Throughout the 1940’s and early 1950’s Reg Dobinson, a hard working blacksmith, earned a well deserved reputation as an exceptional tradesman and expert spring repairer.
He began perfecting his spring repair and manufacture skills at the Queensland Railway and as a result the demand for his expertise grew. As time went on he began to specialise in spring repair and manufacture, and it led him to take on further weekend work for friends, repairing springs.
Reg’s keen eye for quality, attention to detail and his passion for blacksmithing and spring repair soon saw Reg spend all of his spare time working.
In 1953, having more work than he was able to handle, Reg founded ‘Dobinsons Welding Works’ (now known as ‘Dobinsons Spring & Suspension’) under a tamarin tree in the backyard of his Rockhampton home.
The next few decades saw the business grow exceptionally as Reg began specialising in the repair and the manufacture of springs for Rockhampton and surrounding areas.
With a huge demand for his quality work, Reg was soon working up to 18 hours a day, 7 days a week - without taking holidays for years at a time.
An innovator and a man ahead of his time, Reg purchased Central Queensland’s very first computer in the mid 60’s to improve efficiency. He also began to manufacture his own machinery such as a leaf spring eye roller - designed, engineered and built by Reg himself, utilising manufactured parts and hydraulics taken from ex-warplanes.
In the late 70’s, Reg’s sons Glen and Keith Dobinson joined the growing family business and immediately showed the same passion and expertise in spring repair and manafacturing, allowed Reg’s work load to be shared. With fresh eyes and more hands, Dobinsons began to distribute their quality products throughout Australia.