Gibson Shopfitters has its roots in Sydney, Australia and bears the name of Douglas Holdsworth Gibson, who began his working life as a carpenter in the early 1920's.
History
Gibson family era
In 1924 Doug Gibson worked on the fitout of the first Woolworths store as an employee of Francis and Smith. After a period of expansion with Woolworths, Doug became a partner in Francis and Smith and eventually, after the death of SA Smith, bought out the remaining partner and established his own company. Based in Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo, this company was the original seed of today’s Gibson Shopfitters.
From these early days, Doug Gibson’s work continued to be based around shopfitting for Woolworths with the exception of a period during the Second World War when Gibsons were assigned to work for the Navy manufacturing ammunition cases and refitting timber components of damaged warships.
In 1955, Gibsons established their metal manufacturing division U-Rect-It (URI) at Marrickville in response to a market trend for an alternative to timber fixtures. URI specialised in the manufacturing of steel shelving systems and soon began supplying both the original Gibson shopfitting business which had been geared towards servicing Woolworths, and also supplying a range of systems to a more diversified retail customer base.
In 1963, the Gibson family added another business, Consolidated Joinery, to the group as a specialist timber and joinery supplier to their Gibson shopfitting business.
In the 1970’s, the Gibson shopfitting business was moved to Pine Road, Fairfield because the Cathedral Street premises was in the path of Sydney’s upcoming Eastern Suburbs Railway. URI later joined the Gibson shopfitting business on the same premises where they were operated side-by-side.
Both businesses continued to expand, and in the late 1970’s it was necessary for the Gibson shopfitting business to relocate to larger premises at Magowar Rd, Girraween where the joinery manufacturing operation is still located. URI’s manufacturing operations have continued at the same premises in Fairfield to this day.
