About Stihl Shop Osborne Park
Our History
Stihl Shop Osborne Park has been an evolving local business since 1987.
Alex Witt literally poured the concrete slab and erected the “showroom and workshop” in the first location in Subiaco. The Chainsaw Professionals as it was known then was open for business. A location not for the faint- hearted as the trains thundered past a metre from the rear tin wall.
With the business steadily growing, Alex was wearing all the hats. Doing sales through the day and service and repair work into the small hours of the morning. In 1993 Alex and Angela welcomed their first child into the world and Jessie would become a regular behind the counter as Angela spent time doing administrative work. In Subiaco, Alex and Angela employed their first member of staff. Mark eventually left to return home to Victoria and now owns and operates his own Stihl business.
With the sinking of the rail line and the redevelopment of the Subiaco precinct it was necessary to relocate the business. Inner city locations suitable for a chainsaw business were not easy to come across. Eventually they settled on an old house in Cleaver Street, West Perth. Alex and Angela rolled up their sleeves and set about the necessary renovations. Soon after the first apprentice joined the business. Ben has been with Alex and Angela ever since. He came as a young guy, fresh from school and now some twenty years later, with a bit less hair and a family of his own, Ben remains a loyal and trusted member of the team.
In the second year at the Cleaver St location, Alex and Angela had added to their family. In keeping with the strong work ethic required to get where they were, Myles was “at work” eight days after his birth. The young family spent many hours together in the old house working and playing.
As the range of products continued to grow Alex and Angela decided that the business name no longer reflected what they did, and the decision was made to rename it CSP Industries. Alex was manufacturing rail saws, doing sales and servicing of large commercial water cleaners and beginning to dabble in the arborist climbing equipment market.
The business was doing well but required larger premises. The thought of moving again was daunting – it doesn’t matter if you have to move 500 metres or 500 kilometers you still have to take everything. The move was the 500 metres – to the corner of Cleaver and Old Aberdeen Place, at the west entrance of the brand- new Polly Farmer tunnel. Customers gave a helping hand loading everything onto trucks and utes and moving it down the road.
In the early 1990’s the MD of Stihl Australia had a vision to have stand- alone branded specialty stores and the Stihl Shop concept was born. Alex and Angela could see the forward path that Stihl was taking, and they became the second Stihl dealership in Australia to fully embrace the Stihl Shop concept. Once again this required a change of business name and CSP Industries became Stihl Shop West Perth.
With the expansion of the tree climbing equipment and the growth of this industry in Perth led to the involvement in the local annual tree climbing competition. This involvement still exists today with all family members regularly helping plus the continuous sponsorship and support.
This expansion also lead to the formation of ATRAES (Australia Tree and Rope Access Equipment Specialists). A partnership between CSP and Canning’s in Victoria. ATRAES was the foremost supplier of climbing equipment in Australia and at the forefront of online sales in Australia in this genre. With a change of ownership at Cannings in 2019 led Alex and Angela to discontinue the ATRAES partnership. The intention is to re-establish their arborist market under the CSP Group banner.
The Stihl range of products and accessories was growing. No longer just chainsaws for the professional users, Stihl now had a tool solution for everyone from the home gardener, the farmer or council worker to the arborists. Stihl Shop West Perth had a firm grip on the traditional commercial/professional market in the Perth metropolitan area and this was continuously recognized by the multiple awards presented by Stihl.
Angela and Alex had discussed the changing trend many times and could see that the future of the business looked different from what it currently was. They approached Stihl with a bold plan to relocate once again. The proposed location was Scarborough Beach Road, Osborne Park,one of Australia’s busiest and most expensive commercial real estate strips. This was a risky move on the back end of the mining boom to branch out into the retail market. If they thought moving the business the last two times was stressful it had nothing on what they were about to undertake. The physical, mental and financial costs were high. Working at Stihl Shop West Perth up until 1:00pm on Saturday June 30th, 2013 and opening for business at 7:30am Monday July 2nd, 2013 as Stihl Shop Osborne Park.
A new era had begun … A light, large and well-presented showroom full of everything on offer from Stihl plus other premium brands. A dedicated arborist and rope access section was put together including a massive tuart tree for people to try the climbing gear. A bright workshop with a dedicated sound room to contain the noise of the machines being worked on. The brave move was beginning to pay off and was recognized by Stihl with the award for the Best Showroom in Australia and the Metro Dealer of the Year in 2013.
The awards have kept coming, including the highly sought-after National Dealer of the Year in 2018.
The business has continued to flourish in its current location and the vision has become a reality. Fortune does favour the brave. Today the Stihl business is run by Angela and Brett, Myles is the master of all things arbor with the support of their talented team. Alex is dedicated to his new venture EZYiD – a RFID technology-based solution for asset management, targeted at the rope access industry.
The Chainsaw Professional to CSP Industries to Stihl Shop West Perth to Stihl Shop Osborne Park … the family still holds the link to the original name with the motto… Customer Service People
Our Vision
Striving to be the best outdoor power equipment retailer in Australia, committed to outstanding customer service and providing premium products at competitive prices
Customer Service people
Committed to customer service excellence.
Striving to be the best outdoor power equipment retailer in Australia.
Providing the best premium products for the task at hand.