townsville

originally from Melbourne, Tamara and Dean Parfrey have made Townsville their home. Dean lived and worked in Townsville as a tiler for five years before Tamara moved there to join him 13 years ago. “Having grown up in a big city, moving to a regional town was certainly a significant change,” explains Tamara.

“Now that I have a young family, I love the familiarity of where we live and that everything is close at hand. And we get to live an outdoor lifestyle with the beautiful Townsville climate, so it has been a wonderful life-changing move.”

When the opportunity for a National Tiles franchise arose through a builder Dean had worked with for over ten years, he was immediately keen, although, as Tamara explains, he said he had to ask his wife first. And that was another fortuitous decision. “When we spoke about it, we understood that tiling was extremely physically taxing on him, so we needed a progression plan. Operating a retail tile business seemed like a natural next step, and we both felt very comfortable with the idea. Having been a tiler for 25 years, Dean knew the product, and by association, I had a good idea about the product too. What we lacked was retail experience. However, most importantly, we knew the local market, and Dean was heavily involved with builders and working in the industry. So, it all came together very smoothly once we were committed to making it work.”

The process of undertaking the franchise was simple with the support of the National Tiles franchise team, and 18 months later, in 2019, the business was underway. Four years later, Tamara and Dean have been on a steep learning curve that started with steady growth before reaching their busiest trade period in 2022. “We grew phenomenally, establishing ourselves with local builders and creating strong relationships,” says Tamara. “We are very competitive, pricewise, and have had no stock availability or delivery issues, which makes us a very reliable tile and flooring destination. And customer service is so important to both Dean and I, so we always ensure we offer our customers guidance, advice and a solution.”

Adds Tamara, “I grew up with a father who was an ownerbuilder, and I spent a lot of time with him on site, so construction was a significant part of my childhood. I am very comfortable in the industry and feel so excited when I get to join our customers on their design journey. They have often been saving for years to build their first home or the dream home, so it’s an honour to help them achieve their goals.”

Today Tamara and Dean are part of a team of seven who service the Townsville market with tile and flooring materials, offering tiling guidance and advice from their many years of experience in the industry, all backed by the National Tiles range and supply chain. “Our client base is evenly balanced between the DIY, independent residential and local builder customers. A very even mix that gives our team a great variety of tiles to specify, from everyday styles to the more premium, designer collections. Local customers have taken to the vinyl and hybrid timber range. At the moment, the 450 x 450mm pressed edge tile is definitely the most popular. The light, fresh palette is perfect for the indoor/outdoor feel that reflects our summery, tropical lifestyle complete with palm trees and swimming pools.”

“For Dean and I, creating a family business certainly comes with challenges, especially with young children. Overall, it has been an amazing experience, and we feel very grateful for the lifestyle we have created with a National Tiles franchise.” www.nationaltiles.com.au/locations/garbutt

301 Bayswater Rd, Garbutt Queensland info@nationaltilestownsville.com.au

(07) 4409 1850