter of the national recreational fishing industry, heavily involved in a number of important matters including the Ningaloo Marine Park battle, WA fishing license proposals and Federal Marine Parks.
To this point Ben Patrick, MD of Halco Tackle Company notes “When it comes to finding people to put their hands up and get involved in these campaigns, people often become scarce. Paul was always the first to help out. These are campaigns that take months if not years and take up a huge amount of time, money and effort. It’s often a thankless task that is often measured by how much a loss is minimised. The WA tackle trade (and the Australian tackle trade as a whole) should be grateful for the steadfast contributions of Paul Duggan. He was always there to help out and was always an important part of the team. From a personal perspective, his unwavering support in these times was so much appreciated. The tasks are often thankless and can get you down. Paul was a great part of our team over in WA.
Thank you for your contribution to the WA Tackle Trade that went well beyond the day to day running of a wholesale business. We all wish Paul well in his retirement.”
As Benbow was the Jarvis Walker distributor in WA for many years, Paul was one of the JW team. We recognised his commitment and passion for the tackle industry from the beginning, along with support for Jarvis Walker brands. We will certainly miss the business relationship with Paul, but like most in this industry, we hang around like bad smells, and always look forward to catching up when possible.
Jarvis Walker thanks Paul for his decades of service to the tackle industry and wish him the best for the future.