A legacy of resilience, innovation and people. By Kent Powell
To think that the Meyer Timber we know today started on the back of Mel Meyer delivering local pine to furniture manufacturers on an Avis rental truck is a hard one to comprehend. However, that is exactly how Meyer Timber came to be in 1975. It is an impossible task for me to capture the Meyer Timber story by myself, but fortunately, the long retention of staff still contributing to Meyer Timber today has made this possible through open conversation with me.
“Furniture manufacturing was in the Meyer family blood, so supplying timber to a growing number of pine furniture manufacturers in Melbourne, including his brother Alan, was a natural fit”, explained Colin Francis. Colin albeit officially retired (so he says) to this day however he remains a leading mentor to many within the business.
Colin went on to explain, “Mel would travel regularly to Mt Gambier solving problems for sawmills on unwanted products.” No one beyond Mel knew what he had procured until the products arrival, when it was then up to the small team to trade the product to market. With the rising cost of labour, the reworking of cheaper timber purchased became harder and harder. Mel along with Ron Keily had the foresight to see that the furniture industry was rapidly shrinking and on Ron’s advice so started the Meyer Timber journey into supplying a fledgling frame & truss industry, timber & hardware merchant sector, plus the window and joinery trade. Mel would raise with Ron “We are selling so much for smaller returns”. Ron would reply “you can’t live in the past Mel”.
During the 80s Ron Keily was appointed as General Manager. Ron’s ability to manage a team was invaluable to building the early Meyer Timber foundations as a sales business and had a wealth of experience in procuring Radiata Pine. Ron retired in the early 2000s, but with Meyer Timber still in his DNA, he continues to dedicate one full day each week to Meyer Timber, with a strong focus on Work Health & Safety.
In the mid to late 80’s “young guns” Lester Peazold and Michael Moorhead joined the team and spearheaded the expansion into North American Oregon and Southeast Asian products. Both remained highly motivated, and sales driven in their categories with numerous international travel expeditions securing supply from companies who to this day remain loyal supporters to Meyer Timber.
THE 90’S
In the early 90’s, the State of Victoria suffered a major recession with the collapse of institutions such as the State Bank, Pyramid Building Society, National Mutual Society among others. It was during this period that Mel’s son David completed his university studies and joined the business as the accountant. Dave’s brother Stephen was already driving a truck for the business before he had a short adventure chasing cricket balls in England, where he forged relationships so strong that some would eventually work for Meyer Timber. One example is company CFO, Monty Turner who was employed on vacation to answer some phones and put simply… never left. It was also at this time that a young “Elvis” loving Frank Da’Sissi joined the company, and it was not long before he was identified as the perfect succession beyond Ron Keily for the companies Radiata Pine procurement…..and yes Frank now has over 30 years with Meyer Timber. Colin went on to explain, “this period was a difficult time with constant letters from insolvency firms. Let’s just say that no one was putting their hand up to collect the mail on a Monday morning,’ chuckled Colin.”
Surprisingly we still grew, and it was a true testament to that team of the 90s.
Above: From left to right, Steve, Marilyn and David Meyer.
So now with the Meyer Timber “resilience test” proven and complete, it was with confidence that the team could progress and grow sustainably. Glomar court in Dandenong essentially was the home for Meyer Timber. A factory unit or two which over time through sales growth had Meyer
Timber all but residing in nearly all the factory units in the street. The old fashioned, less than 6.0m openings on factory unit roller doors became the training ground for any aspiring “forky” of which a few today remain with the business. For those other businesses left in the street, they too became good neighbours with no need for a forklift because chances were that a Meyer Timber one was ready for them at their request. During the friendly occupation or takeover of the street Mel and Marilyn (Mel’s wife) had the fortitude to buy a block of land just around the corner in Dana Court, and some 10 years later it became the new Victorian State facility purpose built on some 40,000m2, and remains so today as the National Head Office.
