The well-respected industry stalwart died at Christmas.
David Efron passed away at the Cabrini Hospital, surrounded by his family on 25/12/21.
David Efron commenced in the timber industry in the mid 1960s when he responded to an ad in the paper that read “Learn to be a manager.” His application was successful and he started with a local timber merchant, WK Witt, supplying plywood.
David owned a number of timber businesses over the years, including Writron Timber, based in Cheltenham in the late ’60s, and Lorimer Timber in the ’70s, which was based at No. 3 South Wharf in Lorimer Street, Port Melbourne, before moving to Southey Street, Williamstown. This business mainly sold Philippine Mahogany and Radiata Pine. He also had a part ownership of Otago Timber exports (NZ) and a sawmill in Milton (NZ) during the late ’70s and early ’80s.
David sold Lorimer Timber to Wills Timber in 1981. He then started again with Ascot Timber, commencing in 1983 in Mount Alexander Road, Ascot Vale, supplying retail and trade customers. He sold this business and had a temporary career change into pubs and politics. In 1990, he rejoined the timber industry when Maurice, his son, joined David and purchased a business called The Fencing Place.
This business was located in Frankston-Dandenong Road, Dandenong. It was soon renamed Davids Timber, and the direction was set in the early ’90s to specialise in treated pine. The company’s first timber treatment plant was set up in Red Gum Drive, Dandenong South in 1994.
Davids Timber moved to 410 Princess Highway, Noble Park in 1997 and traded there till 2004, when they moved again to their current premises at 29 Princes Highway, Dandenong South.
David was a committee member of the TMA in the 1990s, a long-standing member of the Hoo-Hoo club and attended a number of international conventions.
He had ownership and part-ownership of sawmills in NZ, Wodonga and, most recently, Broadford Sawmills for the last 11 years.
David developed many close friends in the industry over the years and was passionate about the industry right to the end.