Connections_Sept-Oct_2011

ACASPA Members News • Training and Events • Members Spotlight • Developments

Marvellous marqueesEye catching structures

Young GunACASPA’s youngest winner

The excellence of the ExpoAll the news, views and pictures

Training and developmentCourses on offer

Brilliant structuresAward winning installations

AUSTRALIAN CANVAS AND SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION INC.

AWARDSfor Excellence 2011

Vol 11 No 4 Sept/Oct 2011

GP 2196 SynthesisCommercial95_WP-Connections.indd 1 28/03/11 2:00 PM

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011 · 1

ContentsCONNECTIONS magazine is published on behalf of the Australian Canvas and Synthetic Products Association Inc. by CommStrat Limited. PUBLISHER CommStratEDITOR Nicola CardCREATIVE Timothy HartridgeDESIGNER Odette BoultonCONTRIBUTORS Lawrence De Paoli, Meleah Maynard.SALES Yuri [email protected] EDITORIAL

[email protected]@acaspa.com.auCOMMSTRAT

ABN 31 008 434 802Level 8, 574 St Kilda RdMelbourne Vic 3004www.commstrat.com.auACASPA

Suite 201, 22 St Kilda Road,St Kilda 3182 VICPhone: 03 9521 2114Local call: 1300 555 787Fax: 03 9521 2116www.acaspa.com.auPage 20

FEATURE: Disclaimer: Except where specifically stated, the opinions and material published in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or the ACASPA Council.

ACASPA MATTERS02 ACASPA officers’ report04 Office report A post-Expo look at the ACASPA agenda

06 ACASPA matters Members’ activities and achievements

48 ACASPA benefits Comprehensive list of association services

49 Membership form

SPECIAL EXPO FEATURE08 Expo 2011 All the news and pictures

20 Excellence Awards: Winning ways Oasis Tension Structures takes the crown

22 Excellence Awards: Raising the bar Category winners and their amazing work

38 Excellence Awards: Young gun Robert Bull of EH Brett shows early talent

BUSINESS MATTERS18 News and views

TRAINING36 TAFE spreads its tentacles Industrious trainer Lawrence De Paoli

makes inroads across the nation

TECHNICAL FEATURE40 Extreme tented weddings Extraordinary structures

SPOTLIGHT ON

TRAINING AND EVENTS52 Trade events across the globe

ACASPA MEMBERS 44 HVG, Shann, Bricos, ATS, Buz

Software and Serge FerrariCOVER: The top Award for Excellence at this year’s awards went to Oasis Tension Structures for their skilfully sculptured inverted cone that was specially designed for a schoolyard.

2 · CONNECTIONS

ACASPAMATTERS

THE AFTERMATH…Ana DrougasIt’s over, it’s done, but the glow

continues to flicker and sparkle

as Mina and I in the office plus the

justifiably proud Expo Committee

continue to receive compliments

about this year’s Expo. Yes, I agree

it was a standout and yes, I am

proud of that, but let’s be realistic —

one Expo is the sum of many, many

people and many, many more parts.

Our 56 exhibitors would be

shaking their heads in furious

agreement at this I am sure!

Their strenuous efforts to deliver

innovative, eye-catching displays —

that in my mind form the heart and

soul of any exhibition — paid off fully:

visitors were effusive in their praise

over the look and feel of the display

hall in its entirety. And I am delighted

the show attracted so many; we

calculate nearly 2000 visitors passed

through the doors.

We are pleased to bring you

a special feature in this magazine

on some of the many highlights of

Expo 2011. We are enormously

grateful to Joseph Dean for so kindly

taking so many pictures — they are

what really capture the true spirit

and character of an event. The

pictures also manage to transport

us back to the fun that was had by

all, don’t you think? Particularly on

the Black and White themed night.

Of course our Awards for Excellence

winners deserve to be very proud

of their achievements, and we are

pleased to showcase their quality

workmanship through the insights

and images on these pages.

To me it shows us for what we

are — one committed collective

working together with a common

purpose. That brings me to the

warm and wise words of Council

of Management newcomer Tom

Gastin of Pattons. I would like

to echo his aspirations for the

association, which can be read

on page 6. He has successfully

captured our essence, our raison

d’etre, and also articulated a vision

of the bigger picture that we

can embrace.

With an eye on the future,

I would be remiss if I did not

sincerely thank Brendan Hall

for so ably taking charge as

President during the past twelve

months, during which time

ACASPA cemented its position

on many important aspects that

carry the association forward.

A firm foundation has been laid

for the very popular Glenn Barlow

who now takes over the mantle

of ACASPA President. Glenn’s

commanding yet cool — and

wickedly humorous — presence

before and during the Expo is his

trademark and we are fortunate

indeed to now have Glenn at the

helm of our great organisation.

Finally, welcome to the new

look Connections magazine.

We hope you enjoy the new layout

that has been designed to provide

an easier and clearer read and

comes with a sharper, more

‘arty’ style that befits our industry,

which, after all, is all about style

and substance.

Style and substance — I think Expo

2011 clearly demonstrated that.

PRESIDENT’S REPORTGlenn BarlowLet me start by saying it`s an

absolute privilege and honour

to have the chance to represent

ACASPA in the role of president.

The past two years on COM have

been a fantastic experience; having

the chance to work alongside such

a group of professional and driven

people with the common goal of

making our industry sustainable

and relevant for many years to

come is something I never take for

granted and always enjoy.

Following in the footsteps of

someone with the credibility

of Brendan Hall is a challenge;

his leadership over the past 12

months has been exceptional and

all members are the better for it,

I personally thank Brendan for his

work over the past year.

On the back of an amazing

Expo in Sydney where Exhibitors,

patrons and the whole vibe were

all at an unprecedented level,

I think the message coming out

was relevancy. It came through

loud and clear that members

realise the importance of moving

the association forward with the

times and combining the amazing

platform that has been set by

our members over the years with

the wave of fresh and new ideas

coming through from some of the

amazing young leaders among us.

This year`s AGM proved to be

one of the most important meetings

in the association`s history, vibrant

debate over a name change led to

a resounding show of passion and

confidence by way of a unanimous

vote of YES to a new name.

This decision along with an

overwhelming support for

accreditation to roll forward is to

me a show of confidence in all of us

to move to another level; COM will

now work tirelessly to present the

name that represents all aspects of

our membership base.

The year ahead will be an

exciting and busy year, on top of

a new name and accreditation,

a re-vamped Shade Committee,

a focus on our young leaders

along with many other issues

all leading into Expo 2012 in

Melbourne where we plan to

enhance our relationship with

Window Coverings Association

and deliver another super event

for our industry.

Finally on a personal note, to all

of you who have wished me well

since my appointment as president,

I thank you and I hope over the

next 12 months I contribute to

allowing your business to move

forward and prosper.

Overall, what a fantastic and positive vibe was generated

by ACASPians throughout the

three-day Expo, what great bonhomie.

From the ACASPA office


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4 · CONNECTIONS

Ringing in the COM changesWe welcome Glenn Barlow to the

role of President; Lance St Hill

to the position of Vice President;

and ‘newcomer’ Tom Gastin to

the COM. At the same time we

acknowledge the wonderful

contribution of Brendan Hall as

President who now assumes the

role of Treasurer. Kent Williamson

and Gary Smith are now in their

second year, and Richard Verboon

has stepped down and carries our

thanks with him.

