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MEMBER PROFILE
HALL OF FAME: REDARC ELECTRONICS BY LUCY BREWER
(L-R) Paul Unerkov celebrating with Anthony Kittel from REDARC Electronics after he was inducted into the Australian Auto Aftermarket Awards Hall of Fame.
Anthony Kittel, Managing Director and owner of REDARC Electronics, was recently inducted into the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Awards (AAAA) Hall of Fame. Anthony is an engineer by trade, and entered into ownership of REDARC in 1997. REDARC have been a valued MTA member since 2017 and just recently sponsored the MTA Automotive Graduation and Awards, showing their dedication to support the next generation of skilled technicians. REDARC was founded in 1979 by an electronics engineer named Bob Mackie. Bob initially ran the business from the back room of his house, and designed an ignition system for a Porsche 911. The first prototype built had a red arc, and the company name was born. Over the next eighteen years, Bob developed the business, building a range of voltage converters for both the trucking and automotive industries. After Bob passed away, his wife ran the company under management for two years, before Anthony came along. “When my wife Michele and I bought the business, we had eight people,” said Anthony. “Today, we have 350.” Anthony, who began his career as an engineer at BHP, had worked in automotive product manufacturing
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for ROH for a number of years before taking the helm at REDARC. Since taking over the company, he has diversified REDARC’s product offering. The company now services not just trucks and cars but caravans and camping vehicles, the mining industry, and more recently, the defence and space sectors. “We invest heavily in innovation and product design,” he said. The AAAA Hall of Fame induction came as a complete shock for him. “It’s a great honour to win the award,” he said. “[I’m] very passionate about manufacturing in Australia … it’s a nice reinforcement that our efforts to keep making product in Australia have been recognised, and also to know that a small company with eight people… we can grow to the size of the company we have.” Of REDARC’s trajectory, Anthony said the focus is on continuous improvement. There is more automation, and artificial intelligence and augmented reality have been introduced as tools for the engineers. Fittingly, REDARC was also honoured at the biannual AAAA. The company was awarded the Excellence in Manufacturing award for the fourth time in a row. “[It was a] nice reward for our team that work so hard to be globally
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competitive with the products that we make,” he said. While REDARC services a wide range of customers, the core business is to supply products in the automotive industry and to the trade customers. Anthony named the Motor Trade Association (MTA) members as vital to helping REDARC provide to its trade customers. “We see the MTA has a really key role in training and upskilling within the industry… that’s important for us and that’s why we continue being a member of the MTA … to make sure we’re supporting the industry that supports us.” As for the future of REDARC, Anthony said the goal is to increase export sales, particularly in North America, as well as investing and growing in the defence sector. The space sector also holds a future for REDARC, with the business building sensors and electronics that need to withstand extreme conditions. “It’s all about remaining relevant and looking after your customers,” said Anthony. REDARC also focusses on giving back to the community, and supports a number of organisations, including Catherine House, the Hutt St Centre and Youth Opportunities.
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