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About Us
The Craft Crate journey began almost 2 years ago, in August 2019.
But for entrepreneurs Andrew Mackertich and Brad Fiora, their journey spans far longer.
For many, they are just names, posting links in various facebook groups, or sending emails littered with news about upcoming events, products and craft activities.
But trust me, they are two of the most passionate individuals in our industry.
Here is a brief synopsis of how they met, and how Craft Crate began, ahead of our 2 year anniversary.
School Days
In 2002, two quiet boys started kindergarten at Holy Spirit Primary School and soon bonded over their mutual love for football and pokemon.
By the time the two best friends began high school in 2009 at Marist College Eastwood, their love of football and pokemon grew to include another iconic staple of the adolescent male; KFC.
Legend has it that these three staples- football, pokemon and KFC; are the foundational pillars upon which Craft Crate was built.
Differing interests
It was not all smooth sailing however, as during their days at high school, Brad and Andrew began to develop differing interests.
Andrew became more focussed on technology and creating an online presence. This evolved into entrepreneurship and online marketing, a notion he took into University.
Brad on the other hand preferred making things, building things, and taking things apart to see how they worked. An enthusiastic young man, he became notorious for his wild ideas and half-built projects.
Ironically, despite obvious differences in thought process and practicality, both Andrew and Brad undertook a Bachelor of Design Computing at the University of Sydney.
OOSH and Making a Difference
In order to maintain income that worked around their uni schedule, they applied for a local OOSH in Sydney.
Although not originally their passion, both individuals decided to move away from design computing and focus on OOSH as they saw an opportunity to make a difference in their community. Their determination to improve the lives of the children in their care was a testament to both of their characters.
This passion for care expanded as Brad began tinkering with a small laser cutter in his basement.
A somewhat unique hobby, he began creating wooden toys for the children in the OOSH centre. He designed an amazing little catapult which was highly praised by the children and educators alike. Andrew, noticing this excitement, made him a business proposition.
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