Mill man planning six more

Hamish Heard
The Geelong businessman behind Mill Markets has unveiled ambitious plans to roll the concept out across Victoria and New South Wales.
Ian Ballis’s plans for a $10 millionplus expansion would bring the markets concept to customers in Warrnambool, Melbourne, Torquay, Byron Bay, Ballarat and the Mornington Peninsula.
Mill Markets has existing outlets at Newcomb and Daylesford, meaning the total number of outlets following the expansion would be eight.
“We’re aiming toward having a network of outlets within about an hour of each other that will provide a unique retail experience for people interested in antiques, collectibles and vintage clothing and homewares,” Mr Ballis said.
Each outlet would cost about $2 million to set up, he said.
He was negotiating to secure the prominent Fletcher Jones site at Warrnambool and sites at Torquay, Spotswood, Ballarat and Byron Bay.
A recent attempt to secure a Mt Eliza site failed but Mr Ballis said he still harboured ambitions to set up on the Mornington Peninsula.
Mr Ballis recently spent $3.9 million to buy former business partner Ted Dimmick’s 51 per cent stake in the North Geelong Classweave building where Mill Markets operated until April.
While his business plans were dealt a blow when council banned Mill Markets from running stalls at the Classweave building, Mr Ballis quickly moved on and has never looked back.
“We closed at North Geelong on April 1 and opened again in Newcomb one month later and within six weeks we were turning over $150,000 a month, which is 50 per cent higher than we were at the original site.”
Mr Ballis said the Classweave building remained an integral component of the business and served as both company headquarters and a recycling centre supplying Mill Markets stallholders with used items for sale at their stalls.
“It basically works like a free hardwaste drop off point for households in the region to unload items they don’t want any more or for businesses who want to get rid of a bit of junk for a small premium,” he said.