Company News

Ranger Lifting welcomes William Essey

William Essey (right), technical sales specialist, is welcomed to Ranger Lifting by Ashley Thacker, general manager. Ranger Lifting has named William Essey technical sales specialist, as the New South Wales, Australia-based company continues to expand its team at new Prestons headquarters nr. Sydney. Essey stepped into the role last month (December) but resumes in earnest as the New Year gathers pace. Essey brings a wealth of relevant experience to the lifting and rigging equipment supplier, derived from 13 years in the marketplace, including a decade at Gunnebo Industries, a chain and component manufacturer. Recent roles include internal sales and purchasing in addition to regional and operations management. He was most recently sales manager at a fellow Sydney-side lifting and height safety equipment supplier. Essey, who is extensively trained and boasts a degree in economics, said: “I was looking for a new challenge and have known Ashley [Thacker, general manager] and Steve [Thacker, managing director] since I started in the industry. I was passionate about staying at distributor level, dealing day-to-day with the end user market. Once I was aware of the opening, it was a speedy process. We share the same approach to business in terms of being customer focussed and I’m aware of the value they place on good staff, which further enhanced the appeal.” Ashley Thacker said: “Ranger are always on the look out for the best talent within the lifting industry. We are principally interested in whether a person fits the culture and with Will we could tell he did straight away. I have always been impressed with his approach to dealings with clients and ability to problem solve. When Will first left Gunnebo to move to distributor level I was keen on making the acquisition but the timing wasn’t right. I was delighted when discussions […]

CRC Australia celebrates 50 years

CRC Industries Australia celebrates 50 years of manufacturing in 2019, marking a very special milestone for the Australian division of the global CRC Industries company. CRC Industries is a leading supplier of speciality products for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) professionals across a wide array of industries including Automotive, Industrial, Mining, Food and Beverage, Utilities and Defence. While CRC was first established in 1958 in a small Pennsylvania garage, the company started manufacturing in Australia after being incorporated as a propriety Company of Australia on 13 October, 1969. What many don’t realise though is that CRC’s journey ‘Down Under’ actually began almost a decade earlier, with CRC product distributed within Australia from the United States throughout the 1960s by the Balfour Buzzacott Division of Email Limited; which also distributed the product of the well-known Dymo Labels. Following the incorporation of CRC Industries Australia as an Australian Company, the business model switched to a focus on manufacturing and facilities at North Ryde in Sydney were established. By 1974, the installation of aerosol and bulk filling lines were completed, allowing locally manufactured CRC product to be sold throughout Australia and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. The company enjoyed such growth that by 1980, a larger facility was needed and was opened in Castle Hill in Sydney’s north west region. Progress continued for the company and in 2004, CRC Industries Australia acquired iconic Australian auto care brand Kitten to join its growing stable of products. To this day, Kitten sits amongst a full range of CRC products which are produced and packaged in the Castle Hill factory including market-leading products such as CRC’s famous 5.56, Brakleen, Penetr8 and CO Contact Cleaner. CRC Australia has also been proud to establish export agreements with more than 15 countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region. “What an […]

businessman is working on tablet and using smart phone in office

Accelerate your business by using your voice

Ask any business owner or board-level executive involved in manufacturing about the demands of growing a business, and they would probably readily agree that it’s tough. Apart from juggling various elements to keep the business on a growth trajectory, there are the endless administration tasks. Regularly producing reports, quotes, estimates, proposals, plans and invoices can be daunting, and may even negatively impact on productivity. However, the challenge no longer needs to be overwhelming thanks to technology. Speech recognition is now more accurate, more powerful, and more usable than ever before, and it can help facilitate the growth of a business. Adopting a desktop speech recognition solution – like Nuance Dragon Professional Individual for the PC – can improve a business’s everyday performance and productivity. Save time producing documents Dragon does the typing for you as you speak and, as we talk three times faster than we can type, the productivity implications are considerable. Dragon quickly and accurately turns your spoken words into text. It lets you put your voice to work to easily dictate and edit documents, proposals, reports and more. With Dragon you spend less time producing documents, and more time on activities that boost the bottom line. Plus, as Dragon works with all Microsoft Office applications, you can also create spreadsheets and presentations by simply using your voice. The solution also lets you speak to send emails, and as it’s compatible with popular web browsers, you can also deploy Dragon to search the web and use social media with unparalleled speed, ease and comfort. Dragon rewards the user by helping you gain precious time. Work that may have taken hours – typing a large document or clearing your inbox – can now be achieved faster and without the need to type, and the time saved can be allocated […]

