Family-owned city business celebrates 50 years in the saddle

A PROUD Toowoomba business, the Delbridge family’s Toowoomba Saddlery, marks 50 years of trading today.

Toowoomba Saddlery celebrate 50 years of business (from left) Rob, Sophie, Garth and Sandra Delbridge, Monday, August 20, 2018. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A PROUD Toowoomba business, the Delbridge family's Toowoomba Saddlery, marks 50 years of trading today.

But if you had asked founder and owner Garth Delbridge what a saddler was - even two hours before he applied for a job as an apprentice more than 50 years ago - he would have looked at you blankly and said: "A what?"

Garth left school at the age of 14 to accept a saddlery apprenticeship with Toowoomba firm James Rogers and Sons.

In those days, Garth said, you simply took whatever job you could get.

After completing a five-year apprenticeship, ("On weekends and time off I dug house foundations, did concrete work, and assisted digging graves at the Toowoomba cemetery... to make a bit of extra money") he worked as a plant operator with the Department of Main Roads, and later as a fireman.

Yet despite leaving the industry, he continued his saddlery work at home after hours, until it became obvious to him and wife Sandra they would have to return to the industry full-time.

Garth and Sandra chipped in $60 each (Sandra still has her receipt), and Toowoomba Saddlery was founded in a timber double garage behind their home in Taylor St in 1968.

Today, it is a multi-million dollar family business run from their factory and warehouse at McDougall St, Glenvale.

Sandra and Garth Delbridge celebrate as Toowoomba Saddlery marks 50 years of business, Monday, August 20, 2018. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The business acted as agents for Syd Hill and Sons between 1973 and 2010 - and during that time they sold roughly 35,000 saddles. Syd Hill and Sons closed their factory in 2010, prompting the saddlery to begin manufacturing their own. Nearly 6000 were sold over the ensuing eight years.

Garth's son Rob is the managing director and sole heir to the business, and it is hoped that one day his daughter Sophie will also want to sink her teeth into running the operation.

"I don't see her working at the workbench but she might be the Gina Rinehart of the saddlery world," Garth said.

Toowoomba Saddlery is one of the largest manufacturers of Australian-made saddles and leather strapping, supplying more than 1200 stores across the country.

He said today's anniversary was a "proud moment" and attributed no small part of their success to the "honest, loyal" staff they had over the years.

"There's been a few of them that have worked 20 years plus, and quite a few that went the distance to long service leave, so we've had a good run with people," Garth said.

Sophie Delbridge as Toowoomba Saddlery celebrate 50 years of business, Monday, August 20, 2018. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Originally published as Family-owned city business celebrates 50 years in the saddle