Mel Meyer sadly passed in 1998, and this left a gaping hole in the business, and equally a personal one for family and the dedicated staff. Marilyn and her sons had a simple game plan and that was to ensure that they kept the team together and see what would play out. It was the dedication and resolve of Marilyn combined with David’s diligence, intelligence and mostly his camaraderie within a team that reinvigorated all to reach for even higher success……. something big was on the horizon.
Above: A younger Kent Powell and Todd Beazley in the Structalam days.
THE TURN OF THE CENTURY
At the turn of the century in the early 2000’s, it was clear to the brothers and the senior team that growth beyond Victoria was a strategy and challenge that excited the team. In 2005 they reached across Bass Strait and established the Meyer Timber Tasmania operation that continues to this day. After the successful startup of the Tasmanian project, the family turned their attention North and in 2007 the move into NSW would truly announce Meyer Timber as a committed national wholesale entity to the market, but equally important this was a move that pleased the existing Meyer Timber suppliers. These suppliers would now enjoy a National Meyer Timber growth partnership. The initial entry to NSW was not easy, this was an already established diversified and somewhat crowded wholesale market. The brothers started to have their doubts. Marilyn was instrumental with her drive to continue on. In July 2007 when the opportunity to acquire Structalam Timber Products presented itself and what on paper looked like a solid but conservative growth strategy, however very quickly turned into a rapid climb in sales and market presence. Not surprisingly the management team of Structalam Timber Products from that time all remain in the business to this day. The synergies between the Sydney and Melbourne teams were evident, as both shared a passion for setting ambitious goals that required hard work to drive business growth.
The decade from 2007 to 2017 saw significant growth across multiple categories, with a strong focus on Engineered Wood Products. The business also prioritised European and local pine, expanded into outdoor treated products, and introduced a range of Southeast Asian products. We required multiple category managers who would manage the procurement, the sales strategy, and the warehouse handling solutions. These category managers would somewhat have ownership of their business, within the business. This resulted in the ongoing leasing and redevelopment of multiple sheds in both Victoria and New South Wales States, and in 2016 the decision was made to start the 45,000m2 greenfield development, completed in 2017 of the now Penrith site at the foot of the Sydney Blue Mountains.
Above: Steve Meyer cuts the ribbon at the Brisbane, QLD warehouse, with brother David at his side.
GOING NORTH IN 2018
With the Meyer Timber operations in the Southern States now well established and fully mature the usual Meyer Timber “what next” discussion started late one evening at the Port of Melbourne over a cold beer. Boredom does not sit well in the management team at Meyer Timber, and it was from this late evening discussion that it was agreed, the new challenge of Queensland would complete the East Coast footprint for Marilyn and sons David and Stephen.
Between 2018 and 2020 Meyer Timber held a warehouse position at the Port of Brisbane and in 2021 they started, another 25,000m2 greenfield development in Luscombe, Southeast QLD. Seven years later, the very first Meyer Timber QLD employee, Jeff Ellis “forklift driver, all- rounder” who now holds a senior management position in the QLD operation.
The latest growth opportunity emerged in New South Wales through Newcastle Timber Trading, a hardworking and loyal team led by Paul Hughes. As the business approached the end of its cycle, it was supported by a dedicated and loyal customer base. With careful considerations from both sides, it was agreed that a friendly acquisition by Meyer Timber would be mutually beneficial for both owners and employees. The importance of recognising the NTT historical value, meant that Newcastle Timber Trading would remain named as such. Timber Trader News covered the NTT story in the 2024, May/Jun issue from page 32.
THE PEOPLE RECIPE
One of the most evident Meyer Timber key success ingredients that I have noticed over my time, is the power of team’s collective memory, which only grows and multiplies when you have amazing retention of your people which results in the businesses knowhow and memory multiplying. There is a developed understanding of knowing what each other is doing in both the day to day and the longer strategy. We identify people in the business that I describe as “they do Meyer Timber well”. I first came up with this saying when asked in conversation about a particular staff member, and it was a description that just seemed right. This is a person who not only does their core function exceptionally well, but they then look to learn, understand, and appreciate the function of the person or department beside them. We believe that a person who is intuitive or a person who wants to know why something is, beyond the first obvious answer, is a person who will most likely be successful at Meyer Timber”.
