With humble beginnings in a workshop next to the family home in Hill Street to taking a prominent position in the town's CBD, the business founded by Allan Arthur Blatch has survived three generations.
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Its name, that we've all become so familiar with - not just from seeing it on the facade of an iconic building or from that extremely catchy jingle - has etched itself into Parkes' local history as a long-standing, community-driven family business.
This year with grandson Allan Jr at the helm, the business celebrates its 70th anniversary.
As a way to recognise the significant milestone, Allan has kindly taken time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions about running a local business in our community and being part of a proud history.
Blatch's has been part of the Parkes business community for 70 years, how did it all begin for your family?
The business was founded in 1952 by retired Australian Army Captain Allan A Blatch, my granddad. He was a highly regarded fitter and machinist and was an inspector of army munitions during World War II, opening factories in Melbourne, Hobart and Perth.
Allan's wife Kay, my grandmother, along with their children Warren, my dad, and Bronwyn, worked at different times in the workshop initially next to the family home in Hill Street.
The business moved to larger premises at 143 Clarinda Street in 1966, next door to the Cambridge Hotel on the southern side. My parents returned home from PNG in 1979 after 12 years away and joined the business. In 1984 my grandad and dad expanded again and bought the premises where Blatch's now operates.
My dad became well known for his marketing around the Central West and grandad remained active in the business right up until his death in 2003.
My grandad founded the business but my dad built it up. He put on a yearly trade expo at the Parkes Leagues Club with suppliers from all around the country, it became a real feature on the calendar. It was incredible and shows just how much the industry has changed - for me to put something like that on would be almost impossible, it's just a different era with suppliers.
In 2006 my parents decided to close the workshop arm of the operation to concentrate on retailing.
I moved back to Australia from the UK in 2013 with my wife Susannah, who I met working in television in London.
In 2015 we bought the business from my parents, who actively worked here into their 70s and retired after the change of ownership.
How does one go from a television career in the UK to running a successful business, that supplies bearings, automotive, agricultural and industrial products, in your hometown in central NSW, Australia?
We decided to take a chance to see if we could continue the family's legacy and to ensure this landmark family business continued. And to raise a family - we have four children now, Wilhelmina (8), Beatrice (6), Adelaide (3) and Beresford (six months).
After almost 10 years, it's no longer about just keeping Blatch's going, it's about making it a shopping experience unlike any other - from the customer service to the gleaming shop floor complete with its gargantuan toolboxes and family of stuffed gorillas. Blatch's has always been a destination shop for people travelling to Parkes.
Susie and I will be the first to admit we were absolute novices when we arrived but whether it be in bearings knowledge or running the finances, what we lacked in experience we made up for in enthusiasm.
Anyone can do anything in terms of a career change if they are willing to go all in. You've got to have a strong team - Susie does all the finances and administration and I'm in the shop. Running a small business has its rewards and challenges - like at the moment we're going through a regional labour shortage, I think Covid has been the straw that broke the camel's back. At the end of the day you're doing it for your family and community, and that keeps you going.
We took a huge gamble coming out here and taking on a 60-year-old business we knew nothing about, and we're enormously proud to be taking it into its next decade and continuing my grandparents' and parents' legacies. We can now see that that gamble paid off.
Your store with its iconic high pitched roof takes pride of place at the southern end of Clarinda Street, what's the story behind it?
Originally the building was the Princess Theatre showing silent movies. To the north was a vacant block before it all became Gartrell's Tyre Service, which explains the garage-style frontage of the business. Later it became Dunlop Tyres and then a hardware store.
The business has had an enormous facelift inside and out, what did the work entail?
My dad revolutionised the family business in the early 80s in the same way we did when we came onboard - we both had to breathe new life into it, which is the role of each new generation.
Soon after we purchased the business from my parents we began a long and torturous renovation to create the shop and showroom as it stands today. We knocked down all the walls inside. I wanted to keep as many features of the Princess Theatre as I could, such as the stage, the original Oregon timber and the original roof, but for modernity we recovered it and insulated it.
The whole facade is hand painted by a signwriter the same way it would have been done back when granddad and dad had the business.
We were determined to make our shop the most special of its kind in Australia.
Can you tell us about your unique shop set-up and the way you support your customers and your community?
Much of our business is done over the phone - parcels are freighted each day to places near and far. Some of our customers don't know much about Parkes or our actual store so they get a shock if they do walk in and see the special cabinets and stock.
Our glass cabinets showcase local produce from the region to inform visitors about what is produced in the area. Everyone asks about the KFC boxes or the strawberry milk. The KFC boxes illustrate how every piece of KFC chicken in Australia is cooked in the 'manola' oil manufactured by MSM Milling at Manildra. When people read the information in the milk cabinet, they are amazed to learn that much of the milk they drink is produced at Australia's largest single-site dairy - AFMH's Moxey Farms at Gooloogong. We're trying to fly the flag in a sense.
We get very involved in our customers' businesses, whether they be farming, manufacturing or food production - in my mind that's been the increasing success of Blatch's. We've also seen an uptake in inquiries from people in other areas who want to deal with an Australian-owned business now that so many well-known bearings, automotive or industrial businesses have sold to overseas companies.
We've become one of the longest running distributors in Australia for Tsubaki roller chain, NSK Bearings, Kincrome, NTN Bearings, Timken and Exedy Clutch - who have all been with the business since my grandad was running the business.
My father typed a newsletter, which I still have copies of, that was distributed by the post office in the 80s and 90s. I've continued that tradition since 2013, just now online. It has a passionate following which spurs me on to keep writing it month after month.
With a family business you get all the drive of a family trying to keep the show on the road and get the bills paid. That hopefully means better service, more pride in what we do, longer hours, community involvement and much more.
What sets us a part is giving back to and supporting a community that supports us. We're the sponsor of the fireworks this year at the Parkes Show and gold sponsor of Bogan Gate's 125th anniversary celebrations. We also sponsor Parkes rugby league, AFL, soccer, hockey, rugby union and swimming clubs, as well as Tullamore Show, Trundle Show, Eugowra Show, Cumnock Show, Trundle Boomers Rugby League, Trundle Golf Club, Parkes Golf Club, Bogan Gate Golf Club and the Parkes Musical and Dramatic Society.
And we just simply can't go past that jingle in your television ad - how did that come together?
The jingle has become well known and nothing makes me happier than having customers and their kids coming in and singing it for me. It was written by me and performed by Simon Pryce who most people will know as the Red Wiggle from The Wiggles and who is an opera singer by trade.
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