who is pivot

Who is Pivot?

Pivot Stove and Heating is Australia’s oldest heating store – established in 1876 by James Alexander Parker, ( back when Geelong was called Pivot City ) : Pivot Stove has been handed down generation by generation : now owned and operated by Greg ( 6th Generation ) & Tammie Parker-Hill

 

What Pivot is, is 6 generations of passion – in fire

 

Pivot Stove & Heating is a wholesale / retail business – Specializing in heating that has technology, performance and the best back up service possible.

 

We are based in Geelong, Victoria : just 1 hour from Melbourne, but its our Australia Wide Dealer Network that makes what we do work …

 

We started back in 1876 making Australia’s 1st made Slow Combustion Wood stove

 

” we don’t sell average wood heating, we sell fires that burn less wood, burn longer and built to last”

 

Today, we  have 3 retail stores ( Geelong, Nth Geelong and Melbourne ) : and a wholesale division representing the highest quality, and best performing brands on the market – these are sold through our retail arms, as well as through our dealer network right across Australia

 

We do it our selves..

  • Pivot Wholesale looks after all our brands : and supports our dealer network
  • Pivot Retail’s 3 show rooms keep us in check : being face to face with customers
  • Pivot Logistics runs 4 of or own trucks, to delivery our products to our dealers UN DAMAGED right across Australia.
  • Pivot Marketing : we produce our own video’s and marketing, so what you get is the truth
  • Pivot Technical support : there to support all things after market
  • Pivot on Line is our on line spare parts support
  • Pivot Training : we have 2 full time product support reps on the road training our dealers to ensure they are up to date with all things new.
  • Pivot Retail is how we started, and our retail team keep us grounded
  • Pivot production is our new assembly line, where we now assemble products here in Australia, including the Esse Bakeheart

 

Our own brands include :

  • Pacific Energy Made in Canada
    • These range of Wood Heaters are the most efficient on the market
    • Designed for customers who require performance, and long burn times
  • ESSE Made in England
    • ESSE have a range of Slow Combustion wood stoves and Electric cookers
  • Charnwood Made in England
    • Traditional quality English made wood heaters
  • Yunca from NZ
    • Wood heaters that do more than just heat, they also heat hot water
  • Pyroclassic from NZ
    • The cleanest burning wood heater in the world
  • Pivot RSF Insulated Room Sealed Flue for wood heaters
    • Perfect high quality flue for any wood heater, made by us!

 

Pivot Stove – Geelong

238 Moorabool Street, Geelong

Full range of Wood Heating / Gas Log Fires and ESE cookers on display

1300 4 74 868  /  03 5221 4485

Pivot Dandenong

1/10 South Link, Dandenong South

Full range of Wood Heating / Gas Log Fires and ESE cookers on display

1300 4 74 868  /  03 8787 5482

Pivot Stove Wholesale

120 Victoria Street, Nth Geelong

Full range of Wood Heating / Gas Log Fires and ESE cookers on display

1300 4 74 868  /  035277 3903

 

Pivot Stove Australia Wide Stockists

Click here to find your closest stockist

 

Pivot Stove Spare Parts

For all the spares you will ever need – you can buy online at pivotonline.com.au

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The original Pivot City – Geelong

The city now called Geelong, was originally called Pivot City when settlers landed here in the early 1800’s.

When settlers first settled in Pivot City, it was mainly due to Corio Bay being naturally deep that allowed Tall Ships from England to arrive closer to land.

A long pier was constructed (now called Cunningham Pier) to allow these Tall ships to arrive, and with a train line on the pier, they could unload the tall ships with ease onto trains.

The issue was Steam trains back in 1800’s didn’t go backwards, so they needed to be tuned around so they could head back to Melbourne. A special turn table that was constructed to turn these 300,000 pound steam trains around…Thus the name “Pivot City” after this steam train turn table.

It wasn’t until mid 1800’s that Pivot City was officially re-named to Geelong from the local aboriginal name “Jillong” meaning land of “hills and plains”.

 

The Pivotonians

The PIVOT name become iconic to our town, and even today locals call Geelong, Pivot (even the Geelong Football Club membership are called the Pivotonians!)

Facts about Pivot City (Geelong)

Geelong is a beautiful town with city to surf only “fifteen minutes” drive.

We have access to the bay, to the ocean, country landscape to forests, and to the Great Ocean Road, and because of our easy life a lot of people made Geelong home…among them true innovators who started other iconic businesses such as

  • RipCurl
  • Quicksilver
  • Pivot Fertilizer
  • Faggs Mitre 10
  • Home of James Harrison (inventor of the common day refrigerator)
  • Home of David Warren (inventor of the Black Box)
  • and of course Pivot Stove

As for Pivot Stove, we originated back in 1876 when our founder James Alexander Parker, moved from Glenferrie Road, Malvern, to set up shop at Moorabool Street address, where he proceeded to manufacture the 1st Australian made slow combustion wood stove, The Pivot Stove.

