Flying HIGH
A trip to Indonesia led to the launch of Phil Bee Interiors and 25 years later the company is still going strong. We talk to founder Phillip Blumenthal about the journey so far.
P
hil Bee Interiors has been supplying the homewares and furniture industry since the 90s after launching the company ‘by accident’ 25 years ago. Founder Phillip Blumenthal was on holidays in Indonesia where he bought some lovely handmade décor. This purchase started the journey to what is now known as Phil Bee Interiors. “I got to know the 44 giftguideonline.com.au
factory I purchased it from and realised they also exported,” he explains. “I kept their card and it sat on my desk for some months, I was in between flying jobs and was looking to do something on a temporary basis. I had some close friends who were already in the importing business, so I knew a little about it. I decided to take a leap of faith and import a 20 foot container as I really loved
the ceramic vases and ceramic plater I purchased. They were unique and I believed there would definitely be a market for it. “With only a couple of thousand dollars to my name, and knowing nothing about the industry, I imported my first container and had it delivered and stored in my parents’ double garage. “I pounded the footpath seeking out shops who may be interested to
purchase my wares. I also attended my first trade fair with a small 3x3sqm stand with a few pottery vases and ceramic platers. “I travelled all over Australia and build the business town by town. I had no staff in the first few years and didn’t turn a profit for the first five years. It was hard but very exciting at the same time.” Located in the Melbourne suburb of Cheltenham with over
30,000 square feet of space, the company was originally known as Phil Bee Pottery as these were the only items that were imported and sold. “We moved into India, the Philippines, Thailand and China and as the business evolved and our products became more diverse, we changed the name to Phil Bee Interiors.” For Blumenthal, who is a pilot by trade, what had started as ‘something to