Connection: Issue One, 2017

S P E C I A L I S E D T E X T I L E S A S S O C I AT I O N I N C .

ISSUE ONE 2017

DESIGN | TECHNOLOGY | INDUSTRY TRAINING | BUSINESS | MEMBERS

CONFERENCE 17 – QUEENSTOWN NZ ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Cyclone Debbie The venerable canvas tarp Controlling your cash flow

PLATINUM SPONSOR

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GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

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www.velcro.com.au VELCRO® Brand PRODUCTS

Velcro Companies continues to be the original and premier manufacturer and innovator of hook and loop fasteners.

Around the world, companies depend on our fastening solutions for a wide range of business operations-including bundling produce, organising miles of network cables, building a trade show exhibit and keeping our homes and workplaces clean. No matter what the application, the Velcro Companies offer products that balance price, performance and reliability. Turn to the Velcro Companies for innovative fastening solutions that allow for cutting-edge design and improved end-item performance. The result is an enhanced end-user experience and true competitive advantage. Whether you’re looking for a customised colour or the best hook and loop combination for extreme weather conditions. VELCRO® Brand technology provides best-in-class performance backed by worldwide manufacturing and logistics organisation.

Why choose VELCRO® Brand • Quality you can rely on • Quality endorsed company • Easy to use • Extensive product range • Prompt national delivery service

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• Experience sales consultants • No tools or triggers to squeeze • No burns from hot glue • Accredited to ISO 9001 & AS 4801 • Quicker & simpler assembly

• Extensive colours& materials range • Value for money • Lower costs • Less risks of cuts or abrasions

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AMAZING CONNECTIONS...

VELCRO®BRAND SEW ON HOOK AND LOOP FASTENERS

VELCRO® Brand sew on hook is a heavy duty hook tape with over 300 hooks per square inch and has a high cycle life. This hook utilises a heavier weight hook to maximize performance without minimizing cycle-life. The perfect nylon fastener to sew on any fabric by hand or machine, yet so adaptable that other methods of attachment, besides sewing, are possible. These include: Riveted (e.g. to aluminium), Screwed (e.g. to steel), Nailed (e.g. to timber), Stapled (e.g. to cardboard), Rust & jam-free, it will out perform & outlast traditional fasteners, Operating temperature range from -56°C to 93°C. VELCRO® Brand Sew On boast a wide range of colours; Black, White, Beige, Light Grey, Slate Grey, Brown, Olive Green, Coachman Green, Yellow, Navy, Royal Blue, Red, Pinkglow, Greenglow, Yellowglow and Orangeglow. Sizes available are 16mm, 20mm, 25mm, 38mm, 50mm and 100mm. All rolls come in 25 metres in either hook or loop with a customer cutting service available.

For all your VELCRO® Brand fastener needs in Queensland please contact Hamlin Accessories 1300 VELCRO (1300 835 276) VELCRO Australia PTY LTD FREE CALL 1800 337 024 5-11 David Lee Road, Hallam VIC 3803 Web: www.velcro.com.au Tel: (+61) 3 9703 2466 E: AUS_Sales@velcro.com Fax: (+61) 3 9703 2305

Quality ISO 9001

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PURCHASER All statements, technical advice and recommendations contained herein are based on tests believed to be reliable, but the accuracy thereof is not guaranteed, and the following is made in lieu of all warranties, expressed or implied: Seller’s and manufacturer’s only obligation shall be to replace the quantity of product proved to be defective.

Neither seller nor manufacturer shall be liable for any injury, loss or damage, direct or consequential, arising out of the use of or the inability to use the product. Before using, user shall determine the suitability of the product for its intended use, and user assumes all risk and liability whatsoever in connection therewith. No statement or recommendation not contained herein shall have any force or effect unless in an agreement signed by officers of seller and manufacturer. VELCRO® and other marks are owned by Velcro BVBA. Copyright © 2017 Velcro.

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04 CONTENTS

OUTDOOR FABRIC PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND AND SPECIALISED TEXTILES ASSOCIATION PRESENT

25 - 27 MAY, QUEENSTOWN, NZ

Reaching New Heights Together

MEET NETWORK DISCOVER LEARN SPEAKERS – DISPLAYS – TECHNICAL SESSIONS – SOCIAL EVENTS – AWARDS

12

16 28

28

32

30

06

EDITORIAL

08

STA NEWS

26

BUSINESS Nick Hitchens on cash flow

09

Report from STA president, Beatrice Moonen

28

STA REPORT

30

10

NEW AND ACCREDITED MEMBERS

12

NEWS AND OPINION

Canvas tarps and their applications

16

FEATURE Preparing for the ravages of Cyclone Debbie in Queensland

32 12 Ricky Richards’ Ron Gottlieb on ‘showing off ’ 12 Goodearl and Bailey celebrate a milestone

FEATURE

MEMBER PROFILE Tom Gastin and Pattons

34

32

EVENTS Upcoming events for the specialised textiles industry, locally and internationally

CONFERENCE 17 17 Program 18 Speaker profiles 20 Sponsor profiles

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ADVERTISING DIRECTORY

www.specialisedtextiles.com.au

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RI We’re about making ideas happen!

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WWW.RICKYRICHARDS.COM.AU

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06 EDITORIAL

Welcome to the first issue of Connections for 2017

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elcome to the first issue for 2017 of your industry magazine – the pre-conference issue.

Wait a minute… how did that happen? Wasn’t it just a couple of weeks ago that we were all packing our bags and heading for a few days of sun and fun at the aptly named Superexpo on the Gold Coast?

But no, here we are again, gearing up for the 2017 event. And what a spectacular event it promises to be. This May after years of collaboration and an ever more fruitful relationship with our colleagues across the Tasman, the annual conference will be held jointly by the STA and OFPANZ in one of the most breathtaking spots in the southern hemisphere. If you’ve never been to Queenstown, prepare to fall in love. If you have time, I heartily recommend a horse ride along one of the Lord of the Rings trails, but the real draw of course is the chance to learn, exchange knowledge and network with all your industry peers.

And on that score I hand over to industry stalwart, Bob Cahill, who below gives us a few more good reasons to head to New Zealand’s South Island in May. And you can find comprehensive information about the conference starting on page 16.

Madeleine Swain Editor

CONFERENCE 17 Knowledge is power! Here is a great opportunity to learn about the materials used in our industry.

The 2017 STA/OFPANZ event is intended to be a technical, educational conference that will provide a great opportunity to learn about: The materials used in our industry – PVC, canvas, polyethylene and shade cloth – fabric specialists will give insights into how the fabrics are made and the optimum applications for them, as well as areas to avoid.

Welding and sewing techniques – industry experts in sewing, RF welding, hot air, hot wedge and ultrasonic will share their knowledge. The skill of successful fabrication depends on your ability to join materials.

Fabric structures – a fantastic program covering engineering design and installation, awardwinning structures (with case studies of small- to medium-sized structures from industry leaders), checklists for small structures and other vital information. There will be presentations from local and internationally acclaimed fabric structure companies.

The program is designed to empower industry members with knowledge of materials and how they are joined together. Key sessions of fabric structures and marine fabrication will give additional vital knowledge for successful projects in this industry.

There is no ready reference book that will provide all of this information. It is a fantastic opportunity to improve your industry knowledge and skills. You could call it a ‘material’ benefit to being a member of the association!

Bob Cahill Director, Hiraoka

NEXT ISSUE OF CONNECTIONS Remember this is your magazine, about your industry. And we always love to hear your feedback or ideas for the direction of the magazine.

If you have any suggestions for articles or features that you think may be appropriate, please don’t hesitate to contact the editor directly at madeleine.swain@niche.com.au or Ana Drougas in the STA office at ana@specialisedtextiles.com.au or on 03 9521 2114.

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Editorial Contributions by the STA Editorial committee ASSOCIATION MANAGER Ana Drougas EDITOR Madeleine Swain madeleine.swain@niche.com.au Advertising Neha Minhas neha.minhas@niche.com.au 03 9948 4918 Design ART DIRECTOR Keely Atkins PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jamuna Raj jamuna.raj@niche.com.au DIGITAL PRE-PRESS Monique Blair

Publishing CHAIRMAN Nicholas Dower MANAGING DIRECTOR Paul Lidgerwood GROUP COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Joanne Davies FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Sonia Jurista

Connections magazine is published on behalf of the Specialised Textiles Association Inc by Niche Media Pty Ltd ABN 13 064 613 529 Suite 1418, Level 14, 1 Queens Road, Melbourne VIC 3004 Tel: 03 9948 4900 / Fax 03 9948 4999 Printing Graphic Impressions Cover Image Jiri Foltyn RF123

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Specialised Textiles Association 102/22 St Kilda Rd, St Kilda Vic 3182 Tel: 03 9521 2114 / Fax: 03 9521 2116 Email: office@specialisedtextiles.com.au www.specialisedtextiles.com.au All unsolicited material should be addressed to the attention of the editor at the address above. Material will only be returned if a postage prepaid self-addressed envelope is supplied. Niche Media Pty Ltd accepts no liability for loss or damage of unsolicited material.

Connections is a publication of Niche Media Pty Ltd, ABN 13 064 613 529, 1 Queens Road, Melbourne Vic 3004 Australia, tel +613 9948 4900, fax +613 9948 4999.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, internet, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publishers accept no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences including any loss or damage arising from reliance on information in this publication.

The opinions and material published in this publication are not necessarily endorsed by the editor, publisher or Niche Media Pty Ltd, unless where specifically stated.

www.specialisedtextiles.com.au

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08 PRESIDENT’S REPORT

President’s report

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yclone Debbie had a devastating effect on people and property. The Bureau of Meteorology reported wind speeds of up to 263kph (kilometres per hour) on 28 March! That’s a massive load on a permanent building, let alone a class 10b fabric structure. The overall damages bill will exceed $1 billion.

Looking at this event strictly from an industry perspective, let’s consider the performance of fabric structures first.

How many structures failed, should fabric structures be expected to perform in destructive category 4 cyclones and what can we learn from this event?

