Business
9 December, 2024
New life for old venture
TWO brothers are breathing new life into a 30-year-old beloved carpet business – Carpet Bob – with the aim of it becoming top of minds and hearts for locals.
Siblings Daniel, 31, and William Hortomaris, 34, from Melbourne are ready to take on their first business challenge after buying the Portsmith venture, aiming to take the beloved firm to new heights with fresh ideas and a wholesome family feel.Both brothers had been in the carpet laying business for several years and decided to take the next step with a family venture where they can offer the best service with a youthful twist.
“I moved to Cairns two and a half years ago with my wife, and I’m a carpet layer, so I was trying to find work and I did a couple jobs with Bob Milich, the original owner, and he had been trying to sell it for a couple of years,” Daniel said.
“So I called my brother and father and we decided to buy it and take over.
“The workload of carpet laying was becoming too heavy for us so we were ready for something else and it’s been a dream to purchase our first business together.
“We’re keeping the name because it’s an iconic name and we’re keeping Bob’s motto – keeping prices cheap and competitive – but we’re also trying to bring a fresh new look to the company,” William said. “We’re going to fix the exterior of the building, everything internally, create new offices, an area where customers can view samples and give it a fresh new look.”
William said that they aimed to take the beloved business to new heights and become top of mind for Cairns’ residents
“We are young and we have fresh ideas for the business. We still have a long way to go and a lot to learn but we’re ready to take on the challenge of this new business,” he said.
“The majority of Bob’s work was real estate, but we want to branch out to everyday consumers. We want people to regard this shop as more than a budget shop. We’re going to have a good range we can compete with the franchises with the fancy showrooms.
“We want people to know that we’re here, it’s still Carpet Bob but we’re ready to give them a great service, great prices and become the number one carpet shop in the city.”
The pair encouraged people to give the renewed Carpet Bob a chance and continue to support local businesses.
“We’ve changed hands, some people might be reluctant to come in but give us a go. We’re young, we’re energetic, we’re very friendly and we’re customer servicemen,” William said.
“We want to talk to the locals and customers. We want to give that local vibe where people feel welcomed,” he said.
