Rich History
Porta has a rich 70+ year history manufacturing and distributing a broad range of timber products.
J. Porta & Sons was established in 1868 by Joseph Porta in central Melbourne, the first industrial bellows making business of its kind in Victoria. The business evolved, John, Joseph’s son joined his father, and by 1920, timber mouldings and other products were being manufactured and traded.
John’s sons, Jack and Leslie, developed the Fairfield Victoria business throughout the 1930s during which time timber dowels and other timber mouldings grew in popularity. At the time, dowels were primarily used for meat skewers and the rabbit box industry. Porta remains the key producer of hardwood dowels in Australia today.
Jack continued to grow the business in Fairfield throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s and became incorporated as J.W. Porta & Sons Pty Ltd in 1952 when Jack’s only daughter married Norman Pizzey.
Post-war Australia experienced a housing boom in the 1950-1960s which resulted in the company acquiring several sawmills to ensure adequate supply for the rapidly growing timber mouldings market. This growth helped establish Porta as a major supplier of hardwood mouldings to the Australian building industry.
When Norman passed away in 1979, his son John Pizzey took over the running of the business. In 1990 Porta redefined its vision The production of commodity mouldings for new houses was abandoned in favour of entering the brave new world of merchandising quality hardwood mouldings for the growing DIY market through the extensive chain of trade stores, such as Mitre 10, Home Hardware, Bowens and now Bunnings. Porta helped set the benchmark for retail moulding display.
Porta Mouldings invigorated its brand in 2016 to be Porta, dropping the word ‘Mouldings’, a strategic decision to reflect its vision and expanded product range which offered more than mouldings. Based on the market’s changing needs and requirements for durable timbers, Porta continues to embrace change and are committed to meeting and exceeding the expectations of our customers.
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