“We just supply fencing and gates to our friends and neighbours - and whoever else gives us a ring.”

Business Feature: The Trading Post - Sunshine Coast.

The Trading Post - Sunshine Coast was inspired by Coes Creek resident Philip MacDonald; and along with his wife Anthea and their daughter Maple Tully, they are supplying fencing and gate products from their depot in Yandina.

The family offer a wide range of fencing and gate supplies, including mesh gates, chainwire gates, pickets, chainwire fencing, wire fencing, livestock panels and gates, sports court fencing, Modular animal enclosures, wire, and accessories.

Their competitive edge comes from packaging orders into wholesale quantities and getting better prices from manufacturers.

The business has relationships with a stable of manufacturers and importers. This allows The Trading Post - Sunshine Coast to get competitive pricing and offer a large variety of fencing and gate products.

“I come from a small fishing and farming community where everyone was considered a neighbour,” Phil said.

“The Sunshine Coast is my new home and that’s how I intend to engage our clients and manufacturers - as neighbours - neighbourly.”

That attitude seems to be paying off for the young business as they have recently shaken hands on a deal to distribute Fencestay products to the region.

“I had neighbours asking about Fencestay end-stays and fish mouth posts so I gave Steve from Fencestay a call,” he said.

“He and I chatted for a few months and worked out an agreement that we hope will make it more cost effective to get these products to our neighbours around the state.”

Anthea has the final say on their finances. “We are a new small family business. We can’t afford to carry significant volumes of our entire product line, and that makes it difficult to help on those ‘needed-it-yesterday projects’,” she explained.

“But we’ll get more capacity and capital. We’re happy with how we’ve gone so far.”

The family business currently trades predominantly by appointment, offering weekend and evening availability. Maple Tully has the role of Human Resources Manager. Always ensuring a work-life balance and initiating adventures.

To get in touch, contact Phil on 0498 948 996 at any time. If he’s not available, then Human Resources likely have him on an adventure and he’ll follow up soon.

Maple Tully, Anthea and Phil MacDonald.