Celebrating 30 Years : Our Woodpecker Journey
For the last 30 years, Woodpecker has been the Peninsula's one stop shop for all your heating and cooling needs. Read about our journey!
Proudly Australian-owned and grown Woodpecker has always been a local family business servicing the peninsula and its families.
Beginning in Seaford around 1954 by Osie Cox as a firewood yard, Woodpecker supplied the local area with the best quality firewood available at the time. Later Woodpecker was sold to Mr Carl Seals, who moved it to Moorooduc to a larger premise, where he ran it with the help of his family. As Carl was retiring due to health issues, Woodpecker was purchased in 1994 by local family friends, Steve and Collette Frankland, who were 24. It was extremely hard and physically demanding work but a challenge to build upon.
After a year they moved Woodpecker to Mornington with the vision of combining heating products and creating the largest woodpile in Australia. Five years later, after saving as much as possible over the winter period to put into stock over the summer, the largest stack of firewood in Victoria was created with nearly 1300 tonne of firewood, on the corner of Bruce Street and Mornington Tyabb Road. The immense size and neatness of the wood stack was a talking point throughout the local area and not only became a point of reference but was commonly commented as “the great wall of wood”. Locals were amazed as this yard would fill and subsequently empty out every year!
Woodpecker grew largely through word of mouth and gained its reputation of guaranteeing clean, dry firewood even during the wettest of winters when stock became scarce.
Woodpecker grew by name and reputation; a small showroom was built, and new products were introduced. Wood heaters were the obvious choice, then open wood fireplaces. From these small steps and greater demand from its customers for gas and electric products, Steve gathered the best-known and highly regarded products you still see in their showroom today.
Woodpecker quickly outgrew its premises, and the decision was made to sell the firewood yard, but to make the forward steps of building their purpose-built showroom for retailing products in 2005. Steve wanted Woodpeckers’ customers to experience its products so they showcased over 50 working displays and was one of the largest in Melbourne. Ducted heating systems and Air conditioning were added, and Woodpecker was now a Daikin Specialist Dealership for the Peninsula. Expanding even further, a range of BBQs\outdoor fires specialising in wood and charcoals was added.
There have been products tried and withdrawn, and the products you see at Woodpecker today are the premium products with proven high standards and efficiencies and with guaranteed backup service and warranties from Australia, New Zealand, America and Europe. These products have proven themselves as market stayers and innovators and have grown with Woodpecker for over 30 Years.
Not content with letting customers end their relationship after a purchase, Steve knew heating and cooling are products not purchased in haste or cheaply and can be essential in many home environments. A lot of time and effort was spent with their customers ensuring they get the correct heating and cooling system. Steve then began a Woodpecker Service and Installation department so their products could be installed correctly and with full knowledge of its customer’s requirements and above all trust.
Woodpecker grew due to its wonderful staff. Woodpeckers’ greatest asset is the professional, knowledgeable and service-orientated staff that strives to assist all their customers. You will still see Steve, Collette and many familiar faces, friends and family members in the Woodpecker team.
In 2010 Steve and Collette began a new venture of expanding Woodpecker to include another showroom closer to the city for its increasing metropolitan customers. In Oakleigh East, it was twice the size of the Mornington showroom at over 1150sqm – larger than many housing blocks!
As with all businesses COVID changed the face of retail, Woodpecker held strong through Covid with the help of its staff and customers. With Online shopping now at its peak and as the future, the Oakleigh store was no longer required. Woodpecker had then moved to Nepean Highway in Mornington in a designer, more streamlined style, for their new and existing customers.
There is something wonderful about having long-lasting relationships with your customers, seeing them come back again and again over the years just like old friends. We have seen their lives as they grow, move homes, bring up families and then even their children becoming customers!
We often hear “My parents used to buy wood from you” or “It’s so wonderful to see how your business has grown and we have enjoyed seeing that”. It warms the heart to be supported as a local business in this way.
Woodpecker still carries one the largest ranges of heating and cooling products available on the market under one roof in Australia. Everything from Woodheaters, Gas log fires, ducted systems, electric systems, air-conditioning and outdoor cooking\fires.
From the sales team to the fully licensed plumbers directly employed by Woodpecker, we care about our work and our customers’ results. Out of humble beginnings and hard work, Woodpecker today is your premier fireplace, air-conditioning, heating and BBQ place to shop and one of the few truly home environment specialists – the ‘One Stop Shop’.