New Trade Centre for Paget
After examining options for the future, Porters Group is pleased to announce that the Board has made the decision to begin working towards moving to a new multi-million dollar trade centre to be built for it in Paget.
Due to open in 2026, the larger, custom designed and dedicated trade centre will make it easier, faster and safer for Porters’ trade customers to get what they need and get back to work.
When the new centre is opened, Porters three trade outlets in the city centre - Porters Mitre 10 Mackay City Trade, Porters Plumbing Plus, and Inspirations Paint Mackay City– will relocate to Paget. Until then they will continue to trade as they are now.
While the three trade outlets will continue to operate from the city centre until the Paget Trade Centre is complete, Porters will farewell its inner-city retail store in late February this year (2025).
“We are currently working through a consultation process with all our Mackay retail staff, having met with them today (Monday 13/1) to explain the changes occurring.”
“All of the trade operations will eventually transfer to Paget and some of the retail staff at Brisbane Street have transferred to other Porters outlets. However, the remaining positions at Brisbane Street and Charlies Café will become redundant in the revised structure and the team members in those roles will leave the company, should no alternative roles be identified or available.”
“Our staff are like family to us, and we are working actively to consult with them to make the transitions as respectful and compassionate as possible for everyone. We have HR and employee assistance professionals on hand to support the process whether they are moving to another location or moving out of the company”.
Brisbane Street, including Charlies Café, has been a central part of Porters for generations, and Porters will send the store off in an appropriate way with fondness and great memories when it ceases trading.
“Saying goodbye to a site the company has occupied since 1930 is a big step, but Mackay has evolved so much in recent years that it is a change which has to happen.”
Moving what are essentially industrial businesses out of the city centre and into Paget opens the way for the Mackay City Centre to evolve in line with the vision of the Priority Development Area (PDA).
All other Porters retail, specialty and trade outlets across the region will remain open and trade normally.
“This is just another part of the 141 year evolution of Porters in Mackay, and there are exciting years ahead for the Porters Group and the Greater Whitsundays.”
Gavan Porter,
Company Secretary, Porters Hardware Group