Figtree Tyres' $1.5 Mil Rebuild

Illawarra Mercury

Tuesday October 2, 2007

By COURTNEY TRENWITH

THE owner of a Figtree tyre shop destroyed by fire in June is planning to come back bigger and better.

Chris Wiles hopes to turn the old Figtree Tyres site, on the corner of Princes Hwy and O'Briens Rd, into a state-of-the art workshop and showroom with "six-star service".

Mr Wiles said customers would be able to leave their children in a playroom, go to the in-house gym or enjoy a coffee, while waiting for their tyres to be changed or wheels aligned.

The grand plan would be like no other tyre store in the Illawarra, he said.

Mr Wiles' life has turned a full 360 degrees since Figtree Tyres went up in flames on June 3.

He and co-owner, Peter Borg, ran the business for 10 years and lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in earnings because of the fire, for which they were under insured.

Their plan to buy the Figtree Tyres property from Graham and June Davison was just three weeks away from reality when the fire occurred.

Mr Borg has since moved to another business and Mr Wiles considered ending his business career. But after meetings with accountants and a few sleepless nights, Mr Wiles and partner Sharon Robinson decided to go ahead with the workshop concept "with all the bells and whistles".

They have bought lots 94-100 Princes Hwy from the Davisons, who retired 10 years ago.

The 3000sqm block includes the present Chris Newman Auto Repairs - which will stay - Figtree Smash Repairs and the old Figtree Tyres site.

Mr Wiles and Ms Robinson intend to use the Figtree Smash Repairs building as their temporary workshop, while the new one is built where the old Figtree Tyres stood.

Mr Wiles said he had already signed up three full-time mechanics and expected business to start next month, after the shop was renovated and rebranded with the new business name TyrePlus.

The large-scale development is expected to take three years to build at a cost of about $1.5 million, excluding the land.

The past four months had been difficult financially and emotionally but things were looking positive, he said. "It's been hard. Initially we didn't know where we were going to go. We thought we were out, we couldn't afford it (the property)," Mr Wiles said.

"And then a whole circle turned and I thought we could make this place work."

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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