MWF Plumbing may have a long history but they are looking forward to a bright future with a major makeover and expansion of their Maryland Street store now complete.
The family-run business has long been a landmark in Stanthorpe but with a brightly painted brand new extension they are now hard to miss.
Not that anyone other than staff has seen what is inside the new showroom, with MWF choosing to keep just what they have been creating for the people of the region under-wraps, blacking out the windows, until the big day.
And there is not long to wait now with the official opening taking place on Saturday (10 October). The business is going all out to make sure it’s a big occasion for the town with a barbecue – sausage sizzle, raffles, giveaways and an official opening by the Mayor from 9am.
It has been a long road to opening day which started with planning two years ago and has progressed through building – which started in February just before Covid hit, painting and now the finishing touches are being added.
MWF believe the new extension will bring a new dimension to the business with more space allowing them to showcase more of what they do. Instead of customers viewing items in a book or on-line they will now be able to see proper real-life displays of products set up, allowing customers to get a real sense of what they will look like in their own homes. They will be able to walk into a bathroom and see the bath, shower and all of the other accessories set up as it would be in their own home.
The new room has also allowed them to expand in barbecues, showcase more wood heaters, pumps, a kitchen and laundry area and to take on new suppliers who haven’t been seen by people of the region before. It is now even more of a one-stop shop than before proving you don’t have to go to bigger towns and cities for the latest looks.
MWF has been owned by the same family since the 60s but with a new generation of Torrisi brother’s taking over in 2014 it was decided it was time bring it up to-date and to look to the future.
While still keeping the same friendly family services, the new generation have put their own personal stamp on the business not only expanding the showroom, but changing branding, logos, signage, vehicle signage, uniforms and colours to something that reflects the past while bringing new innovations.
Find them at 64 Maryland Street, Stanthorpe (it is hard to miss the new fresh bright blue colour scheme) and for more information email them at adminwf@mwfplumbing.com.au, call them on 0746811000 or follow them on Facebook.
SOME HISTORY…
When Vince Costanzo opened his plumbing business in 1962 in a small tin shed behind where the current Police Station is located he didn’t realise he was starting a family dynasty.
V&SM Costanzo Plumbing was a small business, set up by Vince after he finished apprenticeship with R Koina And Son the year before, but it grew fast and soon moved to a more central and visible location at 64 Maryland Street.
Almost six decades later his great nephew’s are still running a family businesses in that location, a business that has become an integral part of the Stanthorpe and Granite Belt community and has been known, for more than a generation, as MWF Plumbing.
In 1967 a second generation of the family became a part of the business when Mario Torrisi, Vince’s nephew, took up an apprenticeship. His older brother Frank did his apprenticeship at Pierpoint Motors and moved to the Sunshine Coast to further his career. But family ties and ties to Stanthorpe are strong for the Torrisi/Costanzo family and so by 1982 Frank had returned to the area and was working with his Uncle in the office.
When Vince decided to sell up it seemed like a natural decision for the brother’s and friend Warren Barker, who was employed in the workshop, to buy the business and MWF was born.
Under their stewardship the business grew steadily over the years, utilizing the adjoining building for much needed space and opening a second shop in Tenterfield.
Family and business continued to go hand-in-hand for the Torrisi’s so when both Frank and Mario decided to retire in 2014 it seemed again to be a natural progression for the next generation to step in.
Mario’s four sons now own MWF with Steven and Michael as operational managers – though Mario can still be found working from to time-to-time lending a helping hand and watch his son’s make the business their own.
So now with 58-years behind them, the Torrisi family is looking to the future, expanding again – adding a new chapter to the history book of MWF Plumbing.