Aurecon announces new CEO to drive global growth

Global engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon has announced the appointment of Managing Director Australia and New Zealand William Cox as its new Global Chief Executive Officer to lead the organisation’s rapid growth and continuing diversification across Digital, Advisory and Asia. Effective from 1 February 2019, William will be based in Sydney. His appointment marks the end of current Aurecon CEO Giam Swiegers’ successful fixed four-year term, which saw the company more than double its profits since 2015. William said: “This is a terrific opportunity to steer Aurecon during a time of significant growth and change for our industry. Incredible technologies are helping us plan and build infrastructure in a way never seen before, truly changing the way we engineer, design and advise. “My focus areas for the immediate future are to consolidate and continue the growth trajectory in Digital, Advisory, and in Asia where we see immense potential in transport infrastructure, the built environment and fast-growing data centre sector.” As Aurecon Managing Director – Australia and New Zealand, William has a proven track record in building a financially successful, high performance culture with strong client engagement. William is a civil engineer with over 30 years’ experience in transport, aviation and infrastructure across Australia and the UK. William is also Aurecon’s Pay Equity Ambassador for the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) and Aurecon’s representative for the Consult Australia Male Champions of Change. Under William’s leadership, Aurecon implemented female representation targets in Australia. In 2016, there was 26 per cent female representation and a target of 30 per cent was set for 2020. That target was reached in early 2018 and now the aim is 40 per cent by 2020. As a member of Aurecon’s Executive Committee, William has contributed to the company’s strategic direction, reporting directly to Giam Swiegers.

GoProto Expands into Asia Pacific

Leveraging HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology, GoProto will be able to meet industries needs for precise and functional prototyping or end-use production at its new facility in Melbourne. GoProto, Inc., a leader in advanced 3D prototyping and short run manufacturing, today announced expansion into the Asia Pacific region, with the launch of a new 3D printing and additive manufacturing facility in Melbourne, Australia. The facility will house the HP Jet Fusion 4210 printer, which is 10-times faster than existing rapid prototyping and 3D printing systems. Jesse Lea, President, of US operations says, “current technologies like SLS or SLA lack the combined precision, speed and function that’s demanded to push printed parts into mainstream manufacturing. HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology will accomplish high-end, functional prototyping and final part production to industries in search of short run manufacturing needs.” Added Robert Mesaros, Vice President & Head of 3D Printing for Asia Pacific & Japan, HP Inc., “Our ambition is to reinvent the way the world designs and manufactures. This expansion is testament to how HP is working with partners like GoProto to accelerate this transformation, enabling them to shorten and localise the design and manufacturing cycle for their customers.” General Manager, Leon Gairns, will run GoProto’s (ANZ) extensive portfolio of prototyping and manufacturing services, including CNC machining, cast urethane, sheet metal and injection moulding. For more information visit www.goproto.com.au

Australian advanced manufacturing celebrated at Parliament House

The Industry Growth Centre Showcase coincides with the announcement from the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews on the formal extension of the Growth Centre Initiative.

Schneider Electric helps EastLink achieve top 5-star sustainability rating

The 2018 GRESB Infrastructure Assessment awarded EastLink the top 5 star sustainability rating for the third year in a row. EastLink ranked #5 globally of 280 infrastructure entities for environmental, social and governance (ESG) sustainability performance. Schneider Electric provided EastLink’s tunnel ventilation on demand project with solutions to help reduce energy usage by 70%  Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been reduced by an estimated 9,000 tonnes CO2-e annually. EastLink’s 40 km road network connects the Eastern, Monash, Frankston and Peninsula Link freeways with 250,000 vehicles using the motorway every day on average. With the growing usage of the motorway there was a need to find a solution to reduce the amount of power usage, GHG emissions and noise pollution. Technology solutions provided by Schneider Electric have driven significant improvements in energy efficiency, carbon emission reductions, noise reduction and sustainability. Following the implementation of Schneider Electric’s Ethernet Programmable Automation Controllers (ePACs), Variable Speed Drives and Citect SCADA, EastLink has achieved the following tangible improvements: Tunnel ventilation system electricity usage reduced by 70%, saving 6.2 GWh annually. Reduced electricity usage cut GHG emissions from power stations by 9,000 tonnes CO2-e per year. Audible noise from the tunnel ventilation stacks has halved, reducing noise for local residents. Savings in maintenance costs and longer lifespans for tunnel ventilation equipment are expected. In 2018, EastLink improved its GRESB (global ESG benchmark for real assets used by investors) sustainability score from 80/100 to 88/100, was awarded the top 5-star sustainability rating for the third year in a row, and has been ranked #5 globally of 280 infrastructure entities. EastLink also won the prestigious 2018 Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Australia National Industry Award, for its tunnel ventilation system improvements. The reason Schneider Electric was selected as a vendor to the EastLink project was its compelling offerings […]

Happy birthday, SA’s big battery, and many happy returns (of your recyclable parts)

