Lee & Thomas, in business in Goulburn since 1920!

13 Jun, 2014

Lee and Thomas has withstood the test of time as a godsend to the local community and to frustrated motorists in need of repairs for a busted tail light or blown fuse.

Friends and ex Australian servicemen George Lee and N Thomas established the auto electrical business in their town Goulburn in 1920. Since 1920 the business has changed name, changed location, opened sister offices, changed hands and broadened its horizons however it has always remained the electrical hub of Goulburn.

In 1936 Thomas passed away but Lee continued to grow and evolve the business until the end of World War II. Following on from the war, Lee employed his son, Eric alongside Tom Sotheran and Bill Watson. All three were also ex-servicemen and were World War II survivors, and in 1955 after moving the business to its current location in Auburn St, sold the business to the three of them.

Skip forward to toady, the business has been on sold to new owners which have continued to grow and evolve the business following in the foundations left all those years ago that now sees the business have 9 employees as well as the 3 partners.

Lee and Thomas now specialise in auto electrical, radiator repairs and replacement, electrical tool repairs as well as a reseller for general electrical accessories such as driving lights and dual battery systems.

One of the current partners Don Baxter believes that the longevity of the business is due to its ability to adapt to changes in the industry. “Diversity is a must, evolving our business to follow the ever changing automotive industry is what we try to do, we have gone from auto electrics to radiators, battery stockists and auto electrical accessories fitters and sellers”.

The evolution of the business is something Baxter learnt from early in his career at Lee and Thomas. Back in 1984 when Baxter first started at the spritely age of 19, he was given the task of travelling to Sydney with a blank cheque book to purchase any product he thought they could sell in the store. Both an exciting and daunting experience it taught Baxter to always be looking for new ways to grow the business.

Baxter has learnt from these lessons having recently added another mechanic to his workshop as they begin to branch out into heavy vehicle repairs. He believes the demand for this type of work in his business now warrants the expansion.

There has been a long relationship between Lee and Thomas and CoolDrive, but it has really grown in recent years with the arrival of the CoolDrive Canberra branch. Baxter states “we really like our business relationship with CoolDrive for a few key reasons, the quality of product is a huge reason and their people care about our business and as a result the service shines above the rest”.

If you are in the Goulburn area make sure you drop in to see the crew at Lee and Thomas at 412 Auburn St, Goulburn or you can contact them on 02 4821 2488.