The enjoyment of a scale growth business like Meyer Timber really is fascinating. Once scale is achieved the workings and strategies within the business, particularly regarding resources and structure, become as important as many of the battles in the market. David Meyer, Managing Director, without doubt has had the foresight in identifying the resource required to keep Meyer Timber on course during continuous growth. The implementation of a highly talented IT team, legal & compliance department, Inventory analytics, clever logistics operators, social media and B2B marketing lead, in house Structural Engineering of the highest of industry level, have all contributed to supporting the scale growth of Meyer Timber and maintaining a day-to-day service model performance that remains at front of market.
AN INSIGHT INTO DAVID AND STEPHEN
Both Dave and Stephen have always echoed to the staff a hard work with fun approach to what they do. Camaraderie, teamwork, and the desire to go after a goal big or small where winning remains the end game, but along the way effort and learning are the true measuring sticks of the success.
Dave sits in the lane of Managing Director and high-level business operations working alongside Michael “Monty” Turner CFO (Former Batting all-rounder), one of Meyer Timber’s great long-term servants. Both remain highly in touch with sales strategy at State levels and are a constant sounding board to all Meyer Timber Category managers.
Stephen remains directly in the customer and sales front in the Melbourne and Regional Victoria market. He has forged long and respected relationships delivering a personable Meyer Timber brand to his sales approach. Stephen regularly travels across state lines to all Meyer Timber sites and provides a ground level culture barometer reading for the business. He can often be found telling many historical stories of Meyer Timber, along with funny anecdotes, including stretched cricketing achievements to all staff across the business.
Today we are fortunate to have the advantage of two close brothers steering the business. Both have over 30 years of industry experience and it is understanding each other’s strengths that allows cover across all facets of Meyer Timber.
Above: Charlie Vella, Sharee Butler, and Jessica Powyer enjoy a laugh.
FUTURE PROOFING WITH PEOPLE
All businesses have the challenge of the career cycle with key people and Meyer Timber is no different. Eventually no matter how youthful your older people are, the race to the end of a career only gets faster and too often there can inadvertently be a talent or knowhow gap for a business. David, Stephen, Monty, and other key influences now all at age 50 plus have actively started the harvesting of talent that will be able to drive such a vehicle of Meyer Timber’s scale into the future. We have age groups that will roll through, much like the incoming tide. Currently, the key team leaders are at the peak of their wave, and while they’ll eventually reach the shore, we know there’s a rising wave between ages 35 and 45, with a swell building behind them from ages 25 to 34. We are very satisfied with the people production line across all departments and the key now will be to develop and nurture them so that they are ready. This is not easy, and it takes a commitment to talent building which is why we have implemented our most recent addition in Head of Hiring and Talent Builder by appointing 20-year recruitment professional to the business Priscilla Curtis to the Meyer Team, full time.
LET THE PARTY BEGIN
Considering that you only turn 50 once, there are a lot of plans in play this year to celebrate this milestone. There are of course customer promotions near launching, stay tuned! State-based celebrations will take place, and later in 2025, the family will express their gratitude to the many long-term staff with a special evening in Melbourne.
There is a raft of names to throw into the dedication and commitment that make up the Meyer Timber 50 years, so many great people with 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 years of the journey. In trying to tie a bow on this story as best I can, I will leave you with a quote from one of our long-term standing employees “You know working at Meyer Timber is a bit like the Hotel California, you can check out any time you like but you can never leave.”
I hope I have provided valuable insight into this amazing and successful family business.
For more information visit Meyer at https://meyertimber.com.au
