Twelve months at the Hub

Can you believe it?

It’s twelve months since we stepped out of our comfort zone and opened our Regional Sewing Hub in Toowoomba. It was a big risk for our little business but one that has certainly paid off!

After five years in the business we realised that to grow we really needed to make more bears. Unfortunately with a population of only around four hundred people, there just aren’t enough teddy bear sewers in this little town. Spreading our wings twelve months ago we leased a premises and set up our Regional Sewing Hub in Toowoomba.

Working with Multicultural Development Australia we employed three migrant refugees from Syria and Eretria, along with a former Charleville resident. Luckily we had Bonnie already working for us in Toowoomba, and she capably stepped into the role of Hub Supervisor. Increasing our sewers from 1.5 to 6 (we have another part-timer working in Toowoomba) has allowed us to increase production substantially in twelve months.

We took the opportunity to ‘shout’ the Toowoomba Team and their families to an evening at the Federal Hotel to celebrate this significant milestone. Unfortunately Tbrah was unable to make it as she was overseas in Uganda at the time.

Reflecting on the past twelve months there are nine high points that stand out for us to celebrate:

  1.  Training Day – a come and try day when 15 potential workers came and ‘had a go’.
  2. Opening the Hub at Mort St; such excitement when we opened the Hub and spent a week in Toowoomba training the new staff.
  3.  Our first load of bears to Tambo…..many more to come over the twelve months.
  4.  Visit from the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Stirling Hinchliffe to the Hub.
  5.  Winning the small business category of the Queensland Multicultural Awards
  6.  Unloading a container of supplies directly into the Hub storage.
  7. Becoming a finalist in the Queensland Community Achievement Awards.
  8.  Meeting a group of new people from completely a different culture and being able to make a difference to their lives.
  9.  And one of the best – bears, bears and more bears!

Twelve months down and we are ready for the next twelve, what will it bring?

Click below to check out the highlights Video 14-2-20, 9 26 30 pm

Video