Manufacturers’ Monthly‘s 13th annual Endeavour Awards were held last night at the Novotel Sydney Olympic Park.
Below is a list of the winners.
Technology Application Award (Sponsored by Sage)
Robotic Automation and CMTP Packaging
Multi-Product Robotic Carpentry System
CMTP Packaging is a large and growing family business founded in 1976 in Colac, Victoria. The business manufactures livestock crates, pallets and other custom packing/packaging and timber solutions for general business storage and transport. The Multi-Product Robotic Carpentry solution designed for them by Robotic Automation is able to do the dangerous and repetitive work of seven staff in one timber product and six staff in a second. Production has tripled, and product accuracy and safety have improved.
Exporter of The Year (Sponsored by Apex Supply Chain Technologies)
GP Graders
Established in 1963, GP Graders manufactures fruit grading and packing machinery for domestic fruit growing and packing businesses, and is based in Mount Waverley, Victoria. The company is a dynamic innovator, investing millions in R&D annually, leading to scores of new developments. It also stands as the world’s leading supplier of small, fresh produce grading and packing machinery. It designs and manufactures all of its own machinery, enabling greater control over quality assurance, product development and functionality.
Environmental Solution of The Year (Sponsored by Atlas Copco)
Bosch Australia
Bosch Australia saw a significant opportunity in waste treatment processes at its Clayton site. Its project involved a wastewater treatment process, enabling reclamation of dissolved copper from manufacturing wastewater. Reclaimed copper is recycled and treated wastewater used as a pH correcting reagent within the treatment plant onsite.
Compled early 2015, Bosch has been able to prevent 40 tonnes of prescribed waste going to hazardous waste landfill and reclaim 1.2 tonnes of high-grade solid copper per annum from the wastewater.
Safety Solution of The Year (Sponsored by SICK)
Doric
Spring’Tainer
Established in 1972, Doric is Australia’s largest privately-owned hardware manufacturer.
It has produced – completely in-house – spring balance systems for over 20 years. Over 500,000 units are made annually. Part of the process involves workers manually pulling the spring within the product to clip on the retainer. After one-and-a-half years of development, Doric rolled out the new “Spring’Tainer”. This eliminated the extension of springs by employees, completely removing awkward movements, soreness and potential RSI issues and saving labour time.
Global Supply Chain Integration of The Year (Sponsored by Industry Capability Network)
R & R Murphy
R&R Murphy began making an impact within the manufacturing world when they opened in 2004. After a decision to diversify their metal fabrication operations and explore new markets, they were invited to meet with Orica China, following an existing excellent relationship with Orica Australia. Six years since, R&R Murphy have exported thousands of precision components and strengthened their relationship with not only China, but also Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, Indonesia and PNG for whom they supply similar components.
Australian Industrial Product of The Year
Geofabrics Australasia
Geonets
Geofabrics Australasia is the country’s largest manufacturer and supplier of geosynthetic products and solutions to the global resources and engineering sectors. Geonets offers an effective and economical industrial drainage product for infrastructure projects. The product is particularly suitable in applications with steep side slopes or vertical construction where drainage installation can be challenging. They have a high flow rate for rapid drainage, as well as a matrix that provides a lightweight, crush-resistant layer for protecting the outside of landfill systems.
Outstanding Start-up Award (Sponsored by Paradigm)
SynFlyt
SynFlyt was formed in Australia to develop, manufacture and commercialise an economical and compact flight simulator for the general aviation flight training market. The SynFlyt (Innovation 21) is a motion flight simulator with three degrees of freedom, referring to the roll, pitch and yaw. It incorporates several world firsts, a major feature being that it is the first flight simulator can be located outdoors. It is the aim of SynFlyt to have 3,000 motion flight simulators worldwide within seven years.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Norm Tucker
HTA
Norm Tucker has worked in HTA for more than 30 years and has dedicated his life to the heat treating industry, providing Australian manufacturing with world class processes.
Tucker is an expert in his field, and has been recognised by peers across the world.
HTA was recently awarded the prestigious Metal Treating Institute award for “Heat Treater of the Year”. This was the first time the award has been presented outside of the USA and Canada, and Tucker was behind the achievement.
Most Innovative Manufacturing Company Award (Sponsored by SEW-EURODRIVE)
Admedus
Admedus is a fully integrated global healthcare company, developing, commercialising and distributing next-generation medical technologies. Core technologies span immunotherapies and regenerative medicine. CardioCel, its first commercial product, falls under the regenerative tissue division, and has achieved consistent quarter on quarter growth in sales in the last 12 months. This is the result of additional market approvals, with growth anticipated to continue. CardioCell is used in over 135 centres (90 of these beginning in the last 12 months) worldwide.
Best IT Application Award
Mitrefinch (Aust)
Mitrefinch Time Allocation System (TAS)
Mitrefinch is a leader in intelligent employee management and time and attendance solutions, enabling better measurement, analysis and management of employees’ working time. Its powerful Time Allocation System (TAS) has been implemented at Croydon Industries. The system can track all tasks, budgets and jobs as well as compare these areas with similar work that has been previously completed. This gives a point of reference to see if jobs are on track and insight into various projects in real time.
Outstanding Small Business Award
Queensland Gaskets
Queensland Gaskets is a proud third-generation family business, founded by Quentin Shelley Quarterman. It has been manufacturing in Brisbane since 1953 and the business has grown through hard work and smart investment over the last 63 years. It proudly services the Queensland defence, mining, fire, water, transport, marine and construction industries, amongst others, and supplies regularly to the rest of Australia for those industries. It emphasis reliability, retaining experienced, skilled staff, and meeting clients’ urgent requirements.
Manufacturer of the Year (proudly sponsored by Vertical Talent)
Admedus
After triumphing in the Most Innovative category, Admedus also took out the night’s biggest award. In August 2014 Admedus opened its state-of-the-art bio-manufacturing facility in Malaga, WA, and has experienced huge success in exporting its bio-scaffold regenerative medicine product, CardioCell, since then.
“We are extremely pleased to have been awarded Manufacturer of the Year and grateful to have been chosen from such a strong field,” said managing director Lee Rodne after winning the awards.
“It is an honour to have our innovation and quality in manufacturing recognised by the industry.”
Thank you from Manufacturers’ Monthly
Congratulations to all 84 nominees this year.
Manufacturers’ Monthly would like to thank our expert panel of judges: Derek Lark (Executive Director of the Industry Capability Network), Scott Blakemore (Principal at Blakemoresource), Dr Ivan Cole (Research Team Leader for CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering), Stephen Johnson (NSW Department of Education and Communities, retired), and Mark Goodsell (NSW Director of the Australian Industry Group).
We’d also like to thank all of our sponsors for their generous support, without which the evening wouldn’t happen.