From sharing a forklift with the fish shop next door to growing out of our current premises three times over, the GT&B story is one of persistence and an unwavering passion for service.
We sat down with our directors Goz, Melinda, Joe, and Trish to reflect on the last 15 years, and how the GT&B we know today has evolved in this time.
An Idea is Born
Back in 2006, Goz and Melinda were undergoing their first renovation project. A creative by nature, Melinda’s desire for designer interior products led them to shop in the boutiques of Melbourne, as the then-sleepy Geelong market had little to offer.
On the drive home from one of their many Melbourne buying trips, Goz turned to Melinda and said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if Geelong had a mega store with on-trend tiles, tapware, and flooring?” This thought then started a bigger conversation with Melinda’s cousin Trish and her husband Joe.
Seasoned house-flippers Trish and Joe were no strangers to the building and renovation scene, so asking for their advice made complete sense. Over dinner one night, Melinda and Goz pitched their idea to their soon-to-be business partners, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The showroom at Homemart Plus Geelong on Geelong’s Waterfront
Homemart Plus Opens
About eight months passed between that initial conversation and the official opening of Homemart Plus, the first iteration of the business. Located in a small warehouse next to Katos Fish Supply on the Geelong Waterfront, Homemart Plus opened in March 2007.
In the early days, the Smythe Street shop was run by Trish, who left her full-time job to manage the showroom while the others continued to work their day jobs. At the time, Goz was on afternoon shifts, which meant he was able to come in during the day to help Trish, and the weekends were left to Melinda and Joe.
When she looks back at the first few months, Trish can’t help but laugh at the reality of managing the showroom predominantly on her own. “There would be times where I would be helping customers load baths onto their utes!” she laughs while adding, “Although, I would have to yell out to the boys at Katos on a daily basis to ask them to unload heavier orders into our warehouse with their forklift.”
The initial product offering was small. “At the time, we only had three ranges of tapware and showers, around 15 ranges of tiles, and a large selection of basins on offer,” recalls Joe. “We really just wanted to test Geelong’s appetite for these products before committing to a larger selection,” he adds. Notable brands in the Homemart Plus repertoire included Dune Ceramics, Eureka Tiles, Caroma, and Johnsons Tiles.
Over time, word started spreading about this small store on the Waterfront, and with this influx of interest, came more requests for brands we didn’t stock. “It got to the point where we knew we needed to listen to what our customers wanted, so I started researching different tile and plumbing buying groups that weren’t currently in Geelong,” explains Goz.
With this, the team landed on The Buyers Independent Group Australia (BIGA+) for plumbing supplies and The Tile People for tiles. This buying group shift meant a change of name and further expansion of the business. In 2009, The Tile People Geelong was born.
The Tile People Geelong opened in 2009
Your Local Tile Experts
In a move that all four of our directors call a ‘game changer’, joining these buying groups established our position in the Geelong market as the destination for designer tiles, bathware, and flooring.
At this time, the team also prioritised sourcing exclusive ranges and products to add to our collections. “While the products that were available to us through the buying groups were extensive, we always looked for something different to offer our customers. And I can confidently say that this point of difference saw our customer base grow,” says Joe.
“In this industry, you need to have options because you don’t want every house looking the same. Everyone has a different personality, and you have to be able to incorporate that into your home,” adds Trish. “We got to a point where we realised that you can’t only have 10 different products on offer because you’ll just end up creating the same home over and over again,” she says.
Growing on an upward trajectory year on year, it was no surprise that four years after becoming The Tile People Geelong, it was time to move on from the Waterfront showroom. “We really pushed that showroom to its limits, and we were ready for the next chapter of our business to begin,” explains Melinda. This expansion brought with it a change of location and a new identity.
Enter, Geelong Tiles & Bathware.
GT&B arrives at 17 West Fyans Street, Newtown
A New Era
In 2014, we moved to Newtown and rebranded to Geelong Tiles & Bathware, the name and brand you all know and love. Sitting proudly on West Fyans St, our new location would be the start of a whirlwind nine years for our business.
Since then, our team has continued to grow, with more sales consultants and warehouse staff coming on board to keep up with the demand. In fact, the last two years alone saw our team almost triple in size!
Not only has our team grown, but our showroom has also changed significantly over the last nine years. Keeping our original vision for creating an inspiring design hub for builders, renovators, and architects was non-negotiable. So, naturally, we needed more space to fit it all.
“Slowly, but surely, we started taking over our warehouse space on West Fyans St to create a larger, more immersive showroom. We did this twice and subsequently added a large off-site warehouse to house our orders,” explains Goz.
“To put this into perspective, our Smythe Street showroom was only 200sqm. Now, we’re at around 1,500sqm plus a warehouse,” he adds.
Which says it all.
The GT&B Experience
Perhaps more significant than the unique tiles and tapware on our shelves is our approach towards customer service. “From day one, we committed to giving our customers a certain level of service that was positive, encouraging, and inspired them to think outside the box when designing their home,” says Melinda.
Whether someone was building a brand-new home or renovating a powder room, the team would take the time to listen to their needs to give them the best possible outcome for their project. This approach still rings true today, as our team of consultants assist customers with knowledgeable and inspiring advice to help them create their dream home.
If you’ve ever shopped with us before, you might be surprised to know that Joe’s penchant for customer service was non-existent in the early days. “Yeah, that’s true,” laughs Joe. “As a tradie, I wasn’t always comfortable in retail and customer service,” he adds. But since then, he’s excelled in service and design and loves the process of seeing it all come together.
Family Ties
Another thing you’ll notice when you walk through our doors, is the omnipresent family atmosphere amongst our team. With every interaction, whether with reps or customers, our team make visitors feel welcome and excited to be in our showroom.
“As a family, we always wanted our core values to transfer into the business,” explains Trish.
For Trish, Joe, Goz, and Mel, keeping a work-life balance has been a priority since the beginning. With young families themselves, the four of them worked hard to instil the importance of having that balance within the team.
“We encourage our staff to be there for special events in their kids’ lives, and we make sure that extra hours are only worked if absolutely necessary,” says Melinda. While this emphasis is placed on their lives and families outside of work, the family vibe is strong amongst the team.
“We’re our own big little family, and we love seeing it grow,” says Goz. “Some of our team have been with us for five, even eight years, and they almost treat GT&B as their own,” he says, adding, “and I think that’s the biggest compliment for us as owners, knowing that our staff care as much as we do.”
So, What’s Next?
With 15 solid years under our belt, it begs the question, what’s next for GT&B?
“How big can little old GT&B get? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see,” says Melinda.