As the cyclone neared, some shade installers worked overtime to pull down sails. For safety and cost, this makes good sense, but it’s not possible to pull down all structures; i.e. those at airports, shopping centres and the like. The fabric of a sail is not designed to deflect W70 wind loads or 263kph gusts, yet it is possible for structures to withstand extreme weather conditions. Design, quality materials, engineering and a preparedness to pay a little more can achieve higher performance.

At the other extreme are cheap poorly built structures, which fail all too easily.

The reality is that structures perform well in all but the most destructive conditions when building codes, engineering standards and good practices are complied with.

Having seen visions of shredded sails flapping about in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie, our job now is to ensure safety, assess, remove and replace. A lot of rebuilding is needed and anyone involved in fabric structure repairs needs to be compliant with Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) regulations. Insurance rule changes since 2016 may mean some fabric structures are not insured, so check before commencing repair work.

Marine fabricators face similar demands. Though used to weathering many storms, marine fabricators will be

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working very hard to repair damaged upholstery and blinds from boats damaged and blown off their moorings in the devastating conditions. Workshops held through the STA and the bonds forged will assist in the delivery of quality repairs. Again, it is important to obtain insurance claim numbers.

It is the nature of our outdoor textile industry that when weather conditions are at their toughest our industry is called to respond. However, fabric structures and boating are synonymous with the relaxed Queensland lifestyle and this will continue long after this cyclone has lost its ferocity.

I am delighted at the level of support at the state member meetings I have attended in Sydney, Fremantle and, more recently, Victoria, where STA members were welcomed by Nick Pritchard and his team at the premises of Gale Pacific in Braeside. The meeting exhibited a transparency and friendship inherent in our close-knit industry. Many thanks to Nick and Gale Pacific for opening their doors and hosting our state member session. The STA supports the interesting dimension brought to member meetings when they are held at member premises.

And finally a reminder that our new Zealand conference is to be held from 25 to 27 May at Rydges Resort on beautiful Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown. Our seminar program is bursting at the seams with a new round of informative subjects, guest speakers that will entertain and inspire, and our Australian suppliers who will be there to talk shop in a personalised setting.

There will be plenty of opportunity to network and enjoy all that is Queenstown.

There are many hotels of all standards nearby, which still have vacancies. It is not too late to book your place.

I hope you enjoy this pre-Conference edition of Connections magazine, the STA’s official magazine for the outdoor textiles industry.

Beatrice Moonen, President STA

www.specialisedtextiles.com.au

19/04/17 7:26 AM

STA REPORT 09

UPDATE FROM THE SPECIALISED TEXTILES ASSOCIATION OFFICE Association executive officer Ana Drougas provides the latest information on the STA’s activities and new initiatives.

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t will be full steam ahead for the Queenstown Conference by the time you read this issue of Connections.

The joint venture between the Specialised Textiles Association (STA) and the Outdoor Fabric Products Association New Zealand (OFPANZ) is promising to be a spectacular cross Tasman industry representation with a touch of international guests as well. The theme for the 2017 conference is ‘Reaching New Heights Together’ and we are offering all delegates the opportunity to do just that by providing opportunities for collaboration and the sharing of information, knowledge and technical knowhow. The primary aim is to provide all conference delegates with an experience that enhances and inspires their work in the outdoor fabrics and specialised textiles industry. The program has been developed with a focus on informative and educational speaker sessions, along with opportunity for making some new connections. Read all about the Queenstown Conference from page 16 onwards and, if you have not registered to attend, there is still time do so.

Aside from the Queenstown Conference, the STA has many projects underway

already and others in the works (that we can’t talk about just yet!).

As an association, we exist for our members while representing the entire industry. The industry that STA represents is wide and varied – which makes us unique among other associations, which may focus on one area/product/group only. To help us keep our finger on the pulse, we have many committees and focus groups, in order to ensure that each segment of our industry is represented and has a voice – such as our marine fabricator division, fabric structures committee, training committee etc.

This year, one of our aims is to increase member communication and opportunity for learning and participation in the varying industry segments. We are achieving this with the newly launched online Members Forum. Members of the STA are using the member-only forum to obtain information, and share thoughts and ideas. The forum can be accessed via the member area of the STA website and covers general topics as well as specific industry sector topics.

Webinars is another area that will enable us to provide learning experiences for our members and the industry at large.

We have two planned for the second half of the year. Details on these can be found on the events page of our website.

Our member eNewsletter has recently been revamped too. While the look may have changed, the offering is still the same.

The objective of the member eNewsletter is to be transparent by providing members with an insight into the internal running of the Association.

One of our newest projects is aimed at increasing STA’s presence in the social media space – our Facebook page has been running for about two years now and is a relaxed and casual way of communicating with all our Facebook friends and followers, while our recent introduction to LinkedIn will have a more professional feel about it, reporting more on the wider network of the specialised textiles industry.

Keep an eye out for us in the social media space and check our events page for all our future activities. If you are not a member and would like to be kept in the loop, subscribe to our eNewsletter via our website www.specialisedtextiles.com.au or phone me on 03 9521 2114 for further information.

LET US HANDLE THE BIG JOBS BULK WELDING IS OUR SPECIALTY Why not stick to what you do best and leave the bulk sewing and welding (hot air, hot wedge, RF welding) to DDT. At our wholesale prices, you can improve your bottom line.

Contact Max or Michael for a quotation

DARLING DOWNS TARPAULINS INDUSTRIAL AVENUE PO Box 6267, Toowoomba West, QLD 4350

SIZE IS NO PROBLEM Darling Downs Tarpaulins are geared to cope with those very large jobs like green houses, shade houses, shade sails, dam liners and bulk storage covers.

Phone: 07 4634 2166 Fax: 07 4634 7725 Email: ddt@ddt.com.au Web: www.ddt.com.au

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10 NEW MEMBERS

NEW MEMBERS

K1 SAILS

The STA is pleased to welcome the following individuals and companies to its membership.

AZURE MARINE Azure is a specialist in custom-made, quality marine trimming upholstery and stylish soft furnishings for the home and boat.

The company is based in Warriewood, Sydney where everything is handmade to the highest quality and to order. Dominique determines the scope of the project and provides the right advice, design and service to deliver a considered and quality product. An expert boat cover repair service is also available.

Contact: Dominique Peyrous-Ruel Address: Unit 12, 1714 Pittwater Road, Bayview NSW 2104 Tel: 0403 490 515 Email: contact@azuremarine.com.au Website: azuremarine.com.au

MARINE

K1 specialises in custom-made textile products for the West Australian marine industry. It manufactures high-quality marine trimming and sail repairs in Fremantle and the greater Perth region. K1 Sails takes pride in delivering high-quality products for a fair price using marine grade materials to secure long durability in the harsh Australian weather. With fully qualified and award-winning sail maker, Ki-Raphael Sulkowski, you’re guaranteed the highest quality products and service every time.

Contact: Ki Sulkowski Address: U15, 30 Peel Road, O’Connor WA 6163 Tel: 0429 116 195 Email: ki@k1sails.com.au Website: k1sails.com.au

STITCH TRIM Stitch Trim is an auto and marine upholstery shop located in Cairns, specialising in all auto and marine upholstery. “Sensational workmanship, great products, great prices! Go see Kent for your next upholstery job, you will not be disappointed!” says Anthony Volpe via Facebook.

Contact: Kent Rowbotham Address: 26 Knight Street, Portsmith Qld 4870 Tel: 0437 632 413 Email: kent@stitchtrim.com.au

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NEW MEMBERS & OBITUARY 11

SHADE AND SAIL Shade and Sail designs, supplies and installs high-quality shade and waterproof sails and structures. It has over 12 years’ experience in the industry and is fully insured and QBCC licensed. New work, repairs and maintenance are all covered.

Contact: Michael Guinea Address: 2, 21-23 Auscan Crescent, Garbutt Qld 4814 Tel: +617 4728 9566 Email: michael@shadeandsail.com.au

SOS SHADE FABRICATIONS SOS Shade Fabrications is based in Queensland, Australia, but services all regions of Australia and the broader Asia Pacific region.

It specialises in contract manufacturing of shade and membrane sails. This includes everything from small domestic shades to very large commercial fabrics such as for car parks and stadium membranes. The services are only available to companies that are in the shade and membrane industry. The company doesn’t work for the general public or building/construction organisations.

Its business is to support other businesses in the shade and membrane industry by providing outsourced fabrication services.

Contact: Tim Barron Address: 21 Export Drive, Molendinar Qld 4214 Tel: 0434 380 167 Email: timb@sosshadefabrications.com.au Website: www.sosshadefabrications.com.au

ASSOCIATION

The STA is also proud to announce the following company has gained business accreditation.

EH BRETT & SONS PTY LIMITED EH Brett & Sons is a well-respected company that has been offering Australia and abroad professional services and high-quality canvas and synthetic goods since the turn of last century. Its operations centre on the design, manufacture and hire of a range of products from camper trailers, tarpaulins, covers and canopies to shade structures, sails, blinds and awnings – even enormous helibanners flown round the world. Utilising the latest in CAD technology, it uses canvas, PVC and shadecloth through to the lightest banner fabrics to craft the right solution for its customers’ various needs.

At EH Brett the highly knowledgeable team is committed to providing quality products and services, and prides itself on the ability to design, develop and create practical solutions to meet clients’ needs. No job is too big or too small!

Address: Unit 2, 4 Cunningham Street, Moorebank NSW 2170 Tel: +612 9601 1800 Website: www.ehbrett.com.au

IN MEMORIAM – IAN KNOX It is with great sadness that we advise you that our founder and managing director Ian Knox passed away on Thursday 9 February 2017. Ian was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April 2015 and, despite undergoing major surgery, chemotherapy and radiology, he finally succumbed and passed away peacefully in his sleep at home with family members. In his inimitable style, Ian refused to give up and maintained an incredible positivity right up until the end.

Ian had a number of great passions in his life, none greater than his beloved wife Kerry, their daughter Kylie and son Paul, and his extended family. Food, wine, travel and, of course, his beloved Western Bulldogs all held significant places in his heart. Despite being extremely unwell, he attended the AFL Grand Final in October 2016, accompanied by Kerry and Paul, where the ferocious Bulldogs ended a 62-year drought to win the premiership trophy. A remarkable achievement happily witnessed by one of the Bulldogs’ biggest fans.

