Thirty years ago when Graham Goodfellow started his storage and rental company, he had a vision, he was determined and he was ready to achieve big things.
Through hard work, dedication and a deep understanding of the market, he has grown the Goodfellows Rental and Storage Solutions business into a thriving enterprise, now celebrating three decades of success.
Graham Goodfellow more commonly known as ‘Butch’, is a jovial and intelligent man, known by many in the community and no stranger to the region.
With a long family history beside both his parents and two brothers at the Driver Education Centre of Australia ‘DECA’ in Shepparton, Butch’s past proves to be both rich in authenticity and wisdom, leaving a tale that could only be told by Butch himself.
“My brother Richard was a truck and B-double instructor, and Peter was a motorcycle instructor,” Butch said.
“They spent their lives teaching and training people how to drive and obtain the ‘all important’ driver’s licence.
“I spent years endeavouring to take their licences off them, through my role as an enforcement officer.
“My mother Beryl occupied a front row seat to the driver training centre for many years — she was also the centre’s first qualified driving instructor and was an incredible self-taught author.
“My father Aubrey was a police licence tester in the early days and had his own driving school in Melbourne and here in Shepparton — he was also an instructor at DECA and part of the training centre’s initial set-up.
“My family’s work ethic is something that fills me with immense pride — it was truly inspiring to witness and helped shape me into the man I am today.”
Butch spent 23 years working as a transport safety manager with VicRoads, Road Traffic Authority and the Transportation Regulation Board.
The enforcement role preceded him to work many years coinciding with DECA and was a role he is immensely proud of.
“DECA over the years trained thousands of drivers and I believe probably saved thousands of lives,” he said.
“It was an honour to be a part of, especially beside my family.”
In 1993 Butch was offered a redundancy package through VicRoads and bought GV Car and Truck rentals with 10 vehicles.
Over time, the fleet increased, and the business moved from Campbell St to Benalla Rd where it stayed until 1999 when Butch purchased the current land in Kialla, on the Goulburn Valley Hwy.
The building of the business on new land started in 2000, and Butch said he would never forget a conversation he had with his father.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Butch said.
“My father asking me ‘what the hell are you going to do with all this land’?”
But after a trip to a storage shed conference, Butch was inspired, and not long after storage sheds were built on the land.
“I admit, I was always looking forward,” he said.
“Hiring mechanics, trying to think smart and trying to build on the fleet.
“But I haven’t done it all by myself either.”
Butch has two children. Son, Dan Goodfellow, who is the operations general manager for Coates Hire Australia, and Amanda Hodges, who has dedicated the past 20 years working beside her father.
She is the manager of the business, alongside her husband Andrew.
“I owe a lot to them, and I am so grateful for all their hard work and help,” he said.
“They have both played and continue to play integral company roles.
“Mandy and I have our moments, but hey, we are family, and we also take a lot from each other too.”
In 2019, Butch acquired a brain injury and was forced into early retirement. He continues to suffer paralysis on the left side of his body and has short-term memory loss.
He admitted that the life changing event had been difficult to overcome.
“I still struggle with a bit of black dog,” Butch said.
“There was a time I could memorise a report after reading it, now I see one and can’t retain a thing.
“It’s been hard, but I am alive, and retirement is working out okay.”
Today, Butch helps with the business from the sidelines while keeping busy with the love of his life Tamara of 20 years, painting, and his ongoing commitment to the Shepparton Central Rotary Club.
Although he has stepped away from the business, it remains in safe hands with Amanda and Andrew alongside a crew of dedicated staff and continues to thrive.
The fleet now sits at 115 vehicles including small to large cars, single and dual-cab utes, refrigerated vans, trucks, people-movers and buses.
It is constantly being upgraded, with pick-up and drop-off depots now in Euroa, Seymour and Echuca.
The business has 188 storage sheds today alongside shipping container options and extensive outside storage facilities, which stand as a testament to Butch’s unwavering dedication.
When Butch was asked how he felt about his time in business, the community of Shepparton and what helped him with his success, the incredibly proud family man chuckled and said middle child syndrome.
“I was the number two of three boys,” he said.
“I was always getting into trouble and always striving to be better than what I was.
“However, I believe if you put into society, you will get it back three-fold, and Shepparton has been good to me, my business and my family, and for that I am truly grateful.
“Tamara, my wife, has been an indispensable force in not just my personal accomplishments but throughout my entire journey.
“Her unwavering support from behind-the-scenes has been the driving force behind my success, and without her, I would have never made it this far.”
As we celebrate Butch’s incredible achievement of 30 years in business, we should be inspired by his hard work and commitment to succeed.
Through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, he has remained steadfast in his vision, always willing to learn and adapt to new challenges.
His story is a testament to the fact that with passion, perseverance, and a willingness to take risks, anyone can achieve their dreams.