Porters Mitre 10 closing retail store, three trade stores to build Paget superstore, staff made redundant

Porters will close its landmark Mackay Mitre 10 retail store and move three trade stores into one, with staff potentially on the chopping block. FULL DETAILS

A landmark Mackay hardware store will close in the next month, with almost 30 staff warned of potential redundancies — but there is hope some could be taken to its new home in Paget.

Porters Hardware Group, first founded by the multi-generational Mackay family of the same name in 1883, plans on moving into a new trade centre which is yet to be built in the industrial estate.

But as a result, the company is closing its inner-city retail store in late February, while keeping its Porters Mitre 10 Mackay City Trade, Porters Plumbing Plus, and Inspirations Paint Mackay City stores open until the Paget site is complete — expected in 2026.

Porters Mitre 10 at the 135 year celebration. Gavan Snr, Paul and Barry Porter in the Mackay city store.

In an interview with this masthead, company secretary Gavan Porter said there’s been a real “sense of loss” from the community and family after the decision to close the store was announced.

Mr Porter said there are 10 permanent employees affected, and 20 casuals, but stressed no formal redundancies have been made.

Some of the retail staff at Brisbane Street had already transferred to other stores.

“We are currently working through a consultation process with all our Mackay retail staff, having met with them [on Monday] to explain the changes occurring,” he said.

“However, the remaining positions at Brisbane Street and Charlies Café will become redundant in the revised structure and the team members in those roles will leave the company, should no alternative roles be identified or available.”

Porters Mitre 10's Charlie's Cafe team members in 2021 (from left): barista Chiara Dalton, cook Kiwii Natchawna, chef Elizabeth Burrows and manager Maria O'Reilly. Picture: Heidi Petith

It is understood the last day for Charlies Café is February 22.

Mr Porter said the staff are “like family to us” as they “make the transitions as respectful and compassionate as possible for everyone”.

The Brisbane St location was first opened in 1930, and was just a few years off celebrating a century.

The store moved to a retail model in the 1980s, some 50 years after opening.

Porters staff circa 1913. Picture: Contributed.

At its largest, Porters employed more than 300 people, Mr Porter said, but the mining downturn and collapse in construction in 2012-2013 led to the loss of many staff.

Mackay went from building 2000 homes a year during the boom to what is now 400.

“This is a sad day but a minor restructure compared to what we worked through in that period, letting people go and cost cutting,” he added, explaining the lessons learned from that period.

“If you’re a business that doesn’t make those tough choices there can be greater problems where you need to let more people go,” Mr Porter said.

“Trade is where we need to be. We will grow and we will have more employment opportunities.”

He said the business is confident in an uptick for housing construction over the next 15 years, which is why it invested half a million dollars to new machinery at its truss plant, betting on locals wanting a supplier which can offer shorter lead times.

Retail customers will still be able to use the Mitre 10 website click and collect function, ordering what they need and picking it up from any location in the network, including the future Paget store.

Mr Porter also noted its other hybrid trade/retail stores in Sarina, Mirani and Whitsundays will continue unchanged.

The Porters Northern Beaches store in Rural View welcomed Red Dog Brewery in late 2024.

Greg Williamson, mayor, Mackay Regional Council said he wishes the Porters well, and his heart goes out to the directors which had to make a decision for staff which is “gut wrenching”.

“I know the Porter family have had a long period of angst about getting out of retail and moving their business interests back to where they came from, which is in support of construction in the Mackay area,” Mr Williamson said.

“They’re not going out of business, they are concentrating on what they do best and vacating the CBD which will make available a huge piece of land and building in our CBD which I’m sure will be taken up eventually.”

The mayor noted the site is in the Principal Centre Zone which opens it to a range of development opportunities.

“Council is willing and able to assist anyone with a proposal for this site or any other site in the city centre, to help bring their proposal to a reality.”

All other Porters retail, specialty and trade outlets across the region will remain open and trade normally, the company said.

The company said Brisbane Street, including Charlies Café, has been a central part of Porters for generations, and it intends to send the store off in an appropriate way with “fondness and great memories when it ceases trading”.

“Saying goodbye to a site the company has occupied since 1930 is a big step, but Mackay has evolved so much in recent years that it is a change which has to happen,” Mr Porter said.

“Sometimes you have to make tough choices in the short term for long term success. That’s how you survive five generations.”

More to come.

Originally published as Porters Mitre 10 closing retail store, three trade stores to build Paget superstore, staff made redundant