Workwear For Everyone Kingsbury Family
Workwear For Everyone
Kingsbury Family
Words by Danae Jones
TOTALLY WORKWEAR is more than just a workwear outlet. The Scott Street business which is locally owned and operated has become the house of brands to many workers in Far North Queensland for over 24 years delivering everything from corporate clothing, business casuals, footwear, hospitality, medical and industrial garments, as well as PPE equipment.
When the professionals of Cairns gear up to go to work each day, there’s a good chance they’ll be wearing something from Totally Workwear.
The second longest running franchise in the Totally Workwear group, the Cairns store was voted store of the year in 2015 at the group’s annual conference, seeing 20 per cent growth in that year alone and a steady upward sales growth since.
“It was a colossal sense of achievement,” says managing director, Chris Kingsbury.
“We’re by far the highest performing store in our group, we even outperform Sydney, and our market acceptance has been very gratifying.”
Selling a wide range of workwear, corporate wear and safety gear by brands you know and trust the store services an area spanning Cardwell, the Gulf and Cape York with a staff of 23.
“Like everybody in businesses, we pride ourselves on our service. We do boots to suits,” he says.
You’d be hard pressed to find a person that lives and works in the region that isn’t aware of the brand, having had a strong market presence and a generous community spirit since its inception the Kingsbury family say they are all about supporting those who support them – the local community.
Chris Kingsbury attributes TWW’s success to a consistent marketing presence that has achieved top-of-mind brand awareness and never allowing themselves to think small.
“What’s the old saying, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. There’s not a single year where we haven’t grown. We’ve kept our foot on the peddle post GFC and thanks to strong relationships, quality product lines and excellent customer service I think that’s what’s propelled us forward.”
“Our job is to listen and perform. Everyone who works here is taught in one department and then moved around the business to gain broader knowledge.
Totally Workwear is also a truly family affair, with Chris’s wife June involved in office administration and custom orders while daughter Jenni is office manager and bookkeeper.
“We’re very proud of the fact it’s become a family business. It’s very rewarding to see a business you’ve built up supporting the next generation,” Chris says.
Adding value to the customer service chain has also been critical to TWW’s ongoing success claims Chris, with integrated computer ordering systems and compliance with internationally recognised Quality Management System ISO 9001:2015 and Environmental Management System ISO 14001:2015.
“That speaks volumes for our benchmarked standards and we’re rushing forward to embrace the digital age very quickly.”
“We’re like a clock with many moving parts. We can get the order into our system very quickly and then place the order.”
Maintaining close working relationships with the many local SME businesses in Cairns is important for Chris and his family. They describe Totally Workwear as a “microcosm” of the greater city.
“There’s such a variety of businesses and trades we provide for. We may apply the uniform for everybody at your local service station, or equally the entire business attire for those employed at your law firm,” says daughter and Operations Manager Jenni Kingsbury.
“Not surprisingly, we also kit out quite a few Fly In Fly Out workers, enroute to industry jobs from Mackay to Broome,” she says.
Indeed, the secret to Totally Workwear’s success in Cairns has been to totally immerse themselves within the fabric of both the Cairns & FNQ regional communities.
The business was one of the first platinum partners involved with the Cairns Chamber of Commerce and they support several local sporting groups in Cairns, ensuring they are highly visible with also the recent establishment of their very own sporting team across multiple sporting codes named TeamTWW.
“We have cyclists that compete in all the major competitions including Tour of the Tropics, State Championships for BMX and Mountain Biking, we have Ironmen and Ironwomen, rally car drivers in TARGA Great Barrier Reef and even Champion Ballroom Dancers are part of TeamTWW. They have their own Instagram handle @teamtww and we manage all of their marketing and support them with gear and entry fees to their comps, they have attracted quite the local following.
“The sporting success the team is having is truly outstanding to watch and there’s something for every member of our staff to get behind and barrack for. I can see TeamTWW going from strength to strength and I have no doubt it will be one of our community legacies.
“Totally Workwear is evolving and growing at a very healthy rate. The key to us going forward is to continually self-improve our processes and the quality of the people who work within the business. But we can’t do any of it without the communities support and we are forever grateful for their trust and loyalty in us,” said Chris.
Totally Workwear Cairns
98 Scott St, Bungalow QLD 4870
Ph: 07 4047 4444
www.totallyworkwear.com.au