In the name of cost and efficiency,

the COM will continue to hold

phone conference calls but also

start to meet more via Skype rather

than travelling interstate. This will

save us all time but we anticipate

being just as productive!

Name changeDuring the recent AGM a 30-minute

heated debate took place over

association names put forward

for consideration; those being:

Australian Textile or Fabrics

Association (ATA or AFA);

Australian Industry Textile

Association (AITA), or Australian

Textiles and Fabricators

Association (ATFA).

Several long-time members

argued the current name

represents the association’s

charter. But Chris Smith took the

floor, stating “in this room there are

many ACASPA members who are

young at heart, however, there are

not many who are young members.”

Tom Gastin of Pattons asked:

“Who would not renew if the name

was changed?” while Ron Gottlieb

suggested emotion be removed

from the debate.

To me, these were defining

moments of the AGM. Eventually

the matter went to a vote — with

only one red card held up in a

sea of green cards. Where to from

here? A branding and marketing

company will be appointed to

gain input from members about a

new name in a process that will be

fully democratic. We aim to have

matters agreed and confirmed by

Christmas so we can then carry

that new name in all promotions,

sign writing, stationery, website,

Expo 2012 marketing and more.

Stay tuned…

Other businessAccreditation is very much alive

and well on the agenda. It’s no

simple or easy task, there are

complexities in every quarter

when standards are drawn up and

monitored so we do not expect

immediate progress but in the

long-term it will be based on

commonsense, as well as fair and

workable. Building on the good

work of the previous committee,

we welcome a revamped Shade

Sail Committee. Nominations are

now being called for the revised

committee, which will also undergo

a name change to reflect and

represent all areas of structures

and sails on a national level.

Reflections on the Expo This magazine issue carries full

coverage of the look and feel of

Expo 2011, one that drew many

compliments. Many remarked

too on how quickly the three days

passed, some have suggested

a return to a four-day event! What

do YOU think?

ACASPA business…

ACASPAMATTERS

Our next Expo — being held

in Melbourne in late May 2012

— is now just eight months away,

so it will soon be full steam ahead

for the 2012 organising committee.

This year’s Awards for Excellence

drew a range of superb entries.

Winners feature in this issue and

the remainder will be showcased

in future issues. We hope to receive

more entries next year, particularly

in the awnings, canvas, marine and

basic domestic sectors.

Please do not be shy, surely

the project you are working on is

worthy of an entry?

Global eventI’d like to make special mention

of all the overseas visitors present

at the Expo: Jeff Sponseller of Miller

Weldmaster, Ohio, US; Fabio Rigato

of Naizil in Italy; Tim Keogh of

China Sail Factory, Hong Kong;

and Jamie Nute and Frank Sinclair

of Sinclair Equipment, California,

US. And from Christchurch,

New Zealand: Paul Rutlidge of

Professional Interface Ltd; Barry

Wybrow of Shade Plus In; and

Murray Seaward of Gourock.

New memberWe’d like to welcome Michael

Dascal of Windsor Trading Co,

phone 03 9553 1122, 0412 389 133.

[email protected]

Staffing the officeAnd finally, many of you will know

that I have trimmed my working

week to four days, Monday to

Thursday, however business

continues as normal as Mina

Geremia will be staffing the office

on Fridays.

UPDATE BY ANA DROUGAS

There’s rather a lot to report this time around so I will be as brief as possible covering several matters that provide an overview of the association’s agenda.

ACASPA COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENTAUSTRALIAN CANVAS AND SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION INC.Suite 201, 22 St Kilda RdSt Kilda, Vic 3182 Telephone: (03) 9521 2114Local Call: 1300 555 787Facsimile: (03) 9521 2116Email: [email protected]: www.acaspa.com.au

ASSOCIATION MANAGERAna DrougasEmail: [email protected]

PRESIDENTGlenn Barlow Nan’s Tarps 25 Vaughan Street Lidcombe NSW 2141 Mobile: 0409 273 284 Tel: (02) 9649 2334 Fax: (02) 9646 1361 Email: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT Lance St Hill Fabric Solutions Australia Pty Ltd PO Box 6283 Yatala DC Qld 4207 Mobile: 0400 103 534 Tel: (07) 3807 0200 Fax: (07) 3807 8217 Email: [email protected]

COUNCILLORSBrendan Hall Bradmill Outdoor Fabrics Unit 3, 100 Fulton Dve, Derrimut Vic 3030 Mobile: 0416 280 757 Tel: (03) 9368 2222 Fax: (03) 9368 2211 Email: [email protected]

Kent WilliamsonRoyal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)25 Dawson Street Brunswick, Vic 3056Ph (03) 9925 9182Fax: (03) 9925 9129Email: [email protected] www.rmit.edu.au

Gary SmithCampbell & Heeps5/125 Highbury Rd, Burwood, Vic 3125 Mobile: 0419 311 899Telephone: (03) 98086911Fax: (03) 9808 3148 Email: [email protected]

Tom Gastin Pattons – Textile Fabrication80 McDougall St, Kirribilli, NSW, 2061 Mobile: 0414 952 007 Telephone: (02) 9955 2563 or 1300 799 980 Fax: (02) 9959 3158 Email: [email protected]

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6 · CONNECTIONS

01 ACASPA Council’s newest recruit Tom Gastin has great plans and ideals. 02 Chris on left, Gary (centre) and Luke Painter at the ACASPA Expo.

02

02 Lukris hits the ground runningConcurrent with their positions at

Campbell and Heeps, Luke Painter

and Chris Smith have teamed up

to establish a snappy new venture

and what better business moniker

than a fusion of their Christian

names. Buoyed by enthusiasm,

the duo was a dynamic

presence at the 2011 ACASPA

Expo, keen to demonstrate

their smart new ‘overhead’ and

window covering products.

With a factory in Bayswater,

Melbourne’s east, their venture

is an offshoot of Chris’ dad’s

business but by the sounds of

things father and son continue

to confer closely on all matters.

As Chris told Connections,

“Luke and I both still work at

Campbell & Heeps. Myself and

my wife Zoe basically run it

and Luke is an integral part of

the operation.

“The Lukris venture is a new

and exciting development from

the well established Campbell

and Heeps base. My father

Gary and the Lukris team

continue to support each other

in a great combination of

experience and enthusiasm.”

NEWSMovers and shakers…A round up of who is doing what, where

as future leaders in the industry,

and finally

4. To help locate more opportunities

and jobs for ACASPA members

in the ever-growing industry

of environmental sustainability

and other areas of material

development.

“I would love more people to

have the same experience that

I have had as an ACASPA member.

Senior members have offered

mentorship and their advice will

stay with me forever. This generous

culture that members have

developed over the years sets

us apart from other industries.

People are always willing to

work together not against each

other while maintaining healthy

competition for the good of the

industry. The passion shown from

all in this industry is second to

none and must be preserved.”

What warm, positive and

inspiring words from Tom that

nicely set the scene for his position

on the Council. We also inquired

about Tom’s career to date, which

is also characteristically dynamic.

