ARMIDALE BUILDING SUPPLIES ARE CELEBRATING 20 YEARS IN BUSINESS
JEFF AND HIS TEAM HAVE EARNED GREAT RESPECT IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR THEIR IMPECCABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SENSE OF HUMOUR WITH A “WE CAN DO ATTITUDE”, WHICH IS WHY THEY HAVE REMAINED THE PREFERRED BUSINESS IN THEIR FIELD - EVEN AFTER “THE BIG BOYS” HAVE COME TO TOWN. hen and why did ABS start operating in Armidale? Armidale Building Supplies commenced business on the 26th August 1996, after McFaydens Building Material Centre burnt down. An old bloke by the name of Phil Anderson rang Jeff White, a former employer of McFaydens, and asked if he would be a rep in the area and supply the goods from Tamworth Building Supplies, which Phil also owned. The deal was that Jeff would talk to Armidale
builders and take orders, while another old bloke called Bruce in a leather apron would load the truck in Tamworth, bring it to Armidale, and Jeff and Bruce would deliver the goods. This worked really well for the first week; in the second week, we were sometimes actually having to do three trucks in a day, which was really hard work for an old retired bloke in a leather apron, and just as hard for Jeff sometimes. So, the first old bloke, Phil, decided it was about time to have some sort of shed to store some gear. Armidale Building Supplies
But it did se e Jeff ’s seven wife th mon pregnant ther fa d ol and 63 year ing ur bo la e take on th ness , parts of the busi helping build ing rack s and pack fixtures.”
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had its first shop front in rented premises on the corner of Bundarra Road and Mott St. This was a real slap dash setup, as anyone that remembers it would recall. This saved the second old bloke, Bruce, from having to do any near as much driving. But it did see Jeff’s seven month pregnant wife and 63 year old father take on the labouring parts of the business, helping build racks and packing fixtures. This exercise was character building
for all concerned. By this stage the business had one truck, which Jeff would drive while Caroline, his wife, would man the phones talking about stuff that she didn’t know about (but she did a pretty good job). All this was in eight weeks of commencing business. The first old bloke, Phil, then thought it was about time he gave Jeff and his family a bit of a rest and employ some more staff, and besides the phone lady was about due to have a baby.
CONGRATULATIONS ARMIDALE BUILDING SUPPLIES On 20 years of business
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