Richard Poulson

RICHARD Poulson says the most significant risk he has taken in nearly 20 years as an entrepreneur was establishing his first Morrison store in Fremantle in 2002. He and wife, Kylie, sold their car and prized ski boat to hastily renovate a store on Market Street with Ikea furniture and displays bought at a Harris Scarf liquidation auction. They opened their retail women’s clothing store 10 days later, trading beyond their business plan estimates, and have not stopped growing since. Mr Poulen’s background in advertising, marketing and business management, coupled with his wife’s natural talent in clothing design, became the core of the successful venture. Their dog Morrison is the inspiration for the company’s name and logo. He says three fundamental principles of business management came together as the business took shape – a good idea, astute management and location. With prudent planning, three new stores (one in Sydney) were introduced over an 18-month period, including a Mini Morri store based on the same principles at Morrison, but with a focus on children’s lifestyle clothing. Morrison’s success continues to receive industry recognition and has won several awards against iconic corporations. The company was named Fremantle’s retail business of the year and won the overall business of the year award in 2005. Mr Poulsen is the vice-president of the Fremantle Chamber of Comm-erce and is a passionate supporter of the Fremantle business community.