“On leaving school in 1993, and

knowing that university was not for

me, I straightaway set about making

inroads into the construction

industry with an end goal of owning

and running business.

In 1999, following a five-year stint

in the construction industry, I was

lured into this industry by working

on textile fabrication projects for

the Sydney Olympics, Events,

Films and the Rugby World Cup

in Sydney. My experience in

the construction industry led

me to broaden my skills in

Shade Structures, Tensile

Membrane Structures and other

architectural solutions.

I bought Pattons in 2006 with

long-time colleague and friend

Daniel Halse. Back then it was a

small operation specialising in

Residential Awnings and Marine

Trimming. However our broad skill

base led us to grow into a company

with three main divisions: Shade

Solutions; Staging and Events; and

Marine Trimming. Today we design,

manufacture and install out of

three Sydney locations (including

Botany and Cammeray) and we

produce goods for local, interstate

and international clients. We have a

great team of 10 proud fabricators

and installers that love what they do.

I’m pleased to say that to date

we have won two ACASPA

Excellence Awards.

01

01 Welcome to COM —Tom GastinTom Gastin who is Managing

Director of Pattons Textile

Fabrication in Kirribilli is the

newest addition to ACASPA’s

Council of Management.

Connections asked him what

he wanted to achieve on the

committee. And so, in his words:

I am very pleased to now be on

the ACASPA Council, and there are

several things I’d like to contribute:

1. To help ACASPA’s sustainability

well into future generations

through increased value to

members. With current projects

such as accreditation and the

excellent work the Shade Sail

committee has produced to date,

value is ever increasing.

2. To make this industry more

appealing to young kids leaving

school and encourage them to

take up TAFE courses and find

a future in industrial textiles.

3. To leverage off the Young

Leaders Group to develop

platforms for younger members

to build confidence and develop


Chris Nolan and Fabio in action at the ACASPA Expo.

03 Italian jobFabio Rigato of Italian based

Naizil recently travelled to Australia

to spend ten days promoting

his company’s tough-as-teflon

fabric named Titan W, and he

was in full attendance at the

ACASPA Expo.

Naizil has teamed up with Chris

Nolan of Nolan.UDA to distribute

the increasingly popular fabric,

and the full range of products

was on display at Nolan.UDA’s

eye-catching corner stand.

Fabio was able to meet and

greet customers to the stand

explain the range of Naizil products

displayed on the Nolan.UDA stand,

and is well qualified to do so.

For eight years Fabio who has

qualifications in economics and

a background with an airline has

been in charge of Naizil’s export

market for sales into France, Spain,

Portugal and Belgium as well as

the Middle East, South America,

Australia, China and India.

Half of Fabio’s working life is

spent travelling, but his exhausting

itinerary is made a little easier by

his command of four languages.

Read more about Fabio and Naizil

on page 13.

04 Austech’s newNSW repAt the start of this year Robin

Pethybridge was appointed by

Greg Schmidt as Austech’s NSW

agent. Robin brings with him

four decades of industry

experience, including 14 years

with Elizabeth Machines and four

with Miller Weldmaster.

Connections spoke to Robin who

said “Since taking on the role with

Austech I have found that there

are Sinclair Welders (Triad & Spec

models) out there that have not

been serviced for years. That’s

probably because of a lack of

agents in the eastern states.

“But now both Greg and I are

enthused by my appointment and

the work ahead.”

Robin explained that he was in

talks with a finance provider and

that “paperwork is being sorted

for new premises, a workshop

and showroom in Mt Kuring-gai,

upper Hornsby”.

“Some really good, big, things

will be happening by the end of

year,” he said.

For more information email

Robin at: [email protected]

or call 0413 744 315.

05 Picture perfectConnections is indebted to

Joseph Dean of Wade Design

Engineers for providing all

the the vibrant photographs

throughout the Expo report pages.

Clearly his design talents extend

to photography, and Connections

readers are the beneficiaries. But

as his wife Cathy will attest, Joseph

rarely managed to finish a meal as

he was frequently up on his feet

‘shooting’ members.

The weekend following the

ACASPA Expo was a big one

in the Wade household, as Cathy

and Joseph proudly witnessed

the marriage of their daughter

Imogen to Peter Stewart.

The beautiful bride and groom

were married at Brisbane’s

Kangaroo Point, and festivities

kicked on later at Eight Mile Plains.

Which begs the question: did

proud father Joseph manage to

finish any of the dishes served

up or was he once more busy

wielding the camera lens?

06 Tying the knotIn early October Lawrence De

Paoli marries his fiancée, aged

care worker Raquel (‘Kel’) Dawson,

in their home town of Lake

Macquarie before jetting off to

Vanuatu for their honeymoon.

Maybe Lawrence and Kel would

like to tune in to the wedding

tents feature on pages 40 and 41.

HAVE WE MISSED YOUR NEWS? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll run your news in the next issue.

0503

06 Lawrence De Paoli and Raquel Dawson.

04 In his role as Austech rep Robin Pethbridge spans the state of NSW.

Befitting a magazine cover… the picture perfect bride and groom of Imogen and Peter Stewart. Connections is indebted to Joseph Dean of Wade Design Engineers

for providing all the vibrant Expo photographs.

06

04

8 · CONNECTIONS

Right: Joseph Dean with wife Cathy.

Below: Ivy splendour.

Above right: The Kelman and Ricky Richards teams get together.

Far right: Go Heather!

Above: They will never hear the (tail) end of it…

On the following pages we report

on all the action, all the sparkle, the

winners and grinners, the massive

success that was Expo 2011. But to

ease you into the feature, we have

selected just a few of the many

pictures that convey the colourful

character of the very popular

three-day event.

Enjoy…

ACASPA EXPO 2011

A big THANK YOUTo JOSEPH DEAN for all the photos taken throughout the Expo.

EXPO

Above: Stairway to Ivy.

Left: Dracula’s less-than-sinister smile.

Above: Expo Committee extraordinaire.

Left: Funny man Tommy Dean with Ana Drougas.

Below: The Beehive team making a spectacle of themselves?


Above: Overall winner Dean Spencely of Oasis Tension Structures with

Brendan Hall.

Right: General winner: James Cummins of MakMax with Jim Kelman.

Below: Tension Structures winner (>500sqm): James Cummins of MakMax

with Ron Ferster of HVG.

Left: Awnings category winner: Krisha Naidoo of Horizon Sail Structures with Brendan Hall

Below: Domestic Window Coverings winner: Zoe Smith of Campbell and Heeps with Brendan Hall.

* Absent: Made 4 Shade, winner of Commercial Windows Coverings category.

Above: Geosynthetics/Liners category winner: Max Brady of DDT Liners with Bob Cahill.

Right: Shade Structures winner: Mark Lewis of Weathersafe WA and Eric Moonen of Abacus

with Ron Gottlieb.

Above: Tension Structures winner (<500sqm): Dean Spencely of Oasis

Tension Structures with Mike Chapman.

Right: Young Achiever: Robert Bull of EH Brett with Ron Gottlieb.

A SHOW OF EXCELLENCEAnd the winners are…

10 · CONNECTIONS

This year’s natter was more upbeat

than ever ... the unanimous view:

there has not been a better or

more popular event staged by

ACASPA in a long time.

