Indigenous Business Month | Mossman Custom Kitchens
SPECIAL FEATURE
October is Indigenous Business Month, so here at Newsport we are shining a spotlight on local successful Indigenous run businesses.
This week Newsport spoke to the team at Mossman Custom Kitchens, a cabinet making business owned by local indigenous man Tyrone Ross-Kelly.
Mr Ross-Kelly has owned the business for the last ten years and in that time has greatly expanded it, growing the diversity of the company’s work and upgrading much of its machinery.
He has also grown the number of employees from one, when he first purchased the business, to the four there today, three of which are Indigenous.
Mr Ross-Kelly said Mossman Custom Kitchens likes to give back to the community by hiring young locals, training them, and giving them a start in the industry.
“We have put three people through full apprenticeships to qualified cabinet makers, one is still working for us,” he said.
“It has given them opportunities for jobs that they otherwise might not have had and they have really proven themselves”
“Putting our apprentices through and seeing them develop is a proud moment,” Mr Ross-Kelly said.
Mossman Custom Kitchens build and install cabinetry in kitchens, wardrobes, bedside tables, bookshelves, and vanities.
Mr Ross-Kelly said their work can range from small domestic builds to large scale commercial constructions including sizeable houses on Murphy Street in Port Douglas and in the Daintree.
“We also offer a flat pack service to locals with free assemble and free delivery within the local area.
“We love our local work and Port Douglas has really supported us, we also get a lot of work out in the communities as well,” he said.
Mr Ross-Kelly added that a highlight of running his own business is the freedom that comes with it.
“Yes it comes with a lot of responsibility but it also has given us the freedom to do things that we don't otherwise get to do.
“There's not a lot of jobs around I guess, so we probably would have had to move somewhere else had we not had the business,” he said.
Indigenous Business Month, an initiative of the MURRA Indigenous Master Class Program alumni, will run for the rest of October showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entrepreneurs and businesses.
If you know of a local Indigenous business that deserves recognition contact editor@newsport.com.au and let us know.
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