Naming the business after his new home town, the Pivot Stove was born, and in our Moorabool Street showroom (still at the same location) you can still see one of the 1st ever Pivot Stoves made.

History of Pivot

1854 - 1876

John Parker, a bricklayer from Kent in England arrived in Port Phillip with his family on board the Grand Trianon in 1854.

John moved to Melbourne Victoria and purchased a building in Glenferrie Road, Malvern and set up Parker & Co

Parker & Co retail showroom supplied cast iron fires and cookers imported from England.

1876 - 1901

James Alexander Parker (son of John Parker) and wife Eliza moved to Geelong and formed Pivot Stove Co, Australia’s first manufacturer of Wood Stoves

The location James founded Pivot Stove Co, at 238 Moorabool Street Geelong, is the very same building that Pivot Stove still trades in today

James also went on to design and manufacture the 1st Australian built Wood Stove with incorporated water heating.

The Pivot Stove was Australia’s 1st designed and manufactured Slow Combustion Wood Stove, and from this, Australia’s Wood Stove industry has developed.

Brands like, The Carmichael Wood Stove, IXL Wood Stove, LUX Wood Stove; all these were birthed out of the work James Parker began.

1901 - 1957

Charles Parker (son of James Alexander Parker) and wife Margarite continued manufacturing The Pivot Stove up to 1930.

Charles Parker expanded Pivot’s steel works for local constructions including the stunning fence St Marys Church’s (Geelong) – that is still there today!

Towards the end of the 1st world war, Charles closed down the steel works and manufacturing of the Pivot Stove due to the difficulty in securing raw materials post war, and focused the business in supply and installation of briquette heaters as well as Wood stoves.

John Parker had a passion to see new ventures begin and was an adjudicator at the 1st ever draw of Australia’s Tattslotto

1957 - 1985

Lindsay Charles Parker (son of Charles) and Wife Joy took over and introduced the latest Oil Heaters including the Vulcan Burwood Oil Heater.

Joy passed away in 1964 after a long battle with MS. Lindsay remarried Margery in the early 1970’s.

The passing of Joy left Lindsay with a passion for local charities and raised many thousands of dollars to support the MS Society.

Lindsay was also instrumental in the business community in Geelong and supported local commerce through his involvement with the Geelong community and Church groups.

Lindsay’s daughter, Merril married Peter Hill, who became an integral part of Pivot Stove.

Peter became the service manager for Pivot and managed alongside Lindsay the retail store up to 1985 when Lindsay retired

1985 - 2006

Merril Parker (daughter of Lindsay) and husband Peter Hill married and joined surnames to Parker-Hill to keep Pivot in the same family name – Parker.

Merril and Peter continued with Pivot’s philosophy of being leaders in the heating industry and was one of the first Australian companies to introduce the early Gas Log Fires

With the Wood Heater boom in the early 1990’s, and the introduction of the latest in Gas Log fires, Pivot outgrow their showroom in Moorabool Street – and because of this growth, Merril and Peter moved the family home from out the back of 238 Moorabool Street and expanded the retail showroom to be one of the largest displays of the new style gas log fires.

Merril and Peter also continued Lindsay Parker’s legacy of being involved in community by supporting local charities supporting local business.

2006 -current

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Greg Parker-Hill (son of Merril) and his wife Tammie took over Pivot Stove in 2006

Growing up at the house at the back of the Moorabool street, from very early days, Greg worked with his father learning to service oil heaters, and eventually completed a plumbing apprenticeship and worked installing , servicing and re-building wood heaters and cookers for over 20 years.

– After taking over Pivot Stove in 2006 and Greg and his wife Tammie looked worldwide to find leading edge products that would take Pivot to being a true leader in the Australian heating industry

ESSE Cookers: hand made in England since 1854 returned Pivot to our original passion, cooking

Pacific Energy: Canadian made heaters that are made to work in the harshest of conditions and have the latest in efficiency and low emissions

Pyroclassic: NZ made, Pyroclassic are known for having a low environmental impact

Yunca: For homes that live off the grid, these can also heat your water and are one of New Zealand’s most loved wood heaters

– In 2008, Pivot expanded to Melbourne with a 1,000m2 showroom

– In 2011, Pivot’s wholesale moved into their first offsite warehouse, and quickly outgrew this in 2016 where Pivot moved to 120 Victoria Street, North Geelong. This 5,000m2 building hosts our wholesale division and administration

To assist promoting and supporting not just our customers, but our Australian Wide Dealer Network, Pivot regularly attends Home Shows and Field Day events right across Australia

And each year, over 620 people attend Pivot’s Pop Up ESSE Restaurants

Pivot now employs over 18 people and an additional 20+ offsite contractors rely on Pivot Stove & Heating

Greg and his wife Tammie continue to be heavily involved in local business and support the BUY LOCAL campaigns throughout Australia