All of the selected venues —

perfect. Sydney Convention

Centre, excellent — so central,

easy to access, all conveniences to

hand; plus all the shops and cafes

you could hope for a hop-and-

skip away in Darling Harbour. The

monorail close-by for ease of city

access. Novotel and Ibis within

walking distance of all the action.

Not forgetting the all-important

Expo itself. This year’s exhibitors

were particularly pleased by the

numbers passing through the

event — estimated at 2000 — and

the high level of genuine interest in

goods or products on display. All in

all, the perfect recipe, the perfect

setting for a truly successful event.

On the social sideThe rich mix of social events

exceeded expectation, and

although extreme weather caused

the cancellation of the deep-sea

fishing trip earmarked for Saturday,

it did not deter a dozen intrepid

acaspians who braved the elements

to scale Sydney’s iconic Harbour

Bridge. A crowd of more than 200

assembled for Saturday evening’s

Welcome Reception staged at SCC,

with its floor-to-ceiling windows

displaying spectacular city lights

and sparkling water reflections.

Hip-nosis entertained the

crowd while the ‘chef’s station’

churned out plentiful quantities

of noodle and rice boxes. “No one

went hungry that night,” ACASPA

Manager Ana Drougas remarked.

Masters of cuisineParticipants in Sunday morning’s

Fish Markets cooking class

commented the event was “just like

being on masterchef ”; complete

with the big screen broadcast of

their culinary master pieces.

Red Faces comes to the Black and White dinnerThat evening a specially-chartered

Captain Cook cruiser whisked

party goers over the water to

historic landmark Doltone House

which played host to the Black

and White themed karaoke night.

Mingling among the crew were

Darth Vader, Men in Black, Blues

TICKING ALL THE BOXESIf you want to know what people truly think about an Expo, hang around queues of any sort and listen in to the chatter.

This year’s natter was more upbeat

than ever ... the unanimous view: there has not been

a better or more popular event

staged by ACASPA in a long time.

EXPO


Brothers, Dracula (sporting a touch

of red), 101 Dalmatians, a crew of

convicts, a couple of Naval officers

and a few pirates… plus two brave

ladies sporting curly white locks

(closer inspection revealed they

were Ana and Mina — the grins

gave it away).

Colourful band Jelly Bean Jam

enticed everyone on to the dance

floor, their repartee ranging from

Disco to Swing, Motown to Latin,

Funk and Rock to Pop. The group

has been in high demand since

forming in 1993, clocking up

more than 3000 shows. Hats off

to the talented performers: Ron

Gottlieb of Ricky Richards; Heather

Bradshaw from Bradmills, David

Thorburn from Thorline Products;

Blues Brothers Danny Ashby and

Peter Morecroft from Radins; Joe

de Petro from Defab, and Max

Hayman from Pattons.

Above left: The superb setting of the Ivy for the Awards for Excellence dinner.

Above right: Rick Haggerty and the rest of ‘the gang’ from Elizabeth Machines

12 · CONNECTIONS

Colourful keynote speaker RedBalloon founder Naomi

Simson entertained and

informed everyone during her

Monday breakfast presentation

on the rise and rise of

RedBalloon, the ‘experience’

gift giving service that caters

for a time poor, possessions-

rich society.

The company name’s origins?

A 1950s movie in which a young

boy befriends a red balloon.

“Red balloons remind us of our

childhood and are a symbol of

happiness,” Naomi said.

A bunch of red balloons served

as an eye-catching marketing tool

in the early days when Naomi

spruiked for business in Sydney’s

Martin Place.

But business did not take off

quickly; it was an excruciating two-

month-and-four-day wait for the

first customer order.

The lengthy interval was

punctuated by Naomi’s husband

constantly inquiring how “the

project” was going.

A decade on and success of that

‘project’ can best be described

as runaway: turnover has soared

to $37 million.

Not bad considering just

$25,000 start up capital kick-

started the business — all

of which was absorbed by

web development.

During the GFC sales from the

smorgasbord of 400,000 gifts grew

a healthy 40% and have since

clocked in at 60% annually.

October this year marks the

tenth anniversary of the company

that was launched just three

weeks after the tragic events of

September 11 2010.

But as Naomi said: “I wanted my

business to be disruptive, others

were evolutionary.”

“It is all about facilitating people’s

connections to those important to

them,” Naomi said.

Points of difference abound.

Within 48 hours of an experience

staff members email customers

Above: ’Coolest crooner’.

Above right: Jim and James Kelman at work. Right: RedBalloon’s Naomi Simson engages the audience.

Other business sessions hit the spot. More than 110 people

registered for each business

session, including John Eusson’s

presentation on window

furnishings and Jane Lynch’s very

well received address on social

media. All business sessions

recorded similar numbers.

In his presentation ‘Structures

through time’ Dr Peter Keenan

of LSAA stepped back in time to

Egypt’s pyramids that were built

around 4600 years ago (2630

BCE) on a north south orientation

to align with the sun and stars.

Measuring 230mx230m at the

base and standing 146m high

To accomplish great things,you need to dream, to act, to plan

and to believe.

asking “How was it?”, and each

and every response is noted.

The Chinese recognise the

numbers 11 and 22 as auspicious.

Naomi might too, with a call

received at 11.22am in this year

2011 marking the sale of the one

millionth experience.

Still on numbers: the cost of

staff disengagement to Australian

business each year is estimated at

$27 billion; second highest in the

world after France.

“These are staff who idle away

their days at work as they are not

interested or keen enough in the

tasks ahead,” Naomi said.

“It’s a bad reflection on

employers; in particular given the

cornerstone of business growth is

healthy cash flow.”

By contrast, organisations

sporting highly engaged staff are

26% more profitable. (RedBalloon

has outranked Google to be listed

the Number One workplace.)

Innovation is important for growth

and Naomi says it has the dual

benefit of presenting staff with a

greater sense of purpose.

What distinguishes

entrepreneurs? It’s simply a case of

having grand ideas that are acted

upon, executed. Finishing and

completing are important.

To accomplish great things, says

Naomi, you need to dream, to act,

to plan and to believe.

EXPO


Austech Welders Pty LtdManaging Director Greg Schmidt

2/10 Hendon way, Kelmscott, Western AustraliaPh – 0418771600 Fax – (08) 94980315

Email – [email protected] Welders Pty. Ltd. representative for New South Wales

Robin Pethybridge Ph – 0413744315 Email – [email protected]

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14 · CONNECTIONS

no fabric was used in construction however

papyrus was a feature.

Fast forward to AD 70 and Rome’s mighty

Colosseum sported awnings that shielded

spectators from direct sunlight. Attached to two

large poles and anchored by rope, the cloth

was one of the earliest examples of tension

structures. The buildings of the Incas of Machu

Picchu in AD 1460 were developed without

fabric but were forerunners to patterning,

Peter explained.

There is lots of evidence that we are keeping

the industry powering on.

Above: The Expo party taking off. “Cheers” to a couple of lovely ladies.

Meanwhile North American tipis were

fashioned from buffalo hide and canvas strips.

Modern tents that allow sun light in but

keep heat at bay are attributed to Frei Otto

who in 1947 used cotton canvas and panels,

also paper strips and ‘broad seams’ on a

patterning model.