One of his greatest achievements was Innova International Pty Ltd, which he founded in 1988 focusing initially on the PVC vinyls that he knew so well from his experience and years working for Nylex Australia.

Innova later expanded into architectural and technical textiles with the inclusion of Ferrari fabrics from France. The business continued to grow and expanded into acrylic canvas, PVC laminates, PU upholstery, PVC films and sheeting. In 2010, he completed the acquisition of RIM Fabrics, which took Innova in a new direction of commercial interior fitouts that has grown progressively into a significant segment of the business.

During his early years at Innova, Ian was heavily involved with the industrial fabric industry and was actively engaged with ACASPA (Australian Canvas and Synthetic Products Association, now STA) and LSAA (Lightweight Structures Association Australasia), serving on both management committees. He supported these great associations through sponsorships and as part of the organising committees for trade shows and exhibitions for both groups.

Ian will be fondly remembered for the passion and commitment he showed to his business, his industry and his staff. He was a fierce competitor, possessed of enormous drive and willpower, an excellent orator who could be exceptionally persuasive, a skilful negotiator, marketing genius and, to those who knew him well, a true gentleman, revered leader and highly respected mentor.

As a stalwart of the Australian textile industry, Ian Knox will be sadly missed.

Sean Philipson and Kylie Knox on behalf of Innova and the Knox Family.

www.specialisedtextiles.com.au

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Issue One 2017 CONNECTIONS

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12 NEWS & OPINION

GOODEARL AND BAILEY MILESTONE In an ever-challenging economic climate, industry members notching up longevity achievements is always worth noting. Late last year, as the NSW Business Chamber celebrated its 190 years of existence, it made time to recognise some of its longest standing members. Mascot-based Goodearl and Bailey was highlighted for having been a member for over 90 years, having joined the organisation on 23

August 1924. Goodearl and Bailey director, Clare Corban, says, “We were very proud to be part of this history. This recognition is possible thanks to three amazing men – Gordon Bailey (who was too unwell to attend), the late David Goodearl and Michael Duggan.

“My 20-plus years of being a part of Goodearl and Bailey have nothing on these remarkable men,” she adds.

THE DIFFERENCE IS YOUR POINT OF DIFFERENCE, SO BE PROUD Ricky Richards’ Ron Gottlieb says it’s time you stopped hiding your light under a bushel.

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ver many years we have often looked at what makes Ricky Richards the company that it is. After 35 years in business, one looks to find what makes one tick and if the clock is still running with some precision. When assessments are done, the same old standards still hold true and, like cream, rise to the top.

Good people, attitudes and suppliers, and an attention to doing what you do well are usually the foundation blocks on which a good business is built. While your company may adhere to some of these principles, if not all of them, there are many other companies that compete with you who do the same thing.

So, what makes you special?

In Australia, we have a very understated approach to this situation. We generally go about our business and often minimise our achievements. It is the little things that we do that set us apart from our competitors and it is these things that should be actively promoted.

Social media platforms now allow us to advertise our achievements to a greater audience than ever before in the history of the world. So why don’t we? Scared of being labelled a ‘show-off ’?

Think that it is ‘un-Australian’? Changing your thinking can just as easily lead to a show-off becoming proud of their work. Being proactive about your achievements, rather than reactive to the accolades, should become very Australian.

Around the time of Federation, Australia was arguably one of the richest countries in the world with a very high per capita income.

Although we are no longer at that level, there should be little need for pessimism moving forward. We have wonderful companies in this country that not only can hold their own on the world stage, but often lead the charge with innovative technology, design and high-quality manufacturing. Why do we think that we need to ‘dumb it down’? There is just no need to compete with finished goods that are imported from low cost countries with low attention to quality,

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when, for a relatively small amount more, a high-quality Australian made product can be offered. The client is crying out for a reason to spend more money – give it to them.

In all my years in business I have yet to meet a consumer that has intentionally asked for the worst job with the worst materials (normally I would be more succinct in my language). So why offer it up? Find your point of difference, make sure that you know it and let the world know about it as well. If you can’t back it up, then you will be a show-off. But if you can back it up, you will be a great supplier who is proud of your work and you’ll have customers who are proud to be associated with you.

www.specialisedtextiles.com.au

19/04/17 7:28 AM

PROFILE 13

advanced materials for industry professionals: lightweight modular structures for industry, environmental protection, agro-energy and safety, visual communication, and ● composite membranes for consumers’ market: solar protection, indoor and outdoor furniture, yachting.

Innovation and new products is an increasingly differentiating positioning for Serge Ferrari with over 20 new products launched in the last 12 months.

Précontraint is the Group’s unique patented technological breakthrough that gives Serge Ferrari’s products the combination of dimensional stability, exceptional strength and durability.

Serge Ferrari acts globally towards a sustainable future, working with all industries to support sustainable construction, energy conservation and recycling via the unique 100 percent recycling technology and industrial process Texyloop.

The Group generates more than €140 million in revenue and has three production sites – one in France, two in Switzerland – and a raw material regeneration site Texyloop in Italy (joint venture with Group Solvay). Serge Ferrari is present in over 80 countries through subsidiaries, representative offices and a network of more than 100 distributors.

Serge Ferrari Group has been listed on Euronext Paris since 2014.

For more information on Serge Ferrari, please visit www.sergeferrari.com. ●

SERGE FERRARI Creator of innovative flexible composite membranes since 1973, Serge Ferrari Group designs, manufactures and distributes hightech eco-responsible flexible composite materials that meet the technical requirements of a wide range of applications, serving three buoyant markets: ● innovative materials for architecture: Précontraint composite tensile roof structures, solar protection and bioclimatic facades, acoustic solutions, watertight underroof membranes

www.specialisedtextiles.com.au

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Issue One 2017 CONNECTIONS

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GORE® TENARA® Sewing Thread.

For seams that last a fabric’s lifetime. Guaranteed.*

It’s Not Just Thread – It’s Your Reputation

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Your customers trust you for quality work that lasts. Why compromise on the critical element that holds it all together?

GORE® TENARA® Sewing Thread has been the choice of top fabricators for more than 30 years. Only GORE® TENARA® Sewing Thread has Gore, the company that invented it, standing behind it.

GORE® TENARA® Sewing Thread will not deteriorate from exposure to UV radiation in sunlight, resists moVld and mildew, and cannot be harmed by cleaning solutions or salt water, making it ideal for all outdoor and marine products.

GORE® TENARA® Sewing Thread. It’s a small thing that can make a big difference. Learn more or find a distributor at www.gore.com/tenara.

*Lifetime warranty in North America; 15 years warranty outside North America. For warranty details, see www.gore.com/tenara FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY. Not for use in food, drug, cosmetic or medical device manufacturing, processing, or packaging operations.

W. L. Gore & Associates (Australia) Pty Ltd 4VJUF 3a Narabang Way • B&-304& NSW 2085 • Australia +61 2 9473 6800 • gorefibers@wlgore.com

GORE and TENARA are registered trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates © 2017 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

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13/04/17 2:00 PM

ADVERTORIAL 15

Guaranteed ‘lifetime’ thread for marine and outdoor projects

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hat’s the most important part of your outdoor project? You may think it’s the design, or the fabric. But a welldesigned project using quality fabric is a failure if the seams fall apart after just a few years of use.

Fortunately, there’s a small change you can make to your projects that will let the seams last as long as the fabric.

For a small part of the cost of an overall project, you can set yourself apart from your competitors simply by changing the thread you use.

GORE Tenara sewing thread was invented by W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore), the company well-known for its waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX fabric and a host of technical innovations in the medical, industrial, aerospace and electronics fields.

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Guaranteed to last. In fact, Gore provides a 15-year warranty that Tenara thread used in sun protection and marine applications (including sails) will not be damaged by exposure to sunlight, weather or water.

Unaffected by sunlight. Tenara thread maintains its strength even after regular exposure to UV sunlight.

UV resistance is built into the thread, and is not a coating or additive that can wear off.

Weatherproof. Tenara thread remains flexible and strong in extremes of hot and cold. It won’t absorb water and it resists acid rain, saltwater, pollution, snow and freezing.

Easy to clean. GORE Tenara sewing thread is unaffected by acids, alkaline solutions, bleach and cleaning chemicals, and it will not stain.

Colours will not fade. Made with non-fading pigments that are highly

resistant to light, the coloured thread retains its bold appearance over time. GORE Tenara sewing thread is pigmented – not dyed. Due to its exceptional material properties, Tenara thread is extremely colourfast.

Using GORE Tenara sewing thread tells your customers that they are buying a high-quality product – built to last with durable seams and a brand that’s backed by more than 30 years of experience from the company that invented it.

For the small additional cost of using GORE Tenara sewing thread, you can charge a premium for your projects.

That means additional profit – and an enhanced reputation that can win you more business. C Visit www.gore.com/tenara to learn more or to find a local distributor.

Contact W. L. Gore & Associates (Australia) at +612 9473 6800.

The thread’s unique design makes it ideally suited for outdoor and marine applications. Unlike polyester sewing thread, GORE Tenara sewing thread retains its strength even through year after year of exposure to the elements.

