The self-confessed “traveller” - a four-wheel-driving enthusiast who has braved crossing thousands of sand dunes throughout outback and desert Australia on family camping adventures - stands next to the window where he received his first earnings as a bright-eyed 17-year-old school leaver joining his family’s business, receiving just seven pounds. 

He reminisces on a changing business climate in his hometown, from franchising in the 1970s and 1980s, and diversification – an impact of emerging technological advances. 

In 1979 Ray and his brother David took over and expanded his father and uncle’s already well-renowned furniture, floor coverings and joinery store Kinlyside Brothers, buying another retail building space, before opening a video store with a small group of other local entrepreneurs. 

“I did complete apprenticeships as a carpenter and joiner, a carpet layer, floor layering installer and blinds and awnings along with my brother David, it was all part of the business and I had to be further schooled to learn it all,” Ray recalls. 

“I had a wonderful relationship with my father. He died in 1995 but he left a legacy behind. He gave me a start and I made the best of it.” 

Ray and David’s business continued its rise and transformed into Kinlyside’s Furniture One and, interestingly, their father Wal had been a foundation member of the Furniture One group in 1964. 

However, in 1984 with the establishment of Lambing Flat Video Store, the first of its kind in Young, Ray suddenly discovered a newfound passion and the furniture business was sold in 1987 to solely concentrate on this enterprise. 

During this time, Ray coordinated the 17 Video Ezy stores in the western region of NSW and helped oversee 530 franchisers across Australia as an international board member of the company, travelling around the world to locations including America, Hawaii and Fiji. 

He reveals it’s this strong industry involvement that has given him the most satisfaction. 

“I learnt so much in that time, particularly about spending millions and millions of dollars on advertising in Australia and I was fortunate enough to see the ‘big end of town,” he said.  

“I found it exciting to be putting advertising programs together and coordinate the promotions Disney and Tristar wanted on local television stations. It was a fun industry and one that was growing so fast then as there were restrictions on movies once they left the cinema and you wouldn’t see them on television for at least a year.”

And while rapid developments in technology including internet downloads has seen a demise in the video industry, Ray’s business defies the odds and still employs six staff in Young and houses 8000 DVDs for rental, also having expanded to include cigarettes and tobacco products. 

“You’ve got to have fun doing it and it’s also about building relationships with your customers,” Ray said. 

“You’ve also got to have something the opposition hasn’t got, whether a money-back guarantee, or two-for-one, back-up service, a loyalty program, something that provides a compelling point of difference.” 

Ray has also been involved in the Young community with the annual cherry festival committee, the board of the Young Golf Club, establishing and vice-presidency of the Young Business Association (Chamber of Commerce), the Young Services Club board, and the Rotary Club of Young. 

In the early 1980s he also headed the Young Neighbourhood Watch program under the guidance of Sydney and local area police commands, which he still says is one of his greatest achievements.  

“The town of Young has been wonderful to me in business, I’ve had great support in anything I’ve ever been involved with,” he said.

“I can finish business here in Young when the time is right and say thank you very much. I’ve had a lot of fun along the way.”  

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