Fast forward to 1956, Canberra, and the

dome at the Academy of Science loomed as

a futuristic structure. Hot on its heels was the

somewhat distinctive Sidney Myer Music Bowl

in Melbourne.

Among Peter’s more notable works are

Melbourne University mountaineering club

dome with its membrane appearing as one

continuous structure, complete with a ‘snow

load’ shape that caters for weight.

PVC under tensionFor his part, Bob Cahill of TexConnex covered

three beneficial developments: heat-shielding

structures, semi-transparent cloths and a

special mesh that eliminates odours.

Heat Shielding: Catering for global warming,

abnormal weather and heat patterns, the shield

aims to reduce solar gain but maintain light.

Retrofitting is relatively simple, providing a very

effective heat shield for animal feed lots and

other sheds.

Semi-Transparents: Fabrics for structures fused

with coloured backlight are a big attraction eg

in cafes or in the retail sector.

Mesh to Eliminate Odours: Yes, you heard right.

And it’s opening new markets. Particularly

useful in poultry and pig sheds, also compost

heaps and around fish, the ground breaking

fabric can neutralise ammonia odours, reducing

them from 11ppm to 2ppm to zero, but not by

acting as an absorbent or collecting residue.

Use of the fabric boosts animal health. How

does it work? By manipulating fabric properties.

Green valueAdding green value was the focus of the

captivating address by Mike Lester who is

Principal Engineer with US based Birdair,

a Taiyo Kogyo company. Snippets follow.

With an emphasis on sustainability and

mindful of carbon footprints, the word

‘dematerialisation’ has entered the vernacular,

meaning a reduced amount of material. And the

lighter the material weight, the less supporting

steelwork required.

Tensile membranes are lightweight and

translucent. Tensotherm is a layer of aerogel

(“the world’s best insulating solid”) to insulate

it from silica gell (minus the moisture). It’s

described as inert, stable, water repellent and

porous, easy to handle. Derived from a weed-

like plant that is related to the hibiscus, Kenaf

fabric is a 100% recyclable natural fabric. While

TiO2, alias titanium dioxide, is a powdered

white pigment used in many applications.

MakMax has incorporated Ti02 in the surface

of membrane materials, benefits of which are

the self-cleaning properties and air purification

(protection from nitrous oxide and sulphide

emissions); hence the popular application of

large membranes in smelly/smoggy locations.

Seen in a Munich carport with a generating

capacity of 141kW, PVs contain an invisible

ETFE cushion. Air that is used to inflate

cushions chills and condenses then cooler air

is recycled through the cushion, saving up to

70% on energy costs.

EXPO


Overseas visitor Connections managed to corner

Fabio Rigati of Italian based

company Naizil (www.naizil.

com) which has teamed up with

Nolan.UDA to market tomorrow’s

products today.

“Architects and design engineers

are looking for a material they can

rely on for mechanical properties

and remain as clean as possible,”

Fabio explained.

“Durability is important so we

have developed new lacquering

— a material that is able to protect

the fabric and prolong its life.”

He was referring to Naizil’s

Titan W which “improves

the performance of previous

lacquering by adding titanium

dioxide which protects the fabric

from UV rays which boost the

ageing process.” The product has

been marketed for about four

years but was under development

for many years before.

“Our R+D department is always

looking for new products to keep

us ahead of the market,” Fabio

said. Based in north east Italy,

Naizil was established as a small

family company back in the ‘50s,

now its tentacles reach around the

globe, with the family still at the

helm and driving developments.

“In conjunction with a Swiss

company we’ve recently

developed a flexible photovoltaic

panel which is sold in modules

to be applied on PVC structures,”

said Fabio. “This converts rays

to electrical energy. The panels

are flexible and light and

protected with a layer of PTFE for

easier installation.”

The modules will be marketed

through Nolan.UDA, which has

collaborated with Naizil for

some time.

“Nolans is well known and

established and we’re happy to

collaborate with them as they are

very reliable,” Fabio said.

Awards spectacularFew would deny that the high

point of the three-day Expo is the

Awards for Excellence ceremony.

This year the event was staged

within the exclusive domain that

is The Ivy on George Street, with

talented funny man Tommy Dean

acting MC. Characterised by

a distinctive, deep throated voice,

he’s described as a “Uniquely

observant stand up comic”.

The US native has performed in

various leading comedy clubs in

the USA as well as New Zealand,

North America, Europe and South

East Asia.

Local TV credits include:

Spicks and Specks, Sunrise, The

Glasshouse, O’Loghlin, (regular

guest and writer), Backburner

(writer), Good News Week,

Thank God it’s Friday and The

Today Show.

After opening with a query on

how to pronounce ‘ACASPA’ —

followed by enunciation that oozed

gravitas — Tommy Dean quipped

“Having been married twice I

understand the term ‘heightened

tension structures’!”

He then launched into a few

‘home truths’ about Australian

devotion to all things sport

and the quirky demarcation

between state residents but

unification of Aussies when pitted

against New Zealanders.

On a more serious note Tommy

acknowledged the presence of two

ACASPA life members: Des Tebb

and Jim Kelman.

But the evening was all about

celebrating talent and honouring

award winners.

Display of ExcellenceDaniel Halse from Pattons

explained that the four judging

criteria were: appearance and

workmanship; complexity; design

and function.

“And there is lots of evidence

that we are keeping the industry

powering on,” he said.

Award sponsor Jim Kelman of Wax

Converters Textiles spoke of his

Above left: The Barlow clan takes centre stage.

Above right: Bob Cahill amuses his colleagues.

16 · CONNECTIONS

company’s abilities in dyeing and

printing and in-house R+D, before

thanking all fabricator patrons.

If Ron Gottlieb’s shoe leather

ever wears out, it’s because he’s

“happy to walk five hundred miles

for ACASPA”. He hailed the Expo

committee “one of the best” for

staging such a variety of events

during the Expo.

“All due credit for a first class trade

show and for all the congeniality

that it has generated. And as for

Ricky Richards staff, they are

awesome… I can never thank you

all enough for helping me do what

we do so our families can do what

they want to do.”

A full report on the awards can be

found on pages 20-34.

The verdict: Expo sparkle and buzz We thought we’d round off this

report by rounding up some of the

many observations and glowing

comments. As follows:

Krishna Naidoo of Horizon,

“The Expo was very enjoyable and

informative… all major suppliers

were represented and we spent

hours going through it.

Celebrations were also very

enjoyable, the Awards Show

was great so was the comedian

and we met a lot of people from

the industry.

All up very impressive — this is

the first ACASPA Expo I’ve been

to so I’ve been missing out! We’ll

certainly be attending next year.”

Gary Smith of Campbell Heeps

observed a “Huge increase

in attendee numbers and the

[SCC] venue was sensational,

everyone raved about it and

said how good it was. Everyone

has been saying it is the best

expo yet. The problem with

that is the pressure for next year

in Melbourne! The standard is

very high and we have a lot of

work to do. And only ten months

to do it.

Up to 1000 people came through

on day one — year prior 1200 over

two days, so everyone — exhibitors

and ACASPA management was

very happy.”

But what was the highlight?

“Simply overall, ran so smoothly

like clockwork, very professional.