Polyester thread loses most of its strength after three years. That means that seams sewn with Tenara thread will last as long – or longer – than the fabric into which they are sewn.

www.specialisedtextiles.com.au

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Issue One 2017 CONNECTIONS

12/04/17 4:34 PM

OUTDOOR FABRIC PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND AND SPECIALISED TEXTILES ASSOCIATION PRESENT

25 - 27 MAY, QUEENSTOWN, NZ

Reaching New Heights Together

MEET NETWORK DISCOVER LEARN SPEAKERS – DISPLAYS – TECHNICAL SESSIONS – SOCIAL EVENTS – AWARDS

MAM9 MAM M MA AM9 AM A M9 M 9308 308 30 08

For further info, contact Ana on +613 9521 2114 or Amanda on +64 27 486 4517 Conference17 FP Advert indd 1 43678_16-25_conference.indd 16

ASSOCIATION

3/11/2016 1:27 pm 19/04/17 7:57 AM

C

OUTDOOR FABRIC PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND AND SPECIALISED TEXTILES ASSOCIATION PRESENT

25 - 27 MAY, QUEENSTOWN, NZ

Reaching New Heights Together

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

REGISTRATION REGISTER to attend online at https://2017Queenstown.eventbrite.com

Rydges Lakeland Resort, Queenstown NZ

REGISTER AS A FULL DELEGATE BY 31ST MARCH AND SAVE $85

THURSDAY 25TH MAY 12.00pm – 4.00pm

Shotover Jet OR Winery Tour

6.00pm – 8.00pm

Welcome cocktail reception

* Full delegate package includes welcome reception, all seminar sessions, teas and lunches plus theme dinner and awards dinner Early bird full delegate (ends 31st March 2017) Full delegate package (from 1st April 2017)

FRIDAY 26TH MAY 7.45am – 9.00am

Breakfast session with guest speaker Steve Gurney

9.10am – 10.00am

Sun Protection Systems

ASSOCIATION

NB: OFPANZ and STA member rates quoted. Non members +20%.

INDIVIDUAL REGISTRATIONS Pick and choose what you would like to do:

10.00am – 10.45am Morning tea

12.30pm – 2.00pm

Lunch break and trade display

2.00pm – 2.45pm

Sewing Techniques

2.45pm – 3.15pm

Afternoon tea

Shotover Jet Wine Tasting Tour * Welcome Reception * Keynote Breakfast Session * Seminar Sessions – Friday 26th May * Seminar Session – Saturday 27th May * Theme Dinner * Awards Dinner

3.15pm – 4.00pm

Welding Techniques

* event included in full delegate registration

6.30pm

Theme dinner

All prices include 15% GST and are in NZD$

10.45am – 12.30pm Fabric Construction Sessions – Polyethylene, PVC, HDPE Shadecloth, Canvas

$130.00 $200.00 $85.00 $60.00 $120.00 $120.00 $175.00 $210.00

PLATINUM SPONSOR

SATURDAY 27TH MAY 9.00am – 10.15am

$650.00 $735.00

OFPANZ and STA AGMs

10.15am – 10.45am Morning tea 10.45am – 11.15am Forces On Structures – Static and Dynamic Loads OR Social Media Marketing

GOLD SPONSORS

11.15am – 11.35pm Cables and Fittings OR Sucession Planning 11.35pm – 11.55pm Pre-stress – How to Ensure Adequate Tension is Applied to the Structure OR Practical Terms and Conditions

SILVER SPONSORS

11.55am – 12.25am Fire Retardency

7 pm

Lunch break and trade display

2.00pm – 2.30pm

Checklist for Small Structures

2.30pm – 2.50pm

Afternoon tea

2.50pm – 3.15pm

Small/Medium Structure (Case Study 1) OR Marine Fabricator (Case Study 1)

3.15pm – 3.40pm

Small/Medium Structure (Case Study 2) OR Marine Fabricator (Case Study 2)

3.40pm – 4.15pm

True Value of Networking

6.30pm – Midnight

Awards for Excellence Dinner

Conference17 Programme (1pp) Apr17 indd 1 43678_16-25_conference.indd 17

BRONZE SPONSORS MAM9320APR17

12.30pm – 2.00pm

6/04/2017 10:13 am 19/04/17 7:57 AM

18 CONFERENCE 2017

CONFERENCE 2017 SPEAKERS Daniel Albert International business development manager, Woundwo, Germany Daniel has been with Woundwo for three years and is responsible for business development focusing on international markets. His background is as a Master of Business Management CCI. He is 35 years old and has worked in the bakery industry and construction industry. Daniel’s focus was and will always be on the development and guidance of internal sales and markets

Max Bartlett Technical director, C E Bartlett Pty Ltd C.E Bartlett Pty Ltd was established in 1956 and currently occupies over 8000 square metres, spread over four factories and employing over 110 staff. Starting in the family business over 40 years ago, Max began his career on the factory floor helping out with all production processes, including hand cutting, sewing and finishing.

As new synthetic materials were introduced to the industry, Max began his passion for adapting and developing welding methods and processes for all types of fabrics and end products.

His R&D skills have led to unique welding machinery modifications, where he utilises his combined knowledge of the appropriate fabric suitability and fabrication process to achieve the ultimate product for the end user. Today Max’s thoughts and opinions on new fabrics and welding equipment are sought after by many fabricators, machinery and fabric suppliers to the industry.

Katie Bradford Master fabric craftsman, Custom Marine Canvas Katie started Custom Marine Canvas in 1985 because she always sailed and always sewed. After sailing professionally for several years, Katie felt the need to settle down, and set up shop in an unheated shed on the Mystic River. Her company grew quickly to six employees and a 3000-square foot facility. The first time she heard of the Marine Textiles group (now Marine Fabricators Association) she jumped at the chance to mingle with likeminded people. Katie earned the certification as a master fabric craftsman, and industrial fabrics manager. She also became involved in the governance of that group, eventually serving as chair. She then entered the board of directors of IFAI, and currently serves as that chair. In that capacity, she is able to tour the globe and the US attending conferences of all the divisions and country sectors.

It is in that role that Katie finds the most value, as she learns something at each event, whether in her field or not.

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Ross Brett Commercial head, New Zealand North Island and Fiji, Coats Patons Currently the Commercial Head for Coats Patons NZ Ltd North Island and Fiji, Ross has been working in the textile industry with Coats for the last 15 years.

Responsible for Coats thread sales in the New Zealand North Island and Fiji, Ross also works closely with the company’s OFPANZ distributors W Wiggins and Reid, and Twiname Ltd supporting the sales of speciality thread to fabricators and the like.

Bob Cahill Director, Hiraoka Bob has worked in the industrial fabrics industry since 1988 and prior to that was an agricultural scientist. In that time he has worked in sales and marketing as well as product development roles involved with polyethylene, polypropylene and PVC coated textiles. Fifteen years’ experience with a fabrics manufacturer allowed Bob to develop significant technical knowledge relating to industrial textiles and their applications. In 2003, he established the Tex Connex business to focus on high-quality specialised textiles. In 2004, he was also appointed as a director of Hiraoka Australia to establish the subsidiary of Hiraoka and Co Ltd of Japan, manufacturer of specialised textiles. This includes a range of fabrics used in architectural structures, agricultural industries, camping and leisure industries, and water containment applications. Bob enjoys working in the diverse industrial textile industry and is always impressed with what can be manufactured from a roll of fabric. In particular, the elegant and graceful tensile structures are great examples of what this industry can achieve.

Joseph Dean Managing director, Wade Design Engineers Pty Ltd Joseph owns, runs, works for and is practically married to Wade Design Engineers – a specialist consulting engineering firm with expertise in the design and detailing of tensioned fabric and cable net structures.

He has been designing fabric structures for 28 years and is still enjoying the creative nature of the work and the exciting structures that can be achieved. Husband of Cathy, father of four and grandfather of two, Joseph enjoys family time, woodturning, photography, outdoors and motorcycling.

www.specialisedtextiles.com.au

19/04/17 10:37 AM

Brendan Duffy Canvasland This June Brendan celebrates 30 years of involvement with Canvasland together with his wife Sheryl. He is a life member of OFPANZ, deputy chair of Mid Central District Health board, a local government commissioner, a board member on MITO and chair of a local trust supporting young people. Sheryl is a volunteer health shuttle driver, trustee on a sports centre and a Gold service awardee of Hockey NZ. Brendan and Sheryl employ 23 people and sell products across NZ, Australia and into Alaska.

In that same time-frame Brendan has spent 21 years as a district (shire) councillor including 12 years as mayor. Both Sheryl and Brendan ride Harleys and mountain bikes and ride a number of New Zealand’s cycle trails. Two daughters and four grandchildren take up the rest of their time!

Brian O’Flaherty Director, Indtex Australia Brian started his career in 1968 as a management cadet at Universal Textiles in Hobart, where he trained in all aspects of running a large textile printing mill and also completed a bachelor of applied science – chemistry. In 1978 he moved to Hoechst Australia, in Melbourne, where he worked in sales, with experience as a sales cadet (senior sales) and as a product manager in the Fibres Division. He also completed internal and external sales and management courses, including AIM. In 1980 he became the marketing manager in the Fibres Division, looking after the national marketing and sales of the company’s fibres.

Five years later, he resigned from Hoechst in order to establish Indtex Australia and has been the company director ever since. His goal with Indtex was to supply high-quality German coated fabrics to the local manufacturing industry.

Outside of Indtex, Brian acts as director for various other companies and sporting clubs and is a respected member of LSAA (Lightweight Structures Association Australasia), with two terms as president. In his spare time he enjoys skiing, surfing, cycling and playing golf.

www.specialisedtextiles.com.au

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Robert Foerster Sales director, Sattler Robert has been with Sattler for more than five years – he has a technical engineering background and was working with small electric appliance business before joining Sattler. He is responsible for the Asian/Pacific Market in terms of awning/ marine/cushion fabric market. Supporting Sattler’s partners is his key objective. In addtion to that, he has built up the business for outdoor cushion fabric in Europe, running under the brand name ‘Outdura’, which stands for outdoor and durable. He likes travelling and loves to support his customers all around the world…

Tom Gastin Managing director, Pattons Tom came from the construction industry to work in industrial fabric solutions for the film, event and architectural sectors over 20 years ago. He is and owner/director of Pattons in Sydney, which designs, consults, fabricates and installs fabric solutions in Australia and overseas. Pattons has won six industry awards and Tom is a past president of the STA. He is passionate about the industry and loves to think outside the square. He is now also consulting to architects and and other small companies in the industry to provide support and piece together successful projects.

Steve Gurney Adventurer, inventor and motivator Steve is a household name in New Zealand.

Former-professional adventure athlete, turned professional motivational speaker and trainer.

Won the Coast to Coast a record nine times.

