Thank you Sprinter for writing this lovely story, see the original article HERE.
Ron Gottlieb – the director of Ricky Richards – was recently recognised for his 40-year commitment and contribution to the specialised textiles industry when he was recently appointed the 32nd Life Member of the Specialised Textiles Association (STA) Life Membership Club.
The Life Member award was given to Gottlieb at the STA’s Super Expo, which is held every three years and is a combined event run by the STA and Windows Shading Association of Australia (WSAA).
Gottlieb told Sprinter he received the Life Member award because of his service to the industry over the past four decades.
He said, “When I first joined the organisation it was known as ACASPA which was Australian Canvas and Synthetic Products Association and that was quite a few years ago.
“Ricky Richards has been a member of both organisations for a long time. At the Super Expo, the STA had their awards ceremony on the Wednesday night and the WSWA had their awards on the Thursday night. We also won a Community Impact Award on that night and this is very important to us as well.
“We joined the STA in 1985 so this has been 41 years. I guess this award is for people who’ve contributed back to the industry. I have a philosophy that like companies tend to find each other in the world. It can be a small place and we have some key suppliers – some of the best in the world – if not the best in the world – and they trust us and we trust them. I still have a very strong philosophy that our word is my bond. I’m very old school you know.”
Gottlieb sent the STA a ‘thank you note’ and here are a few excerpts from what he wrote:
“On Wednesday June 9, 2026 at the STA Awards Dinner during SuperExpo 2026, I was honoured to be inducted as the 32nd Lifetime Member of what is now the STA. To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. It was beyond a humbling experience.
“My late brother Norman Gottlieb started his little company in 1983 with a view to becoming a wholesale trader. He had a few products in the industrial fabrics space and got me to join him a year later at the beginning of 1984…
“We must have done something right because customers kept coming back and would then request us to look into sourcing other products for them. Our staff grew and while it grew, those who had helped us from the beginning stayed on and stayed on and stayed on…
“I am grateful to the people at Ricky Richards that I have worked with. You have all been a part of my story. As I have gotten older, I have understood how much energy I get from the younger people in our organisation. Mind you, being 65 means that everyone at Ricky is younger than me these days! Being able to work alongside them and perhaps influence their progress at times has been a joy…
“To the suppliers over the years that have helped us grow our business, I thank you as well. Without the quality products that you supply us we will not have the customers that we have today…
“To our customers thank you for supporting us throughout the years. While there is choice out there you still come back to us and that helps us drive ourselves to improve our standards whenever we can…
“To my partners in crime – my late brother Norman and to my father Eric (about to turn 95), words cannot really express or do justice. Suffice to say that we always had each other’s back, we always had trust in each other (even when we screwed up) and we always wanted to do the right thing by those who interacted with us…
“I know that my progress in life has certainly been influenced and shaped to some degree by my membership of the organisation. The friendships that I have made through the industry and particularly through STA will remain with me until I hang up that final phone call. There is no way that we would have built the business that we have today without the support, encouragement, and education that we have had by being a member of the organisation…”
