“Family is our greatest strength,” says Andrew Pfitzner, the general manager and front man of Australian-owned family business, Pfitzner Furniture. “We each have our role to play in the company: David is responsible for the manufacturing and John, our father, is our mentor. He is the one we look to for guidance on everything from proportion to design function.”
John Pfitzner is the founder of the business, which he began in 1972 with the help of his interior decorator wife, Vivienne. Starting out from a workshop on their Mt Barker Springs rural property, John was driven by a passion for making high-quality, custom designs for locals. As the population grew, so too did the demand for furniture and so the manufacturing operations for the business moved to Mt Barker in 1981 before settling in a 600-square-metre, purpose-built workshop in 1984. Andrew says he and his brother’s passion for designing furniture stems from their upbringing. “David and I used to go on deliveries and help out by sweeping the sawdust for pocket money,” he recalls. “Dad would let us make things in his shed. I remember making a banjo — it was pretty raw but it worked. My brother and I were good at woodworking at school and we inherited an eye for detail and a passion for design.”
Customers are continually astounded by the quality and design of the furniture at Pfitzner, but Andrew believes it is more than this that gives Pfitzner the lasting edge. “We combine old-world craftsmanship with modern technology in hardware and machinery to create furniture that stands the test of time and offers outstanding value for money,” he states. All the timbers used are sourced from environmentally sustainable forests and off-cuts, and even sawdust is recycled. You only need to look at the Pfitzner Furniture range to see evidence of the company’s solid timber expertise. “We select materials for their quality and durability and specialise in working with solid timber, crafting our own extensive range,” says Andrew. “In particular, we do two things very well — solid timber extension tables and comfortable, strong chairs.”
As a family business, it isn’t surprising that their furniture reflects their values; they believe luxury is relaxing around a beautiful table with family or friends and enjoying a dinner or fine wine. The passionate values and design philosophies clearly transfer over to the product at Pfitzner Furniture. According to Andrew, “Luxury is where the appearance and design of the chairs are in perfect harmony and it’s so comfortable that no one leaves the table to sit in the lounge after dinner. It is the rich grain of solid timber where the natural characteristics of the grain appear to change each time you look at it, such as the fiddleback in red gum and spotted gum. Luxury is knowing that you have something of beauty and quality that is going to stand the test of time; this is something we all really believe in, that good design lasts forever.”
For more information visit www.pfitzner.com.au
