Wagga removalist Ron Lee calls time on a great and adventurous career

Ron Lee, 66, started out with John Kelly in 1993 before striking out on his own to form Ron's Removals two years later.

"John was the one who taught me everything," Mr Lee said.

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Three decades on and he believes it's the right time to go.

"I woke up a couple of weeks back and was having a coffee when my body said to me it's time to give it up," he said.

"I feel happy and I've had a good life with it."

Mr Lee said the removalist trade has led him to all corners of the continent.

"I've been to Cairns, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Alice Springs, Broome, everywhere," he said.

One of his favourite places would have to be the North Coast.

"There's some beautiful beaches around," Mr Lee said.

Reflecting over the years, Mr Lee said things have changed and he believes it's now a "young fella's game."

"It's hard work, but if you want to see Australia, get into the removalist game," he said.

Over the years he has also had a good staff retention rate.

"I've had great staff, which has been brilliant," he said.

"My turnover [since I started out] was [just] five per cent, so I must be doing something right."

Mr Lee said a highlight of his career has been meeting good clients.

"It comes back to the old fashioned service, which just isn't around anymore," he said.

"When I used to do quotes for elderly people, I used to sit down with them for scones and a coffee or tea.

"You would sit down and have a yarn with each other and it was great. That's what you appreciate."

Mr Lee said a major challenge in recent times has been making the switch to digital.

"It's just getting too hard with all the technology that's out," he said.

"I'm from the old fashioned school where I still write my invoices out by pen and paper and still do quotes that way too.

"People laugh at me, but that's the way we did it."

Mr Lee said another downside has been being away from home a lot.

"I've missed out on a lot of kid's birthdays and things like that," he said.

As he bows out of the business, Mr Lee extended his gratitude to the people of Wagga.

"I'd like to thank a lot of the Wagga locals, because that's where 90 per cent of the business came from," he said.

In retirement, Mr Lee hopes to "sit back and enjoy life a bit" and also spend more time with family.

"It's not all about work anymore," he said.

"I want to spend more time with my family."

Mr Lee also plans to go and visit places he's been to for work and actually have time to look around.

"There's some beautiful beaches I've been to [for work], but I was only in and out," he said.

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