Raced mountain bikes for NZ at the World Champs twice. Got an engineering degree. Invented a bike with wings. Poisoned by bat dung while racing in Borneo jungles. Nearly died. Fought back to win the Coast to Coast seven times more in a row. First cheeky nudist on NZ breakfast TV. Waxed his entire body for Dancing with the Stars. Awarded an MNZM (New Zealand Order of Merit) gong for services to endurance sport. World record crossing of the searing Sahara Desert by windpower. He’s a published author with three books: Lucky Legs (an autobiography), Eating Dirt (adventure stories about managing risk) and The Beginner’s Guide to Adventure Sport in NZ (a finalist in several NZ book awards, autographed copies for sale at the conference). He trained as a trainer in the field of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and incorporates some of this powerful research into his coaching, writing and speaking. Steve loves inspiring people to greater heights and teaching how to make molehills out of mountains.

(His next mission is another 30-day kite-buggying world record up the Skeleton Coast of Namibia!)

Issue One 2017 CONNECTIONS

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20 CONFERENCE 2017

Caleb Hill Nelson Shade Solution Caleb has been involved in the textiles industry for 16 years. He is the director of three companies that operate out of the same premises: Mortimer Upholstery and Marine Covers, Nelson Shade Solutions and Nelson Bays Marquee and Events hire. Caleb left school at the age of 16 and developed a thirst for business in his early 20s. Through mentoring, online courses and management qualifications, he has developed the necessary skills to run a successful business in the textiles and hire industries. In his spare time Caleb likes to spend time with his young family, ride his motorcycle and get into New Zealand’s outdoors tramping and mountain bike riding

Rafael Katigbak Specifications manager, Ronstan Tensile Architecture Ronstan Tensile Architecture is a leading manufacturer of cables and a specialist contractor of tensile cable structures. With a degree in Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Rafael joined Ronstan as part of their design and project management team.

He advocated for the company’s involvement in organisations and events such as Greenroofs Australasia, Green Urbanscape Asia and the Australian Lighting Summit to further develop the company’s technical knowledge in innovative new markets. Rafael is involved in the continual development of Ronstan products and processes to meet the growing complexity of tensile architecture projects.

Jim Kelman Founder, Wax Converters Textiles Jim left school aged 14 years and 10 months after scraping through the Intermediate Certificate. In 1961 he started career in textiles as ‘office boy’ with Charles Parsons progressing through to the pattern department cutting samples and then the woollen department as a suit length cutter and finally, before leaving the company, manager of the indent department. Five years later he moved into industrial textiles joining Davies Coop as a junior sales representative and in 1969 joined with Bradmill following the takeover of Davies Coop by Bradmill. In 1972 he joined Birkmyre progressing to sales manager then marketing manager, finally joining the board as marketing director in 1981. In August 1991 after 20 years with Birkmyre he resigned to start up Wax Converters Textiles.

Jim believes he was fortunate to have worked in the 1960s and 70s with the two largest Australian industrial textile mills at the time in Davies Coop and Bradmill, which, during this period, employed a combined total in excess of 6000 people and to then spend his final 20 years with Birkmyre prior to starting up WCT. It was while at Birkmyre Jim was given plenty of rope to either hang himself or exercise some of his own ideas outside the core business of simply ‘Birkmyre Canvas’ and so it was that Birkmyre

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was the leading industrial textile mill in Australia at the time of his departure.

Jim has no formal qualifications other than an incomplete Commerce Certificate and passes in General Textiles stages 1 and 2 and Fabric Structure stages 1, 2 and 3, studied at the now abandoned School of Textiles within the East Sydney Technical College. He is, though, a golfing tragic and keeps up a bit of exercise, enjoying a swim in the Newcastle Ocean Baths every morning followed by brekky at the ‘table of knowledge’ with a bunch of local blokes and then off to work to annoy son James for the rest of the day!

Mike Lester Managing director, MakMax Mike is a chartered professional engineer and has more than 30 years of professional experience as a qualified structural engineer, specialising in tensile membrane structures.

His reputation is built on an extensive domestic and international projec portfolio – including Saida Stadium in Lebanon, Brisbane Cricket Ground (GABBA), Red Bull Stadium in the US and Abu Dhabi Formula 1.

Andrew Lingman Operations manager, NZCE Mechanical, Baytex Baytex specialises in the development and manufacture of high-quality lightweight itinerate pre-engineered structures, as well as custombuilt permanent tensile membrane solutions.

In July 2017 I took on the role of operations manager covering all aspects of operations and design management while taking care of 21 staff.

Having grown up in the Waikato and completing my NZCE Mechanical in 1997, I worked in a variety of engineering-based industries over 10 years to ensure I developed a diverse range of experiences in the field of machine design.

An opportunity came up in 2002 to take up a role with Baytex Manufacturing in Tauranga as a design draughtsman, which was very left field of where my design career was heading. I quickly found that my previous experience was very complementary to my new role and over the next 15 years led our design team to ensure the successful continual development of our brand-related products alongside the sales and project management of our custom built tensile membrane solutions around NZ, Australia and the rest of the world.

I have many career highlights at Baytex including the Waikato Stadium, North Harbour Netball Stadium, many large-scale circus tents, and the America’s Cup AC45, AC72 and AC55 catamaran workshop bases for San Francisco and Bermuda. There is one that really stood out, which is our IFIA award-winning ‘Bard on the Beach’ main stage redevelopment in Vancouver, Canada. I plan on being with Baytex for many years to come, developing the team that strives to provide a diverse range of design-focused, high-quality, innovative and carefully engineered products, which exceed our clients’ expectations.

www.specialisedtextiles.com.au

19/04/17 11:26 AM

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Andrew Nasarczyk Research and development manager, Gale Pacific Limited Upon completion of a chemical engineering degree at RMIT, Andrew was employed by Southcorp under its graduate program. He was primarily based at Southcorp’s Industrial Textiles facility, which was purchased by Visy in 2000.

Visy Industrial Textiles was subsequently purchased by Gale Pacific in 2002, where Andrew commenced employment in product development. In 2005 he was seconded to Gale’s China facility for three years – to establish its greenfield knitting plant.

With almost 20 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of industrial textiles He is now employed as Gale’s research and development manager.

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Aaron Stroud- Smith Owner, Canvas Barn Marine Trimming Aaron is based near Lakes Entrance, on Australia’s Gippsland Lakes. Starting an apprenticeship in 1991 aged 17 as a furniture upholsterer and completing the apprenticeship in 1995, Aaron continued to work for same employer for another 12 months before taking over the business.

At that time the business was a general fabrication business encompassing furniture upholstery, motor trimming, canvas goods and marine trimming. By 2003 Aaron had seen two apprentices through their time. Going solo from this point, motor trimming was the first element to be removed from the business.

Over the next decade the business was refined to be marine trimming exclusively.

Today the business employs one apprentice and Aaron is looking to digitise the workshop ready for expansion in the future.

Canvas Barn Marine Trimming has received awards for excellence from STA and the Marine Fabricators Association (MFA) in the US from 2015 to 2017. As a member of the STA’s Marine Trimmers committee, he works with other like-minded marine trimmers to run very successful marine trimming workshops several times a year in Australia. He has also presented at the MFA conference in San Francisco. Aaron strongly believes in the benefits of attending workshops and conferences run by the associations. These events are great for learning new skills, discovering new products and suppliers, as well as networking and making lifelong friends. Aaron enjoys snowboarding, four-wheel driving, trout fishing, camping photography and travel.

11/04/17 11:26 8:31 AM 19/04/17

22 SPONSOR PROFILES

PLATINUM SPONSOR

GOLD SPONSORS

Serge Ferrari

Contender NZ

Gale Pacific Limited

Email: laure.senequier@sergeferrari.com Website: www.sergeferrari.com

Email: contender@contender.co.nz Website: contender.co.nz

Email: au.cs@galepacific.com Website: www.galepacific.com

Creator of innovative flexible composite materials since 1973, the Serge Ferrari Group designs, manufactures and distributes products that meet the technical requirements of a wide range of applications, for architecture (tensile roofs, solar protection, acoustic solutions) and advanced materials (modular structures, environmental protection), as well as products suitable for the consumer market (outdoor furniture, solar shades, yachting protection). The Group’s unique technological breakthrough is Précontraint. This is what gives Serge Ferrari’s products a high degree of dimensional stability combined with exceptional strength and durability.

Contender NZ, with 30 years’ experience in outdoor fabric, offers the highest quality NZ range from Europe’s best textile mills.

Contender Sailcloth is a world leader in performance sailcloth, optimising longevity and speed for double Americas Cup winner Team NZ, Volvo Round the World Race syndicates and Olympic Games competitors. Distributor for: Sattler Suntex – producer of NZ’s leading acrylic Planosol for awnings, Nautex – specialised marine applications, Twilight – FR acrylic mesh for sun protection in the latest designer colours, Sattler Protex – Complan, Polyplan and Diamond PVC for architectural and transport markets and Wax Converters – Australian made Dynaproofed canvas, regarded as the best natural canvas on the market.

Gale Pacific manufactures and supplies advanced polymer fabrics for commercial and industrial applications across architectural, farming, mining, civil and mining industries. Our leading brands include Commercial 95, Landmark and Canvacon, among many others. The Gale Pacific brand represents the combination of our unique product capabilities and the strategic integration of several highly regarded industrial fabrics companies.

This is testament to the continuing commitment we have to strengthen and grow as a world leader in advanced polymer fabrics.

© Serge Ferrari

HVG Fabrics Email: fabrics@hvg.net.au Website: hvgfabrics.com.au

HVG Fabrics specialises in performance fabrics with global supply partners & leading brands. We offer decorative & technical fabric solutions to Australian manufacturers of blinds, awnings, architectural membranes, shade, transport, agriculture & marine. With more than 130 years of combined industry experience, you can rely on our nationwide sales specialists for the very best in fabric application solutions. Our national stock support, means you have product where and when you need it.

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www.specialisedtextiles.com.au

19/04/17 7:57 AM

SILVER SPONSORS

Reid and Twiname Email: sales@retwine.co.nz Website: www.retwine.co.nz

Founded in 1923 and NZ owned and operated, Reid and Twiname is a prominent supplier of industrial and outdoor textiles. We represent known international brands, as well as industry proven in-house brands and have established a reputation for quality products and superior service. Today, our catalogue has in excess of 2500 products, all selected for their quality and reliability.

