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AF Gason: A True Blue Family Company For 75 Years
Image: A fourth generation of the Gason family now works in the business, including (L to R) Riley, Oakley, Wayne, Les, Morgan and Greg Gason.
Nearly 200km west of Melbourne, between Victoria’s western district and the Wimmera, lies the regional town of Ararat—home to second, third and fourth generations of the Gason family. This year their company AF Gason Pty Ltd marks 75 years of manufacturing expertise, supplying various products and services to business partners both local and international.
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The company’s roots can be traced back to farming and agriculture, with tractor cabins and tillage equipment amongst the range of products that formed part of Gason’s rich tapestry. Gason’s services have since expanded, diversifying the business into three distinct business streams – agriculture, wood heating and Sub-contracting.
Today, the company is one of Ararat’s largest employers, with 140 staff and hundreds of agriculture and heating dealerships carrying on the Gason family’s brand and tradition. The company shows no signs of slowing down, as they seek to take on more welding staff and invest in a $7 million new laser facility.
In February 1946, Frank Gason founded a one-man motor trimming business in Ararat. Frank, his wife Jean, and their children moved to Ararat after the perils of World War II. He was an innovator at heart, and a man with big plans for the future.
In 1947, Frank was asked to build a cabin for a Twin City GTA tractor. This became the first of 50,000 cabins that were produced over a 40 year period. It was a pivotal moment for Gason, as their cabins quickly became a prominent feature on tractors across farms in every corner of Australia.
By the early 1960s, Gason tractor cabins were the market leaders, with over 1,000 Gason dealers across the country. Companies operating in Australia formed a relationship with Gason, fitting their tractor cabins as standard equipment on tractors, headers, and industrial machinery. Brands such as International, Caterpillar, Massey Ferguson and John Deere all utilised Gason cabins in their agricultural products.
In the 1980s, Gason was pioneering an Australian Standard for roll-over protective structures,
or ROPS, for tractors. ROPS can have severe consequences if they are not managed correctly. Hence, Gason devised guidelines to help the industry better understand what factors increase the risk of serious injury, how to manage ROPs, prevent them, and individual responsibilities. At the same time, Gason established a National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited test facility at their Ararat factory.
As technology evolved, many companies realised that importing their own tractors with the cab already fitted was a more efficient and effective process. This led to a change in the market and eventually put the tractor cab business in limbo. Gason took swift action and started to design and manufacture its legacy agriculture equipment such as air seeders, planter bars and fertiliser spreaders.
Oakley Gason is a third generation family member who currently leads Gason’s marketing team. He said the company’s continued success comes after years of heavy investment and innovation.
“We attribute the long-lasting success of the business to our commitment to our local community and customers alike. Product diversification has ensured we have been successful through the hard times and kept employment throughout the quiet periods,” Oakley said.
A True Blue Family Company Seventy-five years after Frank Gason first started his business, a new generation of Gasons continue to ensure high quality products and a positive experience for all customers.
The company’s foundations in agriculture have paved the way for its extensive range of products on offer today. Alongside developments in heritage equipment, Gason has also acquired the Chris Grow range of mowers, slashers and toppers. With an ever-growing range of agricultural products, Gason continues to make their mark in the agricultural community.
Gason has also expanded the business into other areas – a clear sign of their desire to continually diversify and grow. The company owns and operates two other companies under the Gason banner – Eureka, and Jindara Wood Heating.
Eureka has been a market leader in the installation and servicing of wood heaters for over 30 years. Similarly, Jindara has been in the market for 25 years. Both companies produce Australian made heaters that are high quality and meet individual performance needs.
The experienced team at Gason also provides advanced sub-contracting solutions for commercial and industrial applications, and offers support to customers with medium to large production runs. The staff boast a wealth of knowledge in processing steel, stainless steel, and other alloy products.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its unprecedented challenges, the Gason team was well-equipped and able to navigate the economic downturn with confidence. “Despite the current climate, 2020 saw our best sales year for all three streams of the business – agriculture, heating and sub-contracted work,” Oakley said.
He continued to explain that the company has also given its staff full confidence and security into this year. “While many employers have been forced to put people off, we have been fortunate enough to retain and even increase our staff numbers – a trend which has continued into 2021, with orders for both farm machinery and wood heaters filling months in advance.”
In line with the company’s commitment to high quality and customer satisfaction, Gason is keenly focused on quality and safety. According to Oakley, adherance to quality standards will ensure further opportunities for the company to work with Australian companies in the steel fabrication space.
“With the current political climate, Australians are showing a renewed interest in Australian products and suppliers. This can only benefit the Australian steel industry, and with additional federal government funding to promote expansion of local business, the future is looking bright,” he said.
Leading Facilities and Technology Gason operates a 20,500m2 engineering facility across a 3.2 hectare site in Ararat.
“Our main facility houses the key fabrication areas including folding, welding, shot blasting, powder coating and painting. Once manufactured, the components are supplied to the heater assembly line, and separate farm machinery assembly facility,” Oakley said.
The company has recently invested in a $7 million laser facility at the rear of the property, which opened in January. Gason said the new facility has already led to increased capacity to manufacture.
“This facility has dramatically increased our capacity for production and alleviated congestion in the main site, allowing for better workflow and automating many processes” Oakley said.
The high-tech facility houses three laser cutters and a STOPA robotic storage system – a stacking
system for sheet metals. The STOPA system houses 700 racks, holding 3 tonne of steel per rack. It allows metals to be fed and then separated by thickness, quality, and type. The system is completely computer controlled as the robot loads or feeds the lasers with the relevant sheets, cuts the specified design, and then stores the sheets in their designated place.
Together, this new technology cuts time and manual handling, and allows Gason to keep the steel inside to ensure it oxidises at a slower rate, without exposure to external elements and weather.
Product Innovation Major product redevelopment was recently undertaken in Gason’s agriculture machinery line to continue its range of high-quality products, like planter bar implements, including NT Series and T Series machines. These advanced narrow transport planters were developed for farmers to meet the growing demand for agricultural equipment that meets specified road transport guidelines, without requiring a pilot.
“These new products have incorporated tried and tested components of our old machinery with the addition of some updated features, all of which comply with new Australian transport regulations,” Oakley said.
Eureka and Jindara have also developed a new line of Radiant wood heaters. As the name suggests, these fireboxes radiate heat as opposed to conventional fan forced options. The result is an intense warmth emitting from the heater, which suits houses with high ceilings and draughty conditions. Gason works to support the local economy and maintain Australian jobs and manufacturing. The company has strong family values and understands the climate, challenges, and opportunities that Australian’s face.
According to Oakley, the company is seeking to continue this success by focusing on expansion opportunities. “While expanding our own brands, we are proactive in searching for new opportunities in both established and emerging sectors. Diversification is something Gason does very well.”
As a regional family business, Gason understands the importance of local jobs. The company runs an apprenticeship program to provide welding careers for local school leavers. Each November, Gason carries out an annual bootcamp where local school leavers and individuals who want to spark a career in welding are encouraged to attend. The experience offers practical tips, advice, and shares first hand experience of what apprentices can expect in the industry.
The program allows students to learn from local education providers and institutions like Federation University TAFE in Ballarat. Students who attend the local TAFE learn theoretical knowledge, which is strengthened at Gason with practical learning.
For further information, visit: gason.com.au