Done so well. Good things

happened at the AGM. People got

a lot from RedBalloon. This expo

raised the bar as far as quality

is concerned.

“Mina and Ana were sensational,

just brilliant. It would not have been

the success it was without those

two. They were fantastic.

“The night at the Ivy went very

quickly, it was a good night, the

room was full… great attendance

and Tommy Dean was fantastic,

sensational, brilliant!”

Austech’s Greg Schmidt reported:

“For us the Expo was a chance to

introduce our new agent in NSW

and to show our new machines as

well as introduce staff from the US

parent company.

We were busy on our stand the

whole time, we did not get lunch

or a glass of water the whole

two days!

The Ivy was a very nice venue,

we talked to lots of people there

and the entertainment was great,

a great band.”

Becker MD Anthony Wallace said:

“We’ve just launched a new

range of remote controls that were

exhibited at the show. We’ve only

been in the industry for about

four years and are still forging a

presence in the industry, so it’s

good for us to be a part of shows.

We were as busy on Monday

as the Sunday; it’s definitely one of

the better shows we’ve exhibited

at. The room looked good —

everyone did a really good job

Above: “Ahoy me laddies”.

Left: Hair raising trio.

of their stands and there was a lot

of positive feedback.

The two social functions I went

to were very good as well.

The Expo also provided good

exposure for our company

newcomer; he could learn about

the industry and present himself

to people.”

From Robert Bull of EH Brett’s & Sons:

“We brought a car load of staff

to the Expo, taking advantage

of it being in our home town.

Our staff met many reps they deal

with over the phone.

I’ve been to the last four expos

and there was a real spark about

this — the technology was a step

ahead, the stands were very

well presented, it was exciting

seeing new materials and

technology… some of which we

are considering for our factory.

The social events enabled us to

mingle and put a face to a name,

and swap ideas. All up it was a

really good event, an exhibition

of value. There was a real spark

and a buzz. The bonus was having

coffee baristas on stands!”

Chris Atkins of Atkins Fabrications:

“The Expo was really excellent,

like a mini IFAI. There was so

EXPO


much happening and such a great

atmosphere in the room.

“Ana and Mina deserve a medal!

Or at least a well-earned rest.”

Dean Spencely of Oasis Tension

Structures: “The Expo was

really quite good, a bit different

to others… it’s always good to

see a different perspective from

engineers and contractors. You

always take something away;

no matter how much you know you

always pick up a bit.

“There was a good momentum

overall, and more people at the

awards night than I can remember.”

The final wordOutgoing ACASPA President

Brendan Hall declared it “A

privilege to serve as president,

I have been both pleased and

proud to help lay the foundation

of many important projects.”

He commended the outstanding

work of Ana Drougas and Mina

Geremia plus Glenn Barlow and

the Expo organising committee of

Tom Gastin, Clare Corban, James

Formosa, James Kelman, Connie

Hellyar and Kirsty Zmisa.

“What a professional team,

they acted on all tasks… we are

indebted, they have produced the

very best Expo.”

Taking the stage, incoming

ACASPA President Glenn Barlow

described Brendan’s aura as

“larger than life”, saying he’d done

wonders for the industry. He then

presented Brendan with the Past

President’s pin, a badge of honour.

Continuing, Glenn said he’d

attended his first Council of

Management meeting two-and-a-

half years ago and it was one of

the best decisions he’s made as

he’s since been working with

“some of the best people in the

industry who collectively are

positioning the association for the

next twenty years”.

“The past twelve months have

seen some exciting things:

accreditation and name change

among them; which will be

used for marketing purposes

and help us reach our potential,”

he said.

“The shade committee is

being revamped and members

will be encouraged to speak up

about what they want and never

be shy of expressing opinion.”

Glenn finished by saying:

“This strong and vibrant industry

will only get more robust; we

need to work together as a

collective to progress and

enhance our standing.

“We can only get bigger

and more powerful.”

The party spirit supported by our local church.

18 · CONNECTIONS

BUSINESS

Business mattersPaying the price for carbonAs Australia moves toward to a

clean energy future, the regulatory

landscape is set to take a major

shift from July 1 next year when

the 500 or so ‘big polluters’ will be

paying permits of $23 per tonne of

carbon pollution.

The strategy: A Clean Energy

Finance Corporation will direct $10

million of the funds raised toward

renewable energy technologies.

By the end of the decade that -

coupled with energy efficiency

measures - will have cut 160 million

tonnes of pollution annually which

is the equivalent of taking

45 million cars off the road.

Half the price paid by ‘big’

polluters will be used to offset the

anticipated 0.7 per increase in the

cost of living during 2012-2013

caused by businesses passing

on the carbon price. The majority

of households will be paying

about $9.90 extra weekly

(including $3.30 more on electricity

and $1.50 on gas) but receive

$10.10 in assistance.

What about small business?

Indirect cost impacts will include

higher electricity bills, gas prices

and freight costs and there are fears

that competitive forces may prevent

the ability to pass on the costs.

Although the carbon price

will impose “no red tape” on

small businesses, the only

specific assistance in the carbon

package, other than reform of

personal income tax, is the small

business instant asset write-off for

businesses with a turnover of less

than $2 million a year.

The threshold will be increased

from $5000 to $6500, providing

a more attractive tax deduction

for new assets, including more

energy efficient ones. Knowledge

of efficiency options will be

boosted by the $240 million being

channeled (during 2014-15) into

advice for small businesses on

energy savings and business

sustainably.

The Government also plans to

establish a $40 million Energy

Efficiency Information Grants

program to provide information

(via industry associations and

non-government organisations)

to SMEs on practical measures

they can take to reduce their

energy costs; and will inject an

extra $5 million over four years

to improve delivery of clean

technology advice and other non-

grant business support programs

to small and medium businesses.

For more information: www.

cleanenergyfuture.gov.au

Call the Small Business Support

Line on 1800 777 275, or visit

www.business.gov.au which

includes a grants finder.

Funds to up–skill the workforceLast month the Government

launched a $558 million fund to

provide 130,000 Australians with

the opportunity to learn new skills

for jobs in sectors suffering from

critical skill shortages.

The National Workforce

Development Fund marks “a new

direction in training Australians

which puts industry at the heart of

the process” to boost workforce

participation and meet the demand

for skilled labour.

Industry can now make bids to

their respective Industry Skills

Councils to secure matched

funding to train its current or

prospective workforce, with

small businesses receiving

more assistance.

The co-contribution model

means that large enterprises will

contribute 66 per cent of the cost

of training, medium enterprises

50 per cent and small enterprises

33 per cent.

In 2011-12 the Government

is also providing $75 million

through the Critical Skills

Investment Fund to boost

the workforce capacity and

productivity, targeted initially

at the resources and renewable

energy sectors. Applications can

be submitted until 30 September

2011. For more information visit

www.deewr.gov.au/nwdf

Mature age workersOver the next three years the

Federal Government’s ‘More

Help for Mature Age Workers’

$30 million program will enable

7500 mature age workers with

trade relevant skills but no formal

qualifications the opportunity to

have their skills assessed and

formally recognised.

The program is aimed at

technicians and trade workers;

machinery operators and drivers

and labourers aged 50+ in a bid

to address skills shortages and

productivity. For more information

email [email protected]

or call 13 17 64.

