An International Women’s Day conversation with Jodie Signitzer, Hervey Bay Cabinet Craft
The story of our long-standing client, Jodie Signitzer of Hervey Bay Cabinet Craft, reflects the quiet but steady way progress is built.
In a trade long dominated by men, Jodie has quietly been balancing the scales for decades.
At Hervey Bay Cabinet Craft, her title may read Office Manager, but that only begins to describe the role she plays. She is often the first voice customers hear and the steady presence guiding them through colour selections, timelines and decisions. Behind the scenes, she oversees payroll and compliance, liaises with suppliers, and supports staff to ensure everything runs smoothly.
When asked how she would describe her role, she smiles and says, “Probably the glue.” It’s a simple phrase, but it captures the consistency and care she brings to the business.
This International Women’s Day, as we reflect on the theme Balance the Scales, Jodie’s story is a reminder that balance isn’t symbolic, it’s practical. It’s built through responsibility, resilience and steady leadership over time.
Jodie Signitzer, Office Manager | Hervey Bay Cabinet Craft
A milestone worth marking
On 14 January this year, Hervey Bay Cabinet Craft quietly celebrated 50 years in business.
Same address.
Same phone number.
Same family.
Same commitment to quality.
Hervey Bay Cabinet Craft est. 1976
What began in 1976 has grown and evolved alongside the Fraser Coast community. Kitchens themselves have transformed dramatically over five decades. Once purely functional spaces, they are now the heart of the home, places where families gather, friends connect and life unfolds.
Reaching 50 years isn’t just about longevity. It’s about adaptability. It’s about balancing tradition with innovation, honouring what’s built the business while continuing to evolve.
The milestone was also a moment to acknowledge the many people who’ve shaped the journey: past and present customers, loyal builders, and the staff who have contributed over the years. As Jodie says, it’s always been a team effort.
And that sense of shared responsibility is part of what has kept the scales steady for half a century.
Hervey Bay Cabinet Craft 50 years later
A childhood shaped by small business
Long before she stepped into cabinetry, Jodie grew up watching her parents build businesses from the ground up. After relocating from Victoria to Hervey Bay in the 1970s, her family purchased a small motel on the Esplanade. The five of them lived onsite, working long hours and learning early that small business requires everyone to contribute.
It wasn’t glamorous, but it was grounding. Living and working in the same place meant there were no clear boundaries between business and family life. From a young age, she saw what it meant to take responsibility, to weigh risks carefully before making decisions, and to fix problems without delay. She learned to think long-term rather than react in the moment.
Those early lessons didn’t feel extraordinary at the time, but they quietly shaped her approach to leadership — practical, measured and steady under pressure.
Stepping forward when it mattered
Hervey Bay Cabinet Craft was originally founded by her husband Max’s parents. Jodie joined the business in the early 1990s while also working as a hairdresser.
Then, within a short period, illness and loss changed everything.
In her early twenties, she and Max found themselves responsible for the business.
“It made me grow up very quickly,” she reflects.
The workshop environment was traditionally male and direct. At first, she was shy. But leadership required her to find her voice, and she did.
She learned to address issues early. To separate emotion from decision-making, and to stay calm under pressure.
In doing so, she wasn’t just supporting the business. She was subtly rebalancing expectations, showing that strong leadership doesn’t need to be loud.
Shared weight, shared success
Today, the business is owned by Jodie, Max and Jodie’s brother Brad.
Each carries a distinct role. Max oversees scheduling and builder relationships. Brad manages private clients and stock control. And, Jodie keeps the operational engine running.
There’s no rigid hierarchy, just mutual respect and clear accountability.
Balancing the scales in a family business means addressing issues early, backing each other’s strengths, and keeping the long-term vision front of mind.
Fifty years on, that balance is evident not just in the quality of their cabinetry, but in the loyalty of their team, including staff who have remained for more than two decades.
Confidence built over time
When asked how she’s changed over the years, Jodie is refreshingly honest. “I was so shy,” she admits. But experience has reshaped her in ways that couldn’t have been imagined back then.
Raising daughters, navigating grief, managing growth, and leading people, each stage of life required recalibration. With every challenge, she learned, adapted, and grew. Confidence didn’t arrive overnight; it accumulated slowly, decision by decision, shaped by moments both big and small.
Jodie and Max Signitzer and their daughters
Balancing the scales
Balance isn’t always visible, but it’s there, quietly guiding choices, relationships, and leadership.
The International Women’s Day theme encourages us to think about equity and opportunity.
In Jodie’s world, balancing the scales often shows up in quieter ways. She arrives early to prepare for the day, resolves issues before they escalate, and makes sure her staff feel supported. She maintains high standards and holds steady, even when things feel uncertain, letting her calm, consistent presence guide the business forward.
Hervey Bay Cabinet Craft’s 50-year milestone is proof that consistency matters. That community matters. That relationships matter.
And that balance, in business, in family, in leadership, is rarely achieved in a single moment. It’s built over time.
For the past five decades, this local family business has helped shape kitchens across the Fraser Coast. And as they look ahead, their commitment remains the same: friendly, reliable service, and quality workmanship that stands the test of time.
That’s something worth celebrating, this International Women’s Day, and well beyond it.