70 years young
It's not often that you see a local, family-owned business celebrate seventy years of providing an excellent product and maintaining its steadfastness to outstanding service.
Hats Off Kitchens and Gillmer Kitchens is such a business - a five-generation family-owned business - that provide custom kitchens, laundries and cabinets for homeowners throughout Newcastle, Morisset, the Central Coast and Northern Beaches of Sydney.
14 May 2025
HATS Off Kitchens – a cousin of Gillmer Kitchens – is run by fourth-generation family member Jim Gillmer, who takes pride in transforming homes to suit their clients’ lifestyles in a myriad of ways.
The Gillmer family business was founded at Brookvale in 1955, a suburb on Sydney’s northern beaches, by four brothers – John, Merv, Ron and George, with their father Eleaser - and has been a family owned business ever since.
Jim Gillmer started working with his family in 1981 and founded Hats off kitchens when he moved back to the Central Coast to be closer to his family in 2005. His Aunty Terry was the director of Gillmer kitchens at the time and in 2009, when she retired, the business was passed onto Jim. Both businesses are run from the Company’s head office in Charmhaven, on the NSW Central Coast, and is owned and managed by Jim Gillmer and his daughter Jenna Hartman – the fifth-generation member of the family.
Over the years there have been more than 30 family members involved in the company.
A milestone of success
Seventy years in business is a milestone and one that the Gillmer family can be proud of. So, what is the secret of their success? As Jim Gillmer says, “creating attractive and practical kitchens in accordance with budgetary requirements is what we do best.”
“Hats Off Kitchens understands that investing in a new kitchen or laundry is a major decision to make, which is why we listen closely to our clients’ needs and concerns. From there we create a bespoke product that ticks all the boxes,” he said.
“We’re proud to deliver a product that consistently exceeds client expectations.”
The Gillmer family have always understood that the kitchen is the heart of the home - an integral hub and a meeting place for all the family. It should be a fun place to congregate at parties or to make memories with the children or grandchildren.
So, if you’re thinking about renovating your kitchen, why not invite the Gillmer family into your home to help design and to build that dream? It’s what they do best!
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