Strong dollar tough for manyAre recent layoffs in the steel

sector an indication of what’s to

come with the strong dollar and

the accompanying “economic

adjustment” (a euphemism

perhaps for ‘brace yourselves

for worse’)?

As we know, back in March the

Australian dollar hit parity with

the US dollar and has remained

strong ever since. ‘Strong’ of

course translates to not so good for

exporters, maufacturers, tourism

and education. And increasingly

consumers are finding it more

attractive to shop online for

overseas goods.

Particularly hard hit under

this scenario are the retail and

food sectors; staff layoffs pushed

unemployment in Australia to

5.1 per cent in July.

The RBA in early August left

the cash rate unchanged at

4.75 per cent, saying (in upbeat

manner) “Australia’s terms of

trade are now at very high levels

and national income has been

growing strongly. Investment in the

resources sector is picking up very

strongly and some related service

sectors are enjoying better than

average conditions,” but adding

(realistically) “In other sectors,

cautious behaviour by households

and the high level of the exchange

rate are having a noticeable

dampening effect.”

Powering the future.


Absolute Trade Supplies Pty Ltd Phone: 1300 138 304 Fax: 07 3287 4100 www.absolutetradesupplies.com.au

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AWARDSfor Excellence

20 · CONNECTIONS

Standing out for its function, form

and look, the judges determined

that the skillfully sculptured

inverted cone that was specially

designed for a schoolyard

excelled on a number of levels and

deserved top billing.

Connections caught up with Dean

Spencely of Oasis after the event.

As is so often the case, a myriad

of factors have to be considered

in the design and execution of

a project involving structures

destined for exterior use. Not least

of which are aesthetics, practicality

and longevity. In the case of

the project taken on by Oasis

Tension Structures there were no

exceptions: each of the above

was a key feature in the design of

a structure destined for a school’s

relatively compact courtyard.

Fast forward to project

completion and Oasis not only

picked up the award for Category

8: Tension structures — coated

fabrics less than 500sqm, but also

the top Award for Excellence 2011.

The unique project was

completed on behalf of Melbourne

Girls Grammar in South Yarra.

In the words of Oasis: Conical

structures are among the most

popular form of coated fabric

structure and examples can

be seen in nearly every city of

the world. However, this conical

form is not ‘typical’. It is inverted

and the conical form has been

pushed close to one edge of the

Catenary cable.

The function of the structure

is to provide critical protection

of the school students from the

elements during breaks in their

school day, creating an outdoor

leisure environment that mixes

native plants with modern aesthetic

material technology.

A space where the students

could relax and briefly escape

the physical confines of school.

Even while raining, they can

retreat to this area and have their

senses stimulated by the rain

drumming on the tensioned fabric

while the water is collected and

pushed along the highly strung

cables, creating a cylinder of

rushing water.

Located in suburban Melbourne,

the small portion of school land

was allocated for the final year

students to relax for breaks and

lunch for all seasons.

The client requested a lightweight

structure that would not impact

heavily on the delicate landscape.

This was achieved by attaching

to the main buildings and

distributing most of the load into

the ground through tensioned

cables. So the structure appears to

float above the landscape, drawing

attention to the focal point of

crisscrossing cables.

It’s ACASPA’s night of nights, the industry equivalent of the Logies whereby outstanding talent is recognised; where the best of the best is on display; an opportunity to celebrate the scope and splendor of industry achievements and the people behind them. All that is missing on the night is Bert Newton. More appropriately, ACASPA’s outgoing President, Brendan Hall presented this year’s Top Award for Excellence. That honour went to Oasis Tension Structures.

Jewel in the crown

The fine work of Oasis Tension Structures on the inverted cone at a Melbourne school.


The most challenging thing

about this structure was the form

finding process and analysis to

literally “make it work” due to the

constraints created by the offset

inverted cone.

This structure and its environment

was designed and constructed

during one of the most devastating

droughts Victoria has endured,

where water and its conservation

were paramount. In this project,

the water is gathered in this

giant funnel and collected in

the enormous water tanks deep

beneath the landscaped gardens.

This water is then used to furnish

the plants, ensuring the longevity

of the native flora. The fabric used,

1002 T2, was supplied by Innova.

Representing Oasis at ACASPA’s

Awards night was Business

Development Manager Dean

Spencely. Dean told Connections

that his winning speech was not

prepared because he “gave not

two thoughts about an overall win.

After picking up the category prize

I had just started to relax and was

enjoying a beer or two then came

the announcement — so I had to

get my mind into gear!

“To win the category 8 award

was great, and gain special

commendation for Kilvington

Girls Grammar was good, but to

be named overall winner was

a real bonus.”

Dean took the time to explain the

intricate nature of the work on the

inverted cone.

“The structure had its

complications for example the

cone was offset, that’s where the

complexity was. It was tensioned at

the bottom by stainless steel cables

that were intertwined so all the

rainwater is collected in a tank that

is used to water the surrounding

native garden.

“The Catenary cable that is

positioned around the perimeter

of the rectangle enables fabric

to be folded over it, not unlike

the cuff of a shirt sleeve, and it

can be tightened up to increase

the tension.”

The fabric was sourced from

Innova. “The French-made Ferrari

fabric is one of the best you can

get in terms of quality. It has the

tough T2 coating which gives

it more strength and durability

and being self-cleaning it is low

maintenance compared to PVC.

“T2 has been around for about

six or seven years; because it is a

bit more expensive you do not see

it so much in structures.”

What will Oasis do to promote

their 2011 ACASPA Award for

Excellence win? Dean has already

considered the benefits.

“The award win will be posted

on our website and we’ll create

company brochures and posters

that feature the award win. It will

also be placed at the end of all our

emails, in the sign-off.

“Our main suppliers for the project

were Ronstan (for the cables) and

Innova, both of whom will also

feature news of the award on their

websites. “It all helps cement our

standing in the industry.”

Oasis is no stranger to awards.

Back in 1997 the company picked

up ACASPA’s overall Award for

Excellence and among its many

other awards: 2006 Business of the

Year in the Melbourne business

awards and in 2007 IFAI Award for

Excellence in Structures.

Securing structures underpins strength and longevity.

A space where the students

could relax and briefly escape

the physical confines of school.


22 · CONNECTIONS

Outstanding talentFew events on the ACASPA

calendar are as colourful and

vibrant as the annual Awards for

Excellence. A popular ceremony

that attracts more than 200 members

and guests year after year.

The awards present an

opportunity for members to

showcase their talent and skills in

design, execution and delivery of

world standard structures.

This year, the ceremony

was staged in the sumptuous

surrounds of the Ivy in central

Sydney, with the event attracting

more than 250 Acaspians from

across Australia.

There, on a balmy winter’s

evening in late July, members

gathered under the Ivy’s signature

white art deco chandeliers to laud

and applaud many of the nation’s

finest — and newest — additions

to the architectural landscape.

The judging panel that was led

by Glenn Barlow had carefully

deliberated over the entries

presented from a field of 55

talented contenders before

selecting the top designs. On the

following pages are the outcomes

of their deliberations. And, as

readers can see, aesthetically the

winning structures are as eye–

catching as they are functional.

They showcase the crème de

la crème of Australian talent.

