WITH more than 40 years of experience in Ugg boot making, Eagle Wools isn't showing any signs of slowing down.
Father-daughter duo Michael Smith and Hayley Reid take care of all business in their South Fremantle store.
Mr Smith has proudly owned and operated the business since 1979, although that wasn't the beginning of his career in the wool industry.
He grew up in Collie, before moving into the local area as a young boy, he soon went on to work for Eagle Wools back when he was 12 years old, so he is no stranger to the day-to-day processes of the business.
Ms Reid said the manufacturing side of the company was all her father had ever known and when the opportunity to buy the business came up, he didn't hesitate to take it.
She is very passionate about the wool industry, being a teacher by trade but has always worked for the family business in the background, along with juggling her children.
It has been Eagle Wools from the beginning and she hopes it stays that way.
"I would like to take over the business one day, it depends if they let me or not," Ms Reid said.
The family's expertise has always been in the Ugg boot business.
Ms Reid explains that her parents met when they were young, when her mother started working in the shop.
They embody a strong give-it-a-go attitude, as well as mateship, hard work, corresponding with their family values that they strive to work-by in store.
Nowadays, Ms Reid works in the store and in the workshop, where her mother, Pam Smith and sister, Chrystal Hayes help out also, and Mr Smith manufactures in the workshop.
Ms Smith takes care of the books and directs all aspects that happen behind the scenes of Eagle Wools.
The company also employs a small team of mums who work hard in the store and workshop - the group consists of sewer Lei and sales assistants Jessica and Renee.
As well as making Ugg boots on site, Mr Smith also fits and makes the sheepskin car seat covers to suit all car types and everything in between.
In the workshop three machines are used - the flat machine that stitches the heel patch onto the sheepskin, the overlocker that stitches the seams of the boot, before moving on to the binder that completes the boot from top to bottom.
The Ugg boot will get touched 52 times from start to finish.
During this process, the boot pattern is cut by a blade, processed, flat stitched, overlocked, binded, glued, heated, the rubber sole is cut to size, glued on, reheated, attached, compressed and trimmed, before the finished product goes on the shelf.
The workshop is open to the public to view the manufacturing process to see how the boots are made.
Sheepskins used by Eagle Wools are sourced from Eastern States' tanneries Dynasty, Victoria and Australian Sheepskin Distributors, Queensland.
Dynasty is known for sourcing all of its materials from Australian growers, while the Australian Sheepskin Distributors are proud to be 100 per cent Australian owned.
"Wool availability dropped at the beginning of COVID-19 because everyone wanted Australian made products, they did their research and knew where to source quality products from," Ms Reid.
"The warehouses had sold out, if we managed to purchase anything, postage time and prices went up, all of the local businesses had the same problem.
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"There are only very few tanneries left compared to when we first started and as well as the costs going up for postage, so have costs for cotton, binding and even the skins themselves.
"Over the years, the Smiths have supported local businesses, preferring to stock locally made products, sourced, ideally from WA, if not, then Australia-wide."
With a support-local-business attitude, Ms Reid said that "mum tends to buy all of the products before we stock them, she does her research and uses them in her own home and if she likes them we will stock them in-store".
Eagle Wools stocks everything from Ugg boots, Merino socks, sheepskins, Akubra, perfumes, creams, diffusers, candles, emu oil, various Australian clothing brands and baby clothing.
"We mainly sell our stock in-store however since COVID-19 began, our online sales have increased due to people isolating and not being able to make the trip in," she said.
During the COVID-19 period the Smiths made a conscious effort to offer a delivery service to people buying goods from the store who were isolating within a 25 kilometre radius due to the virus in winter last year.
Eagle Wools is also proud to use chemical-free cleaning products, in store, with "no nasties".
As well as using these products in store the Smiths also sell them to the public to try to encourage a more environmentally-friendly era.
