10/04/2024
NEW HORIZONS AHEAD!!
What's been happening over at Custom Brick Builds? Well the LEGO space has been VERY quiet! You will notice if you have been on our website of late, all our items are showing as Out Of Stock - there's a reason for that......
Tristan started running CBB back around 2015, creating two SA Country Fire Service models just after the Sampson Flat fires here in South Australia. He put these models on display at a local LEGO show and a couple of CFS Volunteers saw the trucks, asked for their own and our first commission became a reality even though it wasn't the plan back then!
The commissions spread from CFS, to SA Ambulance, SA South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service and eventually both interstate, private and overseas companies, like HEST Paramedical, Parabellum International, Mulbarton Transport and Hato Hone St John (New Zealand).
We also undertook some private commissions including a very personal XY Falcon Sedan for a close family friend that used to belong to her Dad and some other wonderful projects along the way.
At the core of the business was two loves, one being Emergency Services and the vitally important role they play in every community worldwide and the second was our love of LEGO. Tristan set his sights early on with becoming a Registered Paramedic and started his career through voluntary work with St John Ambulance | SA, moved into a paid role, then gained employment through Absolute Medical Response as an EMT (Non-Emergency Patient Transport).
Tristan finally finished his undergraduate studies (Bachelor of Science, Paramedical Science) in 2023, became a registered Paramedic and in January this year, was selected to go on an Overseas Study Tour through Australia EMS to California USA!!
Needless to say this was both an adventure, and a taste of what was to come. Upon returning home to Australia in February, Tristan has made his mind up over the last couple of months to return to the USA on a Paramedic contract working in Northern California! He will be departing on 1 June and working overseas for a contract period of two years (2026)!
Although this has thrown a curveball into the business, it has always been the ultimate end goal to work as a Paramedic, wherever the chance arose - it just wasn't in Australia at this point!
So we made the decision to take the LEGO side of the equation and put it aside, made some tough calls and have decided CBB will no longer be an ongoing interest. I can't do it alone and it grew into a life of its own requiring a lot of logistical support and time being invested to keep it running.
We'd like to thank EVERYONE who supported us during this journey, the fans who've bought our products, the LEGO Community that supported us, the suppliers, Dean and Shannon at The Big Brick for our minifigure prints, Russell at Prodigy Design Plastics Pty Ltd for our display cases, Ashley and the team at Infinity Signs for our stickers, Dawid at UCS Innovation for some great electronic flashers and Tilley our graphic designer (TIGR Creative) who've all spent time with us and made our journey such a wonderful time.
As a dad (and on behalf of my wife Daniela) we can't be more proud of what Tristan has achieved both through starting and maintaining a business (including through COVID!) and his dedication to study while working casual jobs and paying his way to the US!
Blue skies ahead, wings to be spread and an adventure to be had!
P.S. If you see the website get some... perhaps.... errr 'Classic Space content', it's an intergalactic takeover 😛🚑 (and about time I got MY lego back!)
