In 1941, Ken Sargant left school at 15 and found work in a London drawing office. His team were told they were designing concrete barges for transporting wheat, but it later emerged these barges were constructed for the Mulberry floating harbour — assembled as part of the follow-up to the Normandy landings during World War II.
At 17, Ken volunteered to join the RAF, but was later demobilised because his drafting skills were needed to help with the post-war rebuilding of London.
After the war, Ken became a certified architect and, by 1952, had scraped together enough money to found his own drawing office in Reigate, which he named Reigate Drawing Office — later abbreviated to RDO.
The business started out printing architectural plans and selling office supplies locally.
In 1961, Ken wanted a washing machine. Being the shrewd businessman he was, he opened a business account with AEG so he wouldn't have to pay full retail price.
After a few weeks using the machine, Ken's wife Patricia suggested he buy another AEG washing machine and put it up for sale in the office. Ken freely admits he thought it was a silly idea, but decided to give it a go anyway.
Unsurprisingly — well, to Patricia at least — the washing machine sold the same day it went on display. After this happened a few more times, Ken realised there was a real market for discounted kitchen appliances.
In 1977, Roger Sargant (Ken's son) joined the business straight from school.
Michael Jenns, our sole appliance salesman at the time, mentored Roger, teaching him the art of sales and retail. Together, they opened accounts with more manufacturers and focused on buying in bulk so they could offer larger discounts to customers.
For many years RDO lacked proper storage facilities, but by the early 2000s the situation had become untenable. Roger invested everything he had into purchasing a warehouse — a move that allowed RDO to grow rapidly.
In 2014, Roger diversified the business by entering the luxury kitchen design market. This led to a complete renovation of the Reigate showroom, designed by Ken Sargant himself at 88 years young.
The company went from strength to strength, expanding its services nationally and winning a number of prestigious awards including ERT's National Large Retailer of the Year, Showroom of the Year, and Website of the Year.
In 2017, Chris Sargant (Roger's son) joined the business straight from university and has since focused on growing RDO to reach new customers across the nation.
Today, Chris leads the business with the support of an immensely talented team. Ken, who remained passionate and involved with the company well into his later years, passed away in 2025 at the age of 99. His legacy and influence continue to shape the business every day.
Ken Sargant founded RDO in 1952.
RDO stands for Reigate Drawing Office, the architecture practice Ken Sargant originally established.
RDO is a UK-leading independent kitchen appliance retailer and kitchen design company. We sell appliances to homeowners and trade customers, specialising in project-based work where technical expertise, product knowledge, and coordination are essential. We also design, supply, and install complete kitchens through our Kitchen Studio.
We work with homeowners planning kitchen projects, as well as architects, house builders, property developers, and kitchen specialists who need a reliable appliance partner for their projects.
RDO is based in Surrey, England, with our showroom in Reigate and our warehouse in Salfords. We serve customers across the United Kingdom.
In 1961, our founder Ken wanted a washing machine but didn't want to pay full retail price, so he opened an AEG business account to get a trade discount. His wife Patricia convinced him to buy a second machine and put it in the shop window. It sold the same day. The rest, as they say, is history.
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