by Greg Martin
An uncanny ability to mix roller skating and hockey skills enabled Dave Noel , fresh out of the learn ’ caper at to take the first steps along to a successful career in business . That and a strong work ethic ! Dave is the friendly face of customers – and there ’ s plenty of ‘ em – who welcomes them to his North Richmond Tile Centre . That first step ? “ I was 15 and had been selected in the NSW junior roller hockey team and wore my tracksuit in tagging along with a mate who had a job interview at baking machine manufacture , Krause Engineering Australia ,” Dave explained .
“ My mate bolted just before the interview was to begin and left me standing like a shag on a rock when the owner , Brian McDonald , approached and asked if I was my mate .
“ I told Mr McDonald that I wasn ’ t and then he asked me was I looking for employment and I told him I was .
“ He noticed my state representative tracksuit and said it was obvious I was a dedicated sportsman , so I must be a dedicated worker and I was hired on the spot .”
Dave worked at Krause Engineering for 11 years , during which time his built his skills base , earning licences in engineering , truck driving , forklifts and cranes .
Krause Engineering relocated to Brisbane in 1988 and Dave and his partner ( at the time ) Karen , spent a year up north
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before the lure of friends and family resulted in their return to Sydney .
“ Of course , I needed to find a job and read an advert that GNS Ceramics at Prospect were looking to hire a truck driver , so I turned up to the interview with all my credentials and a glowing reference from Brian McDonald ,” Dave said .
The Human Resources fellow had a read of Dave ’ s resume and told him that he couldn ’ t risk giving him the job because his skills set indicated he wouldn ’ t stay on as a truck driver and would soon be looking for something more suitable elsewhere .
“ The next morning , I received a phone call from the HR bloke and he told me the driver they had put on didn ’ t turn up for work and was I interested in working a few days driving a delivery truck ,” Dave said .
“ I was at GNS the next morning , given my round and away I went , delivering to the allotted addresses and was back at lunchtime ready to be loaded again .
“ The dispatcher was gob smacked that I had completed my delivery round in such a short time and told me previous drivers would have taken all day .”
Dave got the job full-time . He worked for six months behind the wheel , then two years as dispatch manager and then spent 25 years as a sales representative for GNS , the biggest tile wholesaler in the country .
In 2016 , Dave decided to utilise all that knowledge about tiles and quit GNS to open his own business in the old Video Ezy store in North Richmond Shopping Village .
“ We opened the doors and within two days we were selling tiles ,” Dave said .
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Business boomed and within months , Dave was forced to relocate to larger premises on the corner of Terrace Road and Bells Line of Road . An interesting man is our Dave Noel ! He is of Indian descent and is very proud of his heritage , especially for those forebears who came to Australia in the mid- 19 th century searching for better lives .
Members of the family ventured into the then highly popular carnival circuit – both his mother , Gloria and father , Tony , and Tony ’ s cousin , Cass “ The Taipan Man ” Mahomet , were renowned “ carnies ”.
“ Mum worked the sideshows but dad , who loved the boxing game , worked for the great Jimmy Sharman and his son , Jimmy junior , whose famous boxing tents were always one of the major attractions at carnivals all over Australia and New Zealand ,” Dave said .
Dave never went “ a round or two for a pound or two ” – his sporting passions were roller-hockey and rugby league .
He was introduced to roller-hockey while in primary school and went on to become an elite player and represented NSW at both junior and senior levels .
Dave began coaching while still playing and was at the helm when the Windsor Ladies won a national title .
Such were his skills that in 1991 Dave was anointed the Australia Ladies coach and a year later took the team overseas to play in a Barcelona Olympics Exhibition Sport tournament .
“ The tournament was played in Germany and after 10 games the team ,
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Tiles ? You want tiles ? One of Dave Noel ’ s favourite places is his North Richmond Tile Centre .
rated at number 24 in world rankings , played the host country for the bronze medal which we were most unlucky not to have won ,” Dave said .
Dave continued his involvement in roller-hockey until 2005 , always finding time in his busy work schedule and passion for another sport - rugby league .
He was pretty good at that caper too – a classy halfback throughout his career , Dave was good enough to be selected as halfback in Penrith Panthers ’ Jersey Flegg ( under 18 ) representative team .
“ I played two games and then this this bloke a year younger was given the nod to replace me - it was Greg Alexander who , as we all know went on to become a Panthers legend and a Kangaroo ,” Dave said .
Dave played A Grade league until he was 32 , pulling on jerseys for Mt Druitt City Tigers , St Mary ’ s and during that year working in Brisbane , Goodna , where he was named Player of the Year .
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