The Door "n" Lock Centre
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At 40 years of age, Bevan Kearsley was involved in a motorcycle accident. He was left a paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair and then was made redundant from his job. Initially, and reluctantly, Bevan applied for a disability pension but was refused on the grounds he was a qualified carpenter. Bevan subsequently completed a small business course, through the Business Success Group and applied for NEIS which gave him an income for the first 12 months of business. He started a specialty store for doors and locks, so people would have a store with an exceptional display of doors and locks to choose from, which was previously unavailable in Toowoomba. |
The Door'n'Lock Centre Pty Ltd started in 1995 with only two employees and a one tonne utility to do deliveries. In 1998, the utility was traded for a four tonne truck. In 1999, they employed a Sales Representative as the majority of business was coming from builders. Branching into other lines such as mouldings and shelving to cater to the building industry, the Door'n'Lock Centre could supply a complete fit-out for a house once wall plaster was up. As the business continued to grow, in February 2002 they had to employ an Office Administrator and a storeperson. Today the business has grown to a total of eleven employees, two trucks, three utilities and a forklift. Their door display has grown from ten to 70 doors and stock value has grown to over a quarter of a million dollars with a turnover of over two million dollars last financial year.
The NNA would like to congratulate Bevan on his business being awarded the 2004 "Hall of Fame" ABBi for the most successful and enduring NEIS business of the past ten years.