Business milestones have been shared with community since 1883
A Mackay business success story began in 1883 and with it an enduring connection with the Daily Mercury.
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ONE of Mackay’s longest running businesses was created out of necessity.
Porters Mitre 10 joint general manager Greg Porter’s great, great grandfather Charles Porter moved to Mackay in 1883 to build the Empress of India Hotel (now Taylor’s) at the corner of Wood and Alfred streets.
But he could not source building supplies and thus opened his own hardware store — Charles Porter and Sons — in Brisbane St, where it still operates today as Porters Mitre 10.
“He didn’t have much choice if he wanted to build stuff – he had to get the products from somewhere,” Mr Porter said.
Thus began a Mackay business success story and, with it, an enduring connection with the Daily Mercury.
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Mr Porter said the Mercury(or the Mackay Mercury and South Kennedy Advertiser as it was known then) was “very integral” to how Porters communicated with the people of the region.
“In the initial stages, it was one of the only ways of advertising,” Mr Porter said.
On December 24, 1912, an entry in the Mercury read “the firm of Charles Porter and Sons is well known throughout the Mackay district for their high class timbers and hardwares.
“ … In addition, the firm enjoys the Mackay agency of Crossley’s oil and gas engines, one of which has just been supplied to the A.B.C. Cafe, for supplying power to mix cakes, make ice-creams, and work the electric light and fans.”
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The firm’s progress was tracked by the Mercury through the succeeding decades of expansion.
Mr Porter said the Mackay community had seen many changes since, with industries and businesses coming and going.
All industries had to embrace online technology, he said.
“The internet is a significant contributor to the way people purchase and access information.”
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