Barratt’s Office Pro
We sat down with Carol and Dwane Barratt to learn about the interesting history of their business rooted in downtown Belleville.
A Business is born.
The story begins with Dwane’s parents. Originally from England The Barratt’s traveled to Ontario and after a small stint in Orillia they made their way to Belleville to set up shop in 1960 with Barratt’s Stationary. The stationary store took up home in the now Cogeco building and made a few moves over the decades, always remaining within the downtown district.
At the time, the stationary store specialized in engineering and drafting supplies and printing before photo copiers. Creating blueprints was also a constant business for the Barratt’s.
“My father worked full-time in the hospital as an orderly and my mother ran the shop while he was at work,” Dwane recalls. Dwane also worked in the shop, getting a taste for the business.
Along with his wife Carol, Dwane decided to open is own store in Kingston in 1997. By 1999 the Barratt’s transitioned their business over Dwane, rebranding it Barratt’s Office Pro.
The store now specializes in office supplies and a large focus on office furniture (new and used). They currently serve many businesses in the Quinte region including several downtown businesses such as Royal LePage and McDougall Insurance.
Continuing to Grow.
In 2016 Barratt’s Office Pro won the Dealer of the year award from Office Pro Basics a national buying group. They continue to grow and excel as a local business. Just last year Carol and Dwane opened a second location in Brighton.
“An opportunity came to expand to Brighton. We saw a need for it [there]. It’s been a lot of work but fantastic,” shares Carol. Carol lead the opening of the new location and traveled back and forth daily to manage both locations.
Their next big project is growing their ecommerce business to fulfil the office needs of local businesses through an online marketplace.
So if you’re looking for office supplies or furniture, stop in and say hello to Dwane and Carol. They have the expertise and assortment to meet your needs.
