A mighty handover – Mitre 10
FOR decades Brennan’s Mitre 10 has been a name synonymous with hardware in Dubbo but now the changing of the guard will see two new central west families take over the reins.
The Petrie and Fergus families run nine regionally based hardware stores from their Mudgee base and director Phillip Petrie says they’re looking forward to the Dubbo expansion.
“We’re very much about being mighty helpful in all those towns,” Mr Petrie told Dubbo Photo News in as he took a break from the massive stocktaking task earlier this week.
He said Brennan’s has been an institution in Dubbo and the similar business ethos and culture makes it a perfect fit.
“It is, we’ve known the Brennan family for a long time, and they run a great business and we’ll be very happy to carry on the tradition of great service they’ve provided to Dubbo.”
He said a major challenge is combatting the quantity of scale from big box retailers by ensuring customers get personal and informed service.
“For starters you need a lot of energy and you need great people and our business has built itself on building long term relationships with our staff, our customers and our suppliers,” Mr Petrie said.
“When we build those relationships, it makes it a really strong business and people come back to us again and again because we
Brad Petrie, Phillip Petrie, Mike Fergus, with Michael Brennan (back) “overseeing” the start of a new era. provide that mighty helpful component, but we also do it at a competitive price every single day.”
He praised the Brennan’s model which placed a priority on staff that are friendly, who want to help and who know what they’re talking about?
“Long term staff, they know their product, they know their customers and they genuinely want to help people solve their problems, it’s not just a number coming through the door, they’ll know your name, they’ll find a solution for you – they’ll be part of your solution for the problems you’re trying to solve,” he said.
Heading up the Dubbo store will be 24-year-old Brad Petrie.
“With the Fergus and Petrie families working together we’ve got numerous children – Mike and Annette (Fergus) have five children and my wife and myself have four children and we’re fortunate that our son Brad is joining the business here. Brad’s been working in Port Macquarie for the last four years and he’s joining the business in Dubbo as our store manager.”
Brad Petrie said he’s very excited and is relishing the challenge. Wise beyond his years, he told
you don’t fix what’s not broken.
“The shop works here and it’s doing a good job so what we have to focus on is keeping that consistent and making sure that the customers that are coming here are happy and for anyone new coming through our door, that we’re able to service them and that we’re competitive in the market,” Mr Petrie said.
And he admitted he’s pretty
Petries Mitre 10 came into existence in 1986 as a result of the sale of Lonergan’s enterprise to Malcolm and Carmel Petrie.
It started with 10 employees, most of whom had joined Petries Mitre 10 from Lonergan’s and was located in Mortimer Street Mudgee.
The business grew quickly in the first few years and employed a staff of 18 by 1989.
Construction was started on the current premises in Church Street in 1992 and the building was opened in October 1992.
Phil and Annette Petrie and Mike and Annette Fergus took the reins in 2009. Development and expansion of the Petries Group:
z 1986 Mudgee
z 2003 Bathurst
z 2008 Orange
z 2010 November – Gunnedah
z 2011 February – Young
z 2012 December – Taree
z 2013 February – Port Macquarie
z 2015 May – Coffs Harbour
z 2017 July – Port Macquarie Distribution Centre
z 2020 July – Dubbo Currently the company employs approximately 300 staff.
The Company Directors are Phillip Petrie and Michael Fergus, and both are working directors.
much had hardware hardwired into his system from a very young age.
“Growing up, from 12-years-old I’ve been putting together wheelbarrows in Mudgee and I’ve been in and out of each of the businesses whether they be in Orange or Port Macquarie, Mudgee.
“It’s just I like helping people who come in with their Do It Yourself (DIY) projects.”