Our philosophy is to provide clear and detailed specifications on our products wherever possible, and these are available via our website. We have Warehouses and Customer Service teams in both Auckland and Christchurch, and our knowledgeable staff can help guide you through the many product options we have available.

companies, four different sites and nearly 670 staff members, Sattler AG has been a front-runner for the sun protection and environmental engineering fields, as well as for the technical and textile architecture area since 1875. Our Sun-Tex business unit ranges from sunscreen and awning fabrics to boat covers, awnings for vehicles and large umbrellas. Our Pro-Tex business unit is the perfect partner for industrial supply such as truck tarpaulins, exposed to the most extreme conditions. Our Textile Architecture area is specialised in developing, manufacturing and installing demanding textile constructions and structures worldwide, especially in the sports and event field and last, but not least, TOP-TEX develops and builds special solutions for biogas, environment and industry applications.

We are not only certified according to ÖNORM EN ISO 9001:2008 and ÖNORM EN ISO 14001:2004, but we also unite traditional strengths such as quality, know-how, flexibility and reliability with an innovative approach and in this way build the base for our corporate statement: ‘Thinking HighTex’.

Cool Awnings Email: awnings@coolawnings.co.nz Website: www.coolawnings.co.nz

JAK’s Awnings Ltd trading as Cool Awnings.

In the 39 years Cool Awnings has been operating in NZ it has developed a large database of loyal customers and an excellent quality range of products. Our focus on quality products has seen us grow substantially, even during the harder years. The personal touch is important to us, so please feel free to call us any time.

As we have been importing our quality European awning parts for 39 years, and we are now the NZ agent for Helioscreen and the Suntech retractable roof system.

As we assemble these instore, we can provide you with excellent technical support and speedy service.

Dasec Ricky Richards (Sales) Pty Ltd Email: sales@rickyrichards.com.au Website: www.rickyrichards.com.au

With over 30 years of experience in the development and distribution of technical textiles and sun control fabrics across Australia, Ricky Richards has the knowledge and expertise to assist you with any standard or speciality textile solution. Our worldwide network enables us to work with the best mills in the world. We look forward to sharing with you what’s new and exciting in the textile world for 2017 and beyond.

Sattler AG Email: mail@sattler-global.com Website: www.sattler-global.com

Sattler – a success story for more than 140 years. Together with four subsidiary

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W Wiggins Limited Email: chsales@wwiggins.co.nz Website: www.wwiggins.co.nz

W Wiggins Limited was established back in 1866, as a saddlery and leather business in Lower Hutt by the founder William Wiggins. Today W Wiggins is the leading supplier of industrial textiles and outdoor fabrics, and has offices and warehouses in Auckland and Christchurch. Celebrating over 150 years in service, W Wiggins is New Zealand’s oldest NZ established privately owned company. W Wiggins prides itself on its excellent service, superior industry knowledge and large range of top quality products (up to 4000 variants and colours). W Wiggins has a wide variety of woven and coated synthetic and natural fabrics sourced from both the global and domestic markets which, in conjunction with the appropriate componentry, are sold to the marine, transport, automotive, awning and shade, apparel, soft signage, upholstery and general canvas markets.

Email: dc@dasec.com.au Website: www.dasec.com.au

Dasec is Oceania’s preferred supplier for performance-based technology in industrial applications. Dasec has a firm commitment to providing our clients and products with the very best of after-sales support, via product and application knowledge, unequalled spare part deliveries and factory trained service technicians. Durkopp Adler AG has been proudly imported, distributed and supported by Dasec Pty Limited since 1964. Also: SMRE Industrial plotter cutters and welding units and Zemat TG HF + Impulse welding.

Issue One 2017 CONNECTIONS

19/04/17 7:57 AM

24 SPONSOR PROFILES

BRONZE SPONSORS

Hiraoka

The Nolan Group

Aeronaut automation

Email: Info@hiraoka.com.au Website: www.hiraoka.com.au

Email: info@nolans.com.au Website: www.nolans.com.au

Email: sales@areonaut.org Website: www.aeronaut.org

Hiraoka is the leading Japanese manufacturer of coated materials for architectural membranes, awnings, canopies, mesh fabrics and a range of innovative high quality materials. Talk to us about our outstanding materials for printed interiors and exterior blinds, one-way vision mesh and a mesh that can be printed on both sides. We also have fabrics for semi-transparent membrane structures and backlit structures. These are high quality materials that enhance the interior or exterior built from the environment.

The Nolan Group is a diverse supplier of industrial textiles with six branches strategically located in capital cities throughout Australia. Over many years, the Nolan Group has established a solid and reputable network of trading partners around the world. We pride ourselves on our core business principles: integrity, innovation and value for money. We work with our valued customers to help them find textiles solutions that will help them develop in growth and profitability.

Aeronaut Automation is a leading manufacturer of fully automated cutting systems including: Blade, Crush, Laser and Ultrasonic cutters. All our machines are made to the customer’s specifications up to 10 metres wide.

Aeronaut’s highly developed control software and customised design programs cover applications including window furnishings, membranes, awnings, canvas/ PVC and technical textiles. We offer rapid patterning using camera digitising systems with automatic shape recognition and flattening software for 3D digitisers.

Rainbow Shade New Zealand Email: email@rainbowshade.com.au Website: www.rainbowshade.com.au

Rainbow Shade supplies quality solar protection fabrics to shade industry professionals across Australia and New Zealand for the past 25 years. We offer great service with high-quality fabrics in a wide range of colours backed by dependable and proven warranties that have been tried and tested throughout Australia and New Zealand. Find out more about the Rainbow Shade products and benefits which include: the lightweight strength and exceptional UV-R protection of Z16 fabric, the high strength specification and dimensional stability of Extreme 32 fabric and the unique coated all weather protection DRi-Z fabric. In Australia Rainbow Shade also distributes the Mehler range of PVC, while in New Zealand Rainbow Shade is the distributor for Hiraoka translucent and other products, Ziptrak screen systems and Simu automation. Both companies have limited their range to high-quality products in order to focus on quality, customer service and integrity.

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W L Gore & Associates (Australia) Pty Ltd. Email: jjackson@wlgore.com Website: www.gore.com/products/ categories/fabrics

W L Gore and Associates is a technologydriven company focused on discovery and product innovation. Well-known for waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX fabric, the company’s portfolio includes everything from high-performance fabrics and implantable medical devices to industrial manufacturing components and aerospace electronics. Gore is the inventor of 100 percent ePTFE GORE Tenara Sewing Thread. This premium thread resists UV sunlight, chemicals, saltwater, extreme weather and acid rain, and is guaranteed to outlast the fabric into which it is sewn. This makes it ideal for outdoor and marine products such as awnings, umbrellas, furniture, boat covers and sails.

Carr New Zealand Limited Email: dejaypotaka@carrgroup.co.nz Website: www.carrgroup.co.nz

At the Carr Group, we supply barrier textiles and machines into a range of industries: healthcare, stationery, protective garments, hot air welding equipment, grommets and setting machines, curtain eyelets and largeformat print media. From coated fabrics to unsupported plastic sheeting, our product range continues to broaden as we grow.

We are the only authorised importer and repairer of Leister tools in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, soon to offer Weldy tools into the mix.

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Coats Patons (NZ) Ltd Email: ross.brett@coats.com Website: www.coatsindustrial.com

Coats has been a pioneer in the creation of thread and yarns globally for over 250 years. With our own manufacturing plants in over 60 countries, we are proud of our premium speciality thread brands that include Dabond – bonded polyester, Terko – cotton covered polyester, Nylbond – bonded nylon and Helios P – our PTFE thread. We make high-quality thread for high quality applications and have Coats representatives throughout New Zealand and Australia in support of our product lines and our OFPANZ and STA distributors.

Motor Industry Training Organisation Email: info@mito.org.nz Website: www.mito.org.nz

MITO is the industry training organisation for New Zealand’s industrial textile fabrication industry. We offer a range of on-the-job training programs that will challenge and reward you, including the National Certificate in Canvas Fabrication (Level 3) and the National Certificate in Motor Industry (Motor Trimming) (Level 4). These programs combine hands-on work experience with theory-based study and are a great way to earn and learn while working – whether you’re new to the industry or an experienced technician.

Completing a qualification through MITO is a great way to increase your skills and knowledge, and boost your career options for the future.

Triax Systems Email: sales@triax.com.au Website: www.triax.com.au

Triax Systems is a family owned company that has been producing a range of specialised fittings for the construction of lightweight structures since 2009. Having spent decades in the shade industry the founder, Doug Esdaile, saw a need for a new product – one that would allow installers with simple tools to build highquality, custom waterproof structures.

Thus was born the Triax system – named for the original concept, a bracket allowing two pipes to be joined at any angle, with three degrees of freedom. Today, the Triax range of products allows virtually unlimited design potential – drop by and have a chat.

High Frequency Electronics Email: sales@hfe.nz Website: www.hfe.nz

High Frequency Electronics has been around for almost 30 years. Our speciality is radio frequency equipment – we have extensive knowledge of RF welding supplying and servicing all brands and we can supply a range of tooling, parts and accessories for your machine. Want to weld your company name into your product? We can make that happen for you. As the New Zealand agent for Millerweldmaster, we supply its full range of quality machines from the versatile Triad Wedge welder and Spec range to the T300 Extreme Shade, Edge, Curve and Flex packages or move up to the 112 Extreme and M100 automated ranges.

We are always happy to discuss your requirements and offer solution options.

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Wax Converters Textiles Terry Apparel Limited Email: apparel@terrys.co.nz Website: www.terryapparel.co.nz

We are a 100 percent family owned business and continue to grow within New Zealand and the Pacific market. To achieve this we are in contact with our principles at all times to ensure we are carrying the best available product/s for the industry – covering all applications of sewing. Our aim is as always ‘Joining your Product’ and with this we continue to carry stock for your production requirements to keep the industry sewing.

Contact us for your next order.

