Businesses, like people, grow, change and develop over the course of their life, and hopefully become stronger and wiser in the process.

This is the case with Brookes Engraving.

In its 56 years of operation Brookes has changed hands a couple of times and seen new machinery and equipment come and go with the times as well. We have helped a number of people develop their own careers, and all the while Brookes has grown from strength-to-strength, to become a one-stop shop; supplying vinyl & metal signage, reflective stickers, graphic design engraving on almost any surface and much more.

George Brookes was the founder of Brookes Industrial & General Engraving and started the operation in 1959 in a small garage in Coniston, a suburb of Wollongong. George’s first engraving machine arrived in a box that he had to assemble himself.

His workshop was under his house around the foundations, where he spent many days and nights working, as he continued to hold down a fulltime position at the steelworks. When he felt the time was right he left and spent far more than 40 hours per week engraving.

It wasn’t long before he moved the workshop to the garage and added more machines; he had two panagraph engraving machines, cutter grinders and a hand engraver.

The bulk of his business in early days came from the clubs. His wife and daughter were called on to help George when the orders were just too large for one person, and he soon started receiving work from hospitals, and engineering firms throughout Wollongong and farther afield; it was certainly a family business.

During this time George was starting to work with stainless steel, brass and other materials, a perfectionist by nature, George ensured that each and every piece of work that left the shop was 100% correct. He was always ready to rise to any challenge, it was something he thrived on.

It was in 1979 George Brookes decided to retire, and the business was sold and moved to a factory in Wollongong’s CBD. Several years later the business was sold again to Chris Parry in 1984. In 1988 Evan Smith, was employed as an apprentice Industrial engraver, and even from the first day he started he could see the business had a great future.

The business grew with the times updating its manual operated pantograph engravers with computerised engraving machines. In 2002, Evan was given an opportunity to become a partner in Brookes Engraving. Taking this challenge on was not going to be easy, but at the same time he was very excited.

Life suddenly stepped up a gear. Two years later, Chris Parry decided to retire. So Evan started looking for a new business partner. Andrew Hannam, who Evan had been training for a few years. Andrew became a great candidate and was made junior partner in 2004.

2008 was a big year for Brookes Engraving, the company moved from Wollongong to the industrial area of Unanderra.

Like any move it was a risk to take however Evan and Andrew believed it would be a beneficial move for the company, and they were right. It turned out to be a very positive move, a turning pointer the company the business grew at an increasingly fast rate, moulding the company into one-stop shop, supplying vinyl metal signage, reflective stickers and graphic design. Currently, Brookes Engraving and Signs employs five dedicated staff members beside Andrew and Evan.