Mr Hobbs said the shop had been extended and changed many times over the years.
“Out on the floor you can see each version of the building – it’s quite clear in the concrete where each bit has expanded to,” he said. “We expanded the shop again a couple of years ago to get us more retail space, but we’re out of expansion space now – we have even built over the back car park – but we are looking forward to keeping on growing.”
Every year stock is increased based on both national and local demand.
“As an independently-owned franchise party, we get about 70 per cent of the stock based on best practice around Australia, and the other 30 per cent is the flair of the owner of the store, so I can tailor that to suit what our clientele is here,”
Mr Hobbs said. “We can also order a lot of things in – the website has over 100,000 products.
“We have 14,000-plus line items in the store, which is a lot for a small community.
We call ourselves a small community within the Total Tools group, we are probably third or fourth smallest now, we were the smallest one when we opened as Total Tools.
“We were a bit of an outlier in the Total Tools group initially, they were just a big box inside Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and so on, so they took a bit of a gamble with us.
“Since then, they’ve expanded into other rural areas, and obviously see that as a good growth strategy.”
Total Tools’ pricing is cutting-edge, the digital ticketing system updating up to four times a day.
“It gives us the ability to be on the money as far as pricing goes, which is a big thing,” Mr Hobbs said. “I like to think we provide a good service for the area – it’s a bit the same as BCF store coming into Horsham, whilst it puts a bit of pressure on some other local businesses selling similar things, same as what we do, it keeps everyone honest and pricing good for the customer and gives a bigger selection in town.”
“As a retail hub, it also keeps local money in our community,” Mr Hobbs said.
Breuers has offered its customer base an evolving range of products and services since its inception.
After the passing of Les in 1967, Brian continued his father’s flexible work and in 1971 took on the agency for CIG, which included the distribution of gases and welding products, leading to a rapid expansion of workshop equipment for retail sales.
At its height – supplying gas and medical gas to hospitals and ambulance stations – Breuers delivered more than 10,000 cylinders in one year.
The business continued to grow; Brian’s brother Ken joined in 1978.
In 1979 the brothers purchased Muller’s Ice Works and incorporated it into their own business, with deliveries of ice to shops, caravan parks and pubs, which continued for 18 years throughout the Wimmera and Mallee.
“To add on the ice works business was something a bit left field,” Mr Hobbs said.
“Brian built all the ice boxes – he cut insulation panels down to size and installed compressors – that you still see at service stations and other shops today.”
The business name changed to Breuers Pty Ltd in 1991 to separate it from land development the brothers were involved in within the rural city of Horsham.
The addition of the freight and newspaper distribution became a large part of the business.
“People would remember freight for all the area being dropped at the shop, which came about because they did the papers,” Mr Hobbs said.
“They did The Age paper, which came out of Melbourne every day.
That would only be half a van, so they did freight to supplement it because they were going to Hopeton, Rainbow, Harrow and all the different places, then they became a depot for other freight services.”
Mr Hobbs said he did Friday and Saturday shifts of the seven-days-a-week runs.
“It would start at 2am and I’d go to Landsborough, Navarre, Moonambel, Avoca and Donald – although I hit a few kangaroos over the years,” he said.
“Both those aspects were fairly big parts of the business, but as they got more into retail, those parts were sort of sold o to various people.”
In 2003, Mrs and Mr Hobbs took over when the brothers wanted to step back from the business.
In 2006 they joined the United Tools buying group and traded as Breuers United Tools.
In 2009, Mrs and Mr Hobbs started another business – Breuers Hire.
It started as an industrial hire shop from the existing tool shop.
Marquees and party hire equipment were introduced shortly after.
A new home was sought at 105 Stawell Road to cater for the ever expanding business.
Last year the business set up more than 40 marquees at local field days, all the while servicing the expanding industrial hire market.
Both businesses continue to invest in infrastructure, staff, and stock, for the future of business in the Wimmera and Mallee.
As third generation business people, Mrs and Mr Hobbs are very proud to be able to employ more than 20 local staff across the two businesses – including a representative who travels the area into South Australia, Hamilton, Stawell and Hopetoun.
“We have had many family members and long-term employees who have worked for the business,” Mr Hobbs said.
“Tracey’s grandfather, father, uncle, cousins – and her husband – have worked at Breuers, and Jess in the offce has been here since she left school 17-odd years ago.
“I also like to think we’re reasonably community minded – we donate to sporting clubs and community centres such as the cancer centre – and we certainly refer to other business in town.
“If we don’t have it, I say try this other local business first before you go online or before you shop out of town, I think that’s very important.
“I like to think that we can continue for quite a bit longer yet.”