Email: jamesk@waxcon.com.au Website: www.waxcon.com.au

WCT is Australia’s premier manufacturer of outdoor and industrial fabrics. We manufacture the Dynaproofed Canvas ranges, as well as the only Australian made PVC ranges of Senator 680 TS, Endeavour 600 and the revolutionary new Duralite 440. WCT is also Australia’s only manufacturer of insect screening and sunscreen fabrics.

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© Jorg Schiemann

26 FINANCE

CASH IS KING

OUTFLOWS

Director of Hitch Advisory, Nick Hitchens shares some valuable advice on the age-old topic of getting your cash flow working for you.

“In the end, a vision without the ability to execute, it is probably a hallucination” – Steve Case, co-founder AOL. Case’s statement largely reflects my view on cash in business… While it is important to be in business for a higher purpose than purely money, without that money it can become increasingly difficult to commence or continue your business idea.

Some of our clients are extremely profitable on paper, having written and secured large subscription-based contracts, but when it comes to cash flow they struggle to pay their bills at the end of month. A profitable business can quickly fail if the cash flow doesn’t match the balance sheet.

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nothing wrong with the cash burn phase, provided your business has a clear budget, timeline and deliverables that tell you when and how much to keep spending. ● Cash stable – the ‘cash stable’ phase arises when you have proven your product or service and begin to earn from it. At this point a business’ primary focus is on management of the upward trajectory. ● Cash positive – the third stage in the cash life cycle is the cash positive phase; at this point entrepreneurs tend to get ‘itchy feet’ and find new product or service offerings to invest in. The crucial point at the cash positive stage is to ensure that you do not starve your proven business of cash flow, while testing a new idea or concept.

It is rare that the whole of a business will easily fit within one stage of the cash life cycle at any one time. More often, various parts of a business will be operating in various stages of the life cycle. That’s the exciting bit, provided that cash flow continues in the right direction over the long-term.

CASH LIFE CYCLE The first step in managing your cash position is to understand where your business (or parts of it) sits in the cash life cycle. ● Cash burn – you will have read or heard the phrase ‘fail fast’. If cash were no issue, then businesses could go on making useless products and services indefinitely.

Thankfully, the realities of business require us to develop our minimum viable product, learn from it (quickly) and then pivot or continue. This phase is known as the ‘cash burn’ phase and will occur when a business is beginning or implementing change (e.g. new products and services). There is

There are two sides to cash management, simply inflows and outflows. Of course, your underlying model needs to be profitable, but let’s assume you’ve got that sorted.

Every business spends before it generates, so let’s look at outflows first.

Our philosophy on dealing with creditors is simple: ● Bargain fairly and firmly – ask everyone for payment terms. They can say either yes or no. That said, your suppliers aren’t your bank, so agree on terms that you can meet. ● Communicate – chances are your suppliers owe someone money, so do them the courtesy of letting them know if you’ll miss a payment deadline. A phone call explaining the delay should be followed up with an email confirming the payment terms, so all parties are clear on the arrangement.

It’s expensive to litigate. In our experience litigation is often avoided by businesses keeping each other informed as to payment status.

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INFLOWS A big part of cash management is making sure you’re paid on time, every time. Here are our five fundamentals for dealing with debtors: 1. T&Cs – your terms and conditions govern your relationship with your customer, so it’s vital they tick all the important boxes (e.g. what goods/ services are being supplied and at what price, payment terms, security, defects/warrants, IP etc).

2. Perfect the PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register) – if you’re supplying goods on credit, the odds are you will want to retain ownership of those goods until you’re paid. This can help keep you safe if things start to go off the rails (e.g. a customer refuses to pay, becomes insolvent etc). To do this properly, you’ll need two key things: ● correctly worded retention of title rights in your T&Cs, and ● valid, on-time and perfected registrations on the PPSR laws, which are riddled with technical requirements that, if not met, can have disastrous outcomes, so it’s critical to approach this task carefully.

3. Predict poor payers – some business owners base their cash flow projections on the assumption they’ll receive all customer payments ‘on time’. This can be tempting as it can make the future look brighter but, in reality, most businesses will have some late payers. To accurately budget your cash flow it’s important to include realistic

PLASTIC WELDING

THE CRUCIAL POINT AT THE CASH POSITIVE STAGE IS TO ENSURE THAT YOU DO NOT STARVE YOUR PROVEN BUSINESS OF CASH FLOW, WHILE TESTING A NEW IDEA OR CONCEPT. projections of debtor collection dates, whether based on historic performance or reasonable, commercial estimates.

4. Follow-up – speaking with debtors is paramount to getting paid. In addition, have a template demand letter on file. For larger businesses, train your accounts staff to issue demands and attach copies of unpaid invoices automatically after a suitable period (e.g. 30 days).

5. Lawyer up – for long overdue accounts (e.g. 60-plus days), sometimes all it takes to finally get paid is a legal letter of demand. The escalation from your in-house demand to a legal demand made by a lawyer, coupled with the threat of litigation, shows increased seriousness and is often enough to motivate payment.

Our hope is that fundamentals 1 to 4 will avoid business owners needing to progress to the worst case scenario of legal action.

LIFE, DEATH AND TAXES Taxes and business go hand in hand, yet the Australian Taxation office continues to wind up in excess of 1000 companies most years.

Business owners often forget that taxes (e.g.

GST and PAYG) and superannuation are funds that are not technically available for the working capital of a business.

While, on occasions, businesses must draw upon their reserves to cover shortterm cash flow issues, we highly recommend that businesses form the mind-set that taxes and superannuation are held on trust for the ‘tax man’ and their employees. The simplest way to do this is to open a separate business savings account and deposit taxation and superannuation into the account when the liability is recorded. This will ensure that a reserve pool exists when it becomes time to remit those funds at the end of the month or quarter.

In summary, ensure the longevity of your business by spending with a goal in mind, collecting from debtors on time and ensuring that you’ve put money aside for those inevitable outgoings. C DISCLAIMER: This post is the opinion of the author and in no way constitutes legal advice.

Hitch Advisory offers a range of business and legal services delivered differently. It ensures that legal documentation is always supported by strategic insights and proactive advice, and offers a range of flexible service models to provide you with the right advice when you need it. www.hitchadvisory.com

SEAMTEK 36 The versatile and reliable welding machine for technical textiles • Works as a seam welder or tape welder • Very strong and smooth step motors • Test program to optimize weld parameters • Very good access and view during welding

www.plastral.com.au www.leister.com/techtex

Plastral Pty Ltd I 130 Denison Street I Hillsdale NSW 2036 Phone: 61 2 9695 3200 I info@plastral.com.au

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We know how.

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28 FEATURE

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CANVAS TARPS Greg Barnett, director at D and R Group, reveals the special qualities of these ever-reliable tarps…

TARPAULIN – BY DEFINITION “A tarpaulin, or tarp, is a large sheet of strong, flexible, waterresistant or waterproof material. Often fabrics such as canvas or polyester coated with urethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are used to produce tarpaulins, as well as plastics such as polyethylene.

Tarpaulins often have reinforced eyelets or grommets at the corners and along the sides to form attachment points for rope, allowing them to be tied down or suspended.” – Wikipedia

inexpensive woven polyethylene. This material is so associated with tarpaulins that it has become colloquially known as polytarp.

Although the polytarp is not the most durable or hardwearing, it is certainly the most economical and arguably the most popular.

Although these relatively new fabrics, introduced over the past 25 years or so, have contributed to huge changes within the tarpaulin industry, the humble canvas tarp, which has been around for an eternity, is still very popular and will never be totally replaced by the new fabrics on the block.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE TARPAULIN The tarpaulin industry has been continually changing for many years, but the biggest change took place with the introduction of welding. Up to this point sewing was the industry standard, but the introduction of high frequency welders, and then high-speed hot air welders, changed the game dramatically. Since this time we have seen PVC, polyethylene and also polypropylene become increasingly popular. This popularity is partly due to their relatively low weight but high strength construction, their ability to be 100 percent waterproof and also the speed of production due to highspeed welding techniques.

Over the past 20 or so years the modern tarpaulin has developed into a huge market with the introduction of the relatively

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TYPES OF TARPS Canvas tarps are some of our most popular tarpaulins, especially among our industrial clients across Australia. Since we fabricate tarps for our clients’ specific needs, we’ve seen canvas tarps used in a huge number of applications. If you’re in need of a tarp and are considering canvas as your material of choice, here are some important things you need to know about this particular option.

1. What is it and what are its main advantages?

Many of our clients praise canvas not only for its durability, but also for its low environmental impact. Canvas tarps are made using 100 percent cotton duck fibres, unlike PVC tarps or polytarps (which are

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made using either polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene). This makes them friendlier to the environment, while maintaining the longevity and versatility for which our tarps are essentially known.

2. What are their unique qualities? ●

●

●

Water-resistant – perhaps one weakness of canvas tarps is that they are not 100 percent waterproof. At most, they are waterresistant, which means they can withstand mild water exposure during short periods of time.

Slip-proof – unlike PVC and polytarps, canvas tarps do not have a slippery surface, making them a better choice when work safety is a concern.

Breathable – the breathable nature of canvas traps allows air to flow freely through the material, preventing condensation and keeping rust at bay. This means they’re great for protecting items that are prone to rusting. ●

3. What are the different types of canvas tarps? ●

●

●

Treated – treated tarps come with a special protective element that helps them resist UV exposure, moulds, mildew and rotting.

Untreated – untreated tarps come in their natural woven form.

Although resistant to water, they are not waterproof and can only be used in certain conditions within a limited period of time.

Flame retardant – our treated tarps are capable of withstanding water, rot and mildew, but not fire. Thus, we also offer flame retardant treatments to make your canvas tarp safer for use, especially in industrial settings.

4. What are they good for?

Canvas tarps are commonly used to provide protection from the elements. Therefore, they are used for the following applications: ● Residential – canvas tarps are great around the house and are perfect to cover items in your garage or as a temporarily furniture cover. The possibilities are endless. ● Construction – canvas tarps are useful for covering construction materials, such as sand, gravel, timber and metal, as well as all kinds of construction tools and equipment.

