Our story
CAUTION – “BLIND MAN DRIVING”
This is what you have probably read or heard about on the back of our van which has become local legend on the Northern Rivers since 1984.
This famous catchphrase was originally used in 1972 on the back of Lee’s fathers Kingswood Ute when his father Ron Simons opened Bathurst Blinds & Awnings in Central Western NSW.
After relocating the family to Casino in 1984, Ron opened Casino’s first ever custom-made blinds workshop. Since 1988 Lee Simons has continued the family tradition & in 2024 celebrates 40 years in business with Lee being at the Helm for 36 of them. Richmond River Blinds main office & small workshop remains based in their original 1984 humble premises in Convent Pde – Opp Service NSW in Casino where they still manufacture their own Vertical Blinds & are the only business in northern NSW that does so.
In 2010 Lee and his family moved to Ballina so he could more efficiently service Ballina and its immediate coastal areas daily and be closer to his parent companies manufacturing facility in Alstonville’s industrial estate.
John Collis is a home-grown local lad & has been Lee’s right-hand man since 2001. Johns’ attention to detail & infectious personality guarantees our clientele have a great “Blinds” experience!!!!
Our Plantation Shutter Expert & Fitter since 2019 is Colin Fardon who is also a well known & highly respected high-end cabinet maker Australia wide, and is touted by clientele and his peers as the best Shutter Consultant & Installer in the area.
Lee’s daughter, Layni Nipperess, is not only our Veri-Shade consultant & Installer but also manufactures all our Modern Vertical Blinds systems and you will often see her ‘on the tools’ doing a lot of the installations.
Richmond River Blinds have always been generously active in supporting many local animal shelters, cat & kitten rescues & not for profit organizations like the Westpac Heli rescue organisation with cash donations and products.