Aleesha Rodriguez A year ago today, Tesla’s big battery in South Australia began dispatching power to the state’s grid, one day ahead of schedule. By most accounts, the world’s largest lithium-ion battery has been a remarkable success. But there are some concerns that have so far escaped scrutiny. The big battery (or the Hornsdale Power Reserve, to use its official name) was born of a Twitter wager between entrepreneurs Mike Cannon-Brookes and Elon Musk, with the latter offering to build a functioning battery in “100 days or it’s free”. Musk succeeded, and so too has the battery in smoothing the daily operation of South Australia’s energy grid and helping to avert blackouts. The battery has also been a financial success. It earned A$23.8 million in the first half of 2018, by selling stored electricity and other grid-stabilising services. These successes have spurred further big battery uptake in Australia, while the global industry is forecast to attract US$620 billion in investments by 2040. It’s clear that big batteries will play a big role in our energy future. But not every aspect of Tesla’s big battery earns a big tick. The battery’s own credentials aren’t particularly “green”, and by making people feel good about the energy they consume over summer, it arguably sustains an unhealthy appetite for energy consumption. The problem of lithium-ion batteries The Hornsdale Power Reserve is made up of hundreds of Tesla Powerpacks, each containing 16 “battery pods” similar to the ones in Tesla’s Model S vehicle. Each battery pod houses thousands of small lithium-ion cells – the same ones that you might find in a hand-held device like a torch. The growing demand for lithium-ion batteries has a range of environmental impacts. Not least of these is the issue of how best to recycle them, which presents significant opportunities and challenges. The Hornsdale Power Reserve claims that when the batteries stop working (in about 15 years), Tesla […]

McLanahan Corporation celebrate move to support global mining

Hunter Manufacturer of the Year, McLanahan Corporation, will host a private event to celebrate their recent move to larger premises. The newly refurbished 18,000 square metre manufacturing facility at Cameron Park more than doubles their previous inventory space, and significantly increases production capacity. The event is an opportunity for clients, suppliers, government, local industry and business representatives to tour the facility and view equipment being assembled on site. Austrade, NSW Minerals Council, NSW Department of Industry and Cabinet representatives, as well as local and national business and industry associations have been invited to attend. Managing Director Australia-Asia Pacific, Neil Hunt is delighted to announce that US-based Company Chairman, Mike McLanahan and CEO Sean McLanahan will be in Australia for the event. “Having our Chairman and CEO here from the US is a clear demonstration of the company’s long term commitment to Australia and our mining clients from the Hunter Region,” said Mr Hunt. “Mike will provide the audience with insights into the company’s more than 185 year history, its challenges, successes and future outlook.” With operations in Australia since 2003, McLanahan have been supporting the mining industry with local design and engineering for more than 15 years. Mr Hunt added, “We’re very proud to be part of the manufacturing community supporting mining operations throughout both regional Australia, as a well around the globe.” Designed and developed to meet current and future client needs across the mineral and mining industries, the facility is located closer to their Hunter Valley clients and offers better access to the M1 freeway, with more efficient transport options. “Newcastle and the Hunter are well recognised for high calibre subcontractors, suppliers and engineering firms. Together, they provide a strong foundation for high value manufacturing,” Mr Hunt explained. “Coming off the back of the most successful year in […]

Home battery factory opens in Australia

German energy storage company Sonnen has begun production of home battery storage systems at its new factory in Adelaide. The German manufacturer aims to produce more than 50,000 storage systems over the next five years at the former GM Holden factory in the northern suburbs of the South Australian capital. An A$100 million South Australian government scheme to subsidise solar energy in homes was pivotal to securing investment from Sonnen, which moved its headquarters from Sydney to Adelaide this year. The Home Battery Scheme gives 40,000 South Australian households access to up to $6000 of subsidies and low-interest loans to pay for the installation of home batteries and solar. South Australia Premier Steven Marshall said the battery manufacturing facility will see the revival of the former automobile factory as a national centre for solar energy technology. “Having Sonnen locate its manufacturing centre in Adelaide for the production of home batteries for Australia, Asia and the South Pacific is a significant step in the revitalisation of South Australia’s industrial base,” said Premier Marshall. “The assembly and manufacture of 50,000 energy storage systems in Adelaide over the next five years will create around 430 manufacturing and installation jobs in the state and locates South Australia at the centre of this developing industry.” Sonnen founder and CEO Christoph Ostermann said the company would manufacture more than 10, 000 batteries a year to meet the demand from Australian households for home battery storage systems. “We are excited at the prospect of manufacturing in South Australia for the Australian and export markets and to participating in making Australia the number one market globally for energy storage system,” said Ostermann. “Sonnen will bring great benefits to South Australia through jobs at its Australian head office and factory in Elizabeth, lower energy prices for households that take […]

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