Popescu name rises about new trade facility

MORE than eight years after his passing, the memory of Alex Popescu has been honoured anew at the Geelong business he built over 60 years.

The Alex Popescu Trade Hub was officially opened by his daughter Christine Willoughby and Geelong Football Club chief executive Brian Cook on Friday.

Mr Popescu’s Belmont Timber this year merged with former competitor Fagg’s Mitre 10 and the opening of the trade hub in his name represented a nod to the past and a vision for the future.

Ms Willoughby said the trade hub reflected her hard- working father’s approach to life.

“Dad had a motto: ‘Always look forward, don’t look back,’ ” she said.

She said her family was honoured her father was remembered with the naming of the trade hub and an accompanying display wall that features a signed 2007 Geelong Cats premiership jumper in pride of place.

Mr Popescu was famously an extraordinary Geelong Football Club benefactor whose contribution has been acknowledged through being awarded life memberships of the Cats football and social clubs, and with a major function room bearing his name.

Mr Cook said his friend was personal a generous and willing backer of the club.

“Alex was an man,” he said.

He said Mr Popescu’s generosity extended to writing a personal cheque to the club when it had no money.

“I don’t remember how much it was,” Mr Cook said.

“But it paid for all the wages for a week, including the players.

“And he never asked for that money back.”

Mr Cook said despite many overtures from club groups, Mr Popescu remained staunchly independent from club cliques.

“He was a friend to everyone at the club,” he said.

Fagg’s Mitre 10 director Barry Fagg paid tribute to Mr amazing Popescu’s business sense and enormous capacity for work.

While the two timber businesses had a longtime rivalry, Mr Fagg’s late uncle Stan Fagg and Mr Popescu became close friends and neighbours.

“I think if Alex and Stan could look down on us today from ‘the big timber and hardware store in the sky’, they would both be very pleased that Fagg’s Mitre 10 and Belmont Timber are now a merged business,” he said.

The modern trade hub houses a call centre, logistics, management and a first-class customer lounge.

The opening was led by general manager Andrew Pitman and involved a host of past and present staff.