Almost 30 years later, the couple are looking to sell their business, Willoughby's Model Cars & Football, so they can be more available to visit friends and family in Queensland and Victoria.

Mr Willoughby managed Orange Hobby Kingdom on behalf of owners John and Gillian Young at first, until the model cars part of the business was large enough to stand alone and he opened his doors in Peisley Street 23 years ago.

"We were in the caravan park wondering how we were going to make our next payment on the site - it just shows the opportunities in Orange," he said.

"We couldn't have done it anywhere else."

Mr Willoughby said the business had diversified over the years and was performing well.

"We could keep going for a long time, but we're getting to the stage in life where we have friends that require us, we have family that require us and we can't do it with a full-time business," he said.

"Someone could put staff in and get that time, but I love my job and it's hard to get me away from the front counter."

Mr Willoughby said the couple would not retire yet, but would seek more flexible work.

AFTER receiving approval last month, Empire Strength Co is due to open its doors on Saturday.

The gym will hold a grand opening from 7am with a free class, followed by two more at 8am and 9am, plus an opportunity to look around and have body measurements taken from 10am-12pm.

Bookings are required for classes.

Owner Sam McPaul said there were still spaces, but they were limited.

"It will be high-intensity resistance training, a circuit-style functional workout," she said.

"[The fitout went] really, really good, I'm stoked with how it turned out."

THE large space left by Best & Less when it moved to Orange City Centre in October has been filled.

Millers and Katies, which are both owned by Mosaic Brands, left their separate Summer Street stores and opened jointly in December between Anson and Sale streets, owing to the need for more space in Millers.