We supply industrial textiles, upholstery vinyl, machinery and eyeleting solutions to a range of industries: transport, tarpaulin, healthcare, commercial, window furnishings and large format print media.

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Farming – canvas can effectively protect industrial-grade farming equipment because its breathable nature guards against rusting. This helps you store your equipment while keeping it in great working condition.

Transport – canvas tarps are still the preferred solution when talking about truck tarps due to their durability and also their breathability, which is essential in the transportation of produce.

CONCLUSION Ecofriendly, durable and versatile, canvas tarps have some unique features that make them very effective coverings especially in the farming, construction, transport and machinery industries. These features include a slip-proof surface and unique breathability. Thus, despite the higher cost and lower weatherproof rating, we still receive a high demand for them.

If you are considering canvas as your tarp material of choice, check out the extensive range of canvas tarps available for retail and wholesale at D&R Tarpaulins. Since we specialise in tarpaulin fabrication at our large factory, we can give you canvas tarps that will serve your specific purpose, from the exact size that you need down to your ideal fitting option. For more information, feel free to visit or call us anytime on 07 3393 3477. C

carrgroup .com.au

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30 FEATURE

SAFETY IN A CYCLONE We all saw the images of destruction wrought by Cyclone Debbie.

Amanda Cheyne explains the precautions taken by the local specialised textiles industry to try and mitigate the damage, with shade sails and waterproof canopies taken down and removed all over the Townsville region due to the serious threat to the North Queensland Coast.

I

n Townsville, on Friday 24 March 2017 we started to get frequent cyclone warnings from local authorities that between Townsville and the Whitsunday Region we were going to experience a destructive cyclone and to prepare for the worst.

After going through Cyclone Yasi just north of us in 2011, most North Queenslanders know to prepare for the worst early, so our phones started ringing constantly from our customers, businesses and local council. They were all requesting their shade sails to be taken down to prevent damage to homes, businesses, major sporting facilities, shopping centre car parks, caravan parks, schools, day care centres and council pools, parks and playgrounds.

It was a very busy four days leading up to the day Cyclone Debbie was due to cross the coast on Tuesday 28 March. As a small business with fewer than five staff, we removed over 60 individual shade sails and 17 hip roof shade covers at one major sporting venue alone.

Thankfully, Townsville was on the northern side of Cyclone Debbie. It crossed the coast near Bowen, which is approximately 2.5 hours south of Townsville and fortunately we didn’t experience any damage. Once the cyclone threat had passed for Townsville and, with Queensland school holidays about to commence, it was then a race against the clock to get all our major tourist facilities, sporting

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venues and businesses’ shade sails and waterproof covers back up again for the busy holiday and Easter period.

Above is a picture of a popular waterfront restaurant located on The Strand in Townsville. The waterproof vinyl covers were removed just prior to the cyclone and we spent a big day relacing three huge covers back onto the framework the day after Cyclone Debbie had passed. In this photo, you will see we experienced strong, gale-force winds while reinstalling the covers. The photos opposite are of the stripped framework of a council swimming pool and retractable shade covers tied back securely to protect them from any possible damage.

I hope this gives you an insight into what North Queenslanders have to go through, not only to keep us well-shaded from humid and hot temperatures in summer, but also when we have to take cyclone warnings seriously to prevent major damage to infrastructure in our community living in North Queensland. C Amanda Cheyne is the co-owner of Cheyne Shades and Canvas in Townsville. The family-owned company has over 25 years’ experience in textile fabrication – designing, manufacturing, repairing and installing shade structures and tensioned shade sails. www.cheyneshadescanvas.com.au

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32 MEMBER PROFILE

EMBRACING CHANGE As a former president of the Specialised Textiles Association (STA), Tom Gastin will be a familiar face to most industry members. Here he introduces us to his company Pattons and reveals its long history and his place within it.

The company began way in 1953 – how did it start?

Pattons was established in 1953 by Harry Patton in Careening Cove in Sydney’s working harbour. In those days, Pattons specialised in tarpaulins and other canvas goods for the shipping industry.

You bought it in 2005 with Daniel Halse.

Why did you purchase this particular company?

We came from within the industry, but specialising in textile solutions for films, theatres and some building solutions, and saw Pattons as a good company with a great reputation. This really helped us to build on this reputation and incorporate our expertise into the new product lines for the business.

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What changes has the company seen over the last 12 years?

Into 2005, around half of Pattons’ work was marine-based (trimming and upholstery) and the other half was architectural work. Nowadays, we do not do any marine work, and specialise in architectural, and event solutions.

A significant part of our business now is consulting to architects, end clients and other companies in the industry.

What was your personal education/ training in the industry?

I originally came from the construction industry to project manage a large job for the Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony. After this project, I fell in love with the industry and have never looked

beyond it. There’s so much history in it and, as it is quite small in comparison to others, it has its own dynamic. I learned most of my textile skills from some industry legends and the mentors who are very generous in teaching those skills and ideas.

And what does your day-to-day job look like now?

I’d probably spend half my day building relationships and finding solutions for clients. The other half of my day is working on projects, whether it be sales, design, engineering and running the business. We are very fortunate to have an excellent team who share my vision for the business, and work hard to deliver on this vision.

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IT IS EASY TO COMPLAIN AND PROTEST ABOUT ISSUES OUR INDUSTRY FACES, YET WE ALL KNOW RESULTS ARE DRIVEN BY ACTION.

of course, government. For these reasons, I feel it’s very important to constantly be thinking of adjustment and not to be afraid of change. It’s very important to have long-term goals; however, it’s also important to have the ability to adjust them when necessary.

You spent a period as president of the STA – what did you take away from that experience?

That was probably the best time of my professional career. I really got to know more about the history and the people that had built this industry over the years.

It also gave me the chance to give back to an industry that has been so great to me, my friends and my family. I developed some of the best friendships and professional relationships I will ever have and learned a lot about myself during that time as well.

Do you have any social activities for the employees at all?

I have always believed that it’s essential to have fun at work. Catching up with colleagues, suppliers, employees and subbies is important.

What’s the make-up of the company today?

We currently have six full-time employees, seven part-time and casual staff. The roles range from business development management to operations management, engineering, fabricators and installers. We also use subcontractors for installation on our large projects that require riggers. We have many alliances with other companies in the industry where we collaborate on projects together to work with each other’s strengths.

We’ve always made sure that we haven’t pigeonholed our strategies in regards to business development. Things change – economies, laws, markets and,

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Have there been any particularly memorable projects?

Making the 10,000-square metre flag for the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics would have to be the most memorable project that I have worked on.

Sydney was buzzing during that time and the pressure managing a project as it was watched by millions of people around the world was intense. The lead-up to this five-minute project had many challenges.

At the dress rehearsal, the flag caught on some scaffolding and half of it was torn in sections. After a week of working around the clock to repair it, we managed to deploy the flag successfully on the night. It was a huge relief and taught me a lot about resolving challenges. I was a lot younger then too, so I’m not sure how I could handle that pressure now!

What do you think of the current state of the industry?

I think the industry is in a really good place at the moment. It has changed

significantly over the last two decades.

Technology is playing a major part in the shift of thinking in product development.

Innovative thinking on how we use fabrics is key for our industry to compete against other products.

Where do you see it heading in, say, five years’ time?

A national association for our industry is imperative. Although a lot of us compete for projects in the marketplace, we, as an industry are competing against other solutions. We need a platform to show our value and strength to the end buyers. We’re quite a small industry, and sometimes we are up against massive industries like the steel industry, which has millions of dollars it can throw at lobbying to address marketplace shortfalls. The STA does not have this sort of money, but we have a long history and a passionate member base.

And in the long-term?

The long-term future of our association and its value is what our member base make of it. Members need to get involved where they can to help voice challenges and promote great industry practise. It is easy to complain and protest about issues our industry faces, yet we all know results are driven by action.

We have a great platform to build off with the accreditation system to increase the credibility of our industry.

This has certainly helped our company stand out from others and gives our clients confidence when they are awarding jobs. C

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34 EVENTS

ADVERTISING DIRECTORY

Velcro

02

Ricky Richards

05

Shann Group

07

Darling Downs

09

Miami Stainless

10

Strataglass

13

WL Gore

14

Triax

21

Plastral

27

Carr Australia

29

HVG Fabrics

35

Hiraoka

36

Specialised Textiles Association and Industry events for 2017 (If you know of or are holding an industry relevant event, please send details to office@specialisedtextiles.com.au – we would be happy to publish it.) For details on all Specialised Textiles Association events, go to www.specialisedtextiles.com.au/events.

MEMBER (FACE TO FACE) SESSIONS Queensland Tuesday 25 July 2017 Hamlins Accessories and Labels, Unit 8, 210 Robinson Road, Geebung Qld NSW Tuesday 8 August 2017 NSW TAFE, Ultimo Campus 2017 ANNUAL CONFERENCE Thursday 25 to Saturday 27 May 2017 Rydges Hotel, Queenstown, New Zealand Conference 17 is a joint event between the Specialised Textiles Association (STA) and the Outdoor Fabrics Products Association of New Zealand (OFPANZ).

The conference program will focus on educational and informative industry and business-related presentations delivered by local and international speakers.

Details on the Conference 17 program from page 16 in this issue of Connections.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING FOR STA Saturday 27 May 2017 Rydges Hotel, Queenstown, New Zealand NEW WEBINARS Wednesday 7 June 2017 and Tuesday 10 October 2017 Business, technical and industry topics. Further info available closer to each webinar.

2017 MARINE FABRICATOR WORKSHOPS Save the dates for more two-day hands-on workshops suitable for all in the marine fabrication sector.

Victoria Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 May 2017 Holmesglen TAFE, Chadstone Campus NSW Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 August 2017 NSW TAFE, Ultimo Campus MEMBERS’ CHRISTMAS CHEERS Tuesday 28 November 2017 WA, NSW, Vic and Qld. All events are listed online at www.specialisedtextiles.com.au/events. Remember to log in to the member area before registering for an event and, that way, if there is a cost you will automatically obtain the reduced member rate and your details will automatically populate the registration form, saving you time as well.

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