In the late 1880’s, a holding yard for second-hand timber and building materials salvaged from demolitions commenced trading in Melbourne’s inner city suburb of Clifton Hill. The business changed hands twice before being taken over by Frank DeMartini. The business, which remained essentially a destination for second-hand timber, became DeMar Timber & Demolition.
Today the Webster family own the business, with Alan and Myriam Webster buying the business in 1984 from Mr DeMartini. At the time, Alan and Myriam had four small children and they wanted to spend more time together as a family. Alan had been a customer of DeMar’s and when he learned that the ‘old man’ was looking to sell the business, he and Myriam jumped at the chance. “He was such a lovely, kind man who gave us lots of help and support when we bought the business. We had such respect for him and that is why we decided to keep the name DeMar Timber & Demolition”, Myriam explains.
Over the following two and a half decades, Myriam and Alan moved away from second-hand timber and into the building and renovating trade, supplementing their vast timber stock with a comprehensive hardware and building supplies range. Due to a commitment to supplying sustainably harvested products and a knowledgeable team dedicated to bright ideas and extra assistance, today, DeMar Timber & Hardware is one of Melbourne’s leading inner-city independent timber and hardware retailers.
Alan and Myriam’s dream of spending more time together as a family came into full fruition as the children got older. Myriam and Alan’s son, son-in-law and two daughters, currently all work for the business – making DeMar Timber & Hardware a real family affair.