Specialist tool supplier, Gasweld Tools recently reached a significant milestone with the business celebrating forty years since its first store opened in Newcastle.
First established in 1978, owners Neil and Marilyn Dunning set out to fill the void of specialist gas and welding suppliers in the Newcastle and the greater Hunter region.
After opening their first store in a small building in Carrington, Gasweld shifted its premises to Lambton in 1979 and they haven’t looked back.
Managing Director, Neil said as the manufacturing diminished in Australia and companies needed to become more competitive, “we started to provide solutions to reduce their overall costs”.
“We focussed on selling modern equipment to speed the job up and provided customers with more affordable options,” Neil said.
From knowledge gained as a mechanical engineer at BHP, Neil established his own brand of tools in the mid-1980s known as Toolex, which has developed into a hugely successful portion of the company.
A family-owned and operated business, Neil and Marilyn remain the company’s Managing Directors and are still actively involved in the day-to-day operations.
Their son, Brent, took over as General Manager in 2011 and has overseen Gasweld’s significant development and expansion in recent years.
The company has now grown to 17 stores across NSW, South Australia, Victoria and the ACT, with plans for further expansion.
“We’ve been lucky to have family in the business. Brent has been hanging about the place since he was six years old,” Dunning Snr said.
“At 8 or 10 he was serving customers in the shop!”
Neil highlighted the company’s philosophy of providing solutions as integral to Gasweld’s longevity and overall success.
“Our staff are well trained to provide the right product to the right customer. It’s not just about selling products to just get a sale,” Neil said.
“It’s more about providing a quality service to maintain a relationship with each customer.”
IMAGE | Neil Dunning, Gasweld Managing Director and Brent Dunning, General Manager.
