By Casey Neill
It’s hard to find a more humble Dandenong businessman than Ron Anson.
The 87-year-old accepted the Greater Dandenong Corporate Citizen of the Year Award at the council’s Australia Day Festival in Dandenong Park on Thursday 26 January.
His son Robert announced the news to the family on Boxing Day.
“I couldn’t believe it. I’m still finding it difficult to believe,” Ron said.
“I don’t know how they’ve done the selection.
“We’ve been in Dandenong for just on 60 years and I think it might just be recognition for us being there for so long and doing so much.
“Over that length of time, lots of things happen.”
The ‘we’ve’ he referred to was transport company Norden Group, which he co-founded in 1959.
The company has since trained more than 90 apprentices and supported the Jobs for Dandenong Taskforce.
“He’s always maintained that if we don’t train the youth, we don’t have the tradesmen,” daughter Wendy Anson-Moseley said.
She’s worked with him for more than 30 years, and Robert now runs Norden after joining Ron there more than 35 years ago.
“It became another family – the Norden family,” Wendy said.
Ron retired at age 70 but is still a regular at the Bennet Street factory.
“He loves to see what they’re building and what they’re doing,” Wendy said.
“He greets all the new staff.”
Ron said he goes in “because I’ve got a lot of friends there”. Grandsons Aaron and Ryan are also among the employees.
“It’s pretty good,” he said.
“It makes you think that it will go on forever.”
Ron said market gardeners with small trucks were his main clients at first.
A presentation about his job at a Dandenong Rotary meeting 30 years ago secured the company’s current main income source.
The Dandenong Hospital CEO approached him afterwards and asked him to fit out a disability van.
“I didn’t know what he was talking about. I said yes anyway,” he said.
He’s been involved with the Rotary Club of Dandenong since 1979, but is planning to retire – if his fellow members will let him leave.
“I’m still a paid-up member until July,” he said.
“I actually did resign before Christmas. Now I don’t know – nobody wants me to resign.
“At 87, going on 88, and I can’t do anything physically there to help raising funds. I don’t want to be just a burden.”
Over the years he’s also supported charities and philanthropic causes including Wallara, Yooralla, Hanover and Relay for Life.
Read full stories about Ms Smith, Mr Anson, the young leaders and Ms Raphael.