Masterpieces are not confined

to Australia’s shores, two of this

year’s award winners completed

work overseas.

Read on for insights into all of the

winning entries.

Category 1 — Geosynthetics/linersSponsored by: HIRAOKAWinner: Darling Downs Tarpaulins / DDT LinersFabric: 2.00mm LDPE, supplied by GSEProject Title: Floating Cover for Effluent pondLocation: Bomaderry, NSWOur client wanted a floating cover

for his rather smelly effluent

pond, approx 120m x 170m.

ACASPA Awards winners 2011

Display of Excellence

Not surprisingly the neighbours

were complaining of the smell,

as the original cover had failed…

probably due to the chemistry of

the effluent.

However the pond could not be

emptied to allow us to fabricate &

install the cover in the usual way.

We supplied 2.00mm thick

LDPE membrane, which allowed

us to join, then flake-fold several

panels worth of the cover at

a time, on the bank at one end

the pond; flotation beams/gas

escape pathways had to be fitted

to the (black) underside… then

the cover could be launched

progressively onto the pond,

and ballasted to prevent wind

uplift. This was then repeated;

each new section being joined

(welded) to the trailing edge of the

previous one. All up there were

five launch stages. Once the cover

was fully fabricated and placed

in position — and having made

allowance to cater for water level

fluctuations — we could backfill

the perimeter anchor trenches.

Notes:

1. The 21,000 m2 (approx)

completed cover weighs in

excess of 40 tonnes, plus a few

tonnes of ballast tubes.

2. Photo # 2 shows the leading-

edge float that ensured edge

buoyancy during each launch

episode.

3. Four towing cables were

attached to the leading edge,

and four towing vehicles had

to be co-ordinated for an

even pull each time.

4. This entry is as much about the

processes involved as it is about

achieving the very satisfactory

end result!

5. The pond cover is working

well; the odour is no more, the

authorities are satisfied, and our

client gets to stay in business.

6. The effluent is held in the pond

until it can be cleaned up then

released to the environment

(irrigated pastures).

DDT’s award winning effluent pond cover.


Sydney – (02) 9669 3333 • newcaStle – (02) 4957 7766 • Melbourne – (03) 9545 5588briSbane – (07) 3387 8500 • adelaide – (08) 8260 1055 • Perth – (08) 9376 2666

darwin – (08) 8981 1555 • www.NolanUDA.com.au

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24 · CONNECTIONS

Category 4: Window coverings, domesticSponsored by: UnilineWinner: Campbell & Heepswww.campbellheeps.com.auFabric: Soltis, supplied by InnovaProject Title: G ScreensLocation: Malvern, Vic

This project required us to come

up with a system that was clean

and minimal, that stopped the sun’s

rays penetrating the windows of

our client’s courtyard.

Inside the home was heating up

and the sunlight was fading the

furniture but our client didn’t want

to lose the view of the courtyard

or feel blocked in. Externally, the

window frames had a decorative

mould that was quite large, framing

the windows and presenting a very

nice look. This was important to

our client and they didn’t want to

lose the look of them, so we had to

come up with a way of positioning

all the blinds off the wall. We

decided to use a screen fabric that

would reduce the heat inside and

allow vision outside. With our client

Category 2 Marine Motor Trim and Transport — no entries received

Category 3 — Awnings: domestic and commercialSponsored by: Bradmill Outdoor FabricsWinner: Horizon Sail StructuresFabric: 802S, supplied by InnovaProject Title: George’s Elevations Location: Burleigh Heads, Queensland

Having a deck that was approx

100sqm and not being able to

use it during inclement weather

was an issue for the client who

believed that a significant amount

of business was being lost.

They wanted a structure that

followed the roof line to ensure

that their customers were able to

enjoy the wonderful water views

from this elevated position. The

design process was hindered with

the many different angles of the

roof line and the limited access

to the site. After a full survey and

measure our designers were able

to overcome these issues with a

simple but effective barrel vault design.

Sunscreen rollup blinds were also

installed to allow some shielding

from the late afternoon sun.

Managing Director Krishna

Naidoo explained that this project

was completed for an up-market

restaurant which is part of a larger

family owned chain.

“The very popular and well-

renowned restaurateur George

Tassis is a long-term client, with up

to 15 restaurants on the Gold Coast

and now in Brisbane.

“He’s been a major client for

a few years during which time we

have refurbished several of his

outdoor areas.”

Krishna added that the newly

launched Elevations is situated

in the lush surrounds of

Burleigh rainforest.

“The two level structure that

features a large function room is

in a nice part of town, on the side

of a hill and beside a river. It has

superb views over the adjacent

rainforest that is part of a

national park.”

The design process was

hindered with the many different angles of the roof

line and the limited access to the site.

Below: Nice, neat and super smart; this white awning blends in brilliantly with the adjoining building.

wanting ease of use and for the

blinds to be relatively strong in the

wind, all the blinds are motorised,

in full cassette head boxes and

running in tracks.

We stood the blinds off the wall

using a 50 x 25 steel tube, this

allowed us to get out in front of

the window frames and gave the

blinds great stability off the wall.

The size also suited the overall

look of the blinds and all tracking

and head boxes were powder-

coated to blend in with the wall

colour, making them almost

disappear when up. Each blind

can be controlled individually or

all of them at once with the push

of a button on the remote.

Our clients were extremely

happy with the end result. They

loved the look of the blinds and the

simplicity of controlling the amount

of sunlight penetrating the house.

The aesthetics and functionality of

the blinds were exactly what they

were after.

Gary Smith of Campbell and

Heeps said despite the fact theirs

was the only entrant for this

category he felt it was “a good job

and was very effective”.

He was very involved in the

initial stages, assessing the tasks

that had to be carried out, and

his son Chris took over on the

technical front.

“The sides jutted out from the wall

which was a challenge, but Chris

worked out the bracketing needed

to pack it out from the wall.”

He describes G screens as a

“revolutionary development”.

On the night daughter–in–law

Zoe who is also involved in the

business accepted the award

presented by Brendan Hall.


Above: A good dose of lateral thinking is behind behind this smart and stylish set of window coverings.

Right: The eye catching and highly functional shopping centre coverings provide cool comfort for customers.

Category 5: Window coverings, commercial (automated and non automated)Sponsored by: IMEX Creative ProductsCompany Name: Made 4 ShadeFabric Name: PolyFX, 3000D PTFE, supplied by Nolan UDA, Poly GlobalProject Title: Sun BafflesLocation: Maroochydore, Queensland

Our commercial customer, being

a shopping centre, has a glass

atrium extending the entire length

of the centre’s roofing, which

throws natural light throughout the

shopping centre.

Centre management over time

received on-going concern from

shop owners located inside the

shopping centre, over sunlight

beaming into their stores. This

often resulted in faded stock

26 · CONNECTIONS


28 · CONNECTIONS

and frustration for both tenants

and customers from the, at times,

blinding sunlight.

To cap things off, the centre’s

power usage was extreme trying

to keep the centre air-conditioned

and cool for their tenants

and customers.

Our company was approached

by centre management to design

an internal window covering

system that screened sunlight

during the morning (till approx

10am) and afternoon (after approx

1pm), while retaining natural light

throughout the centre.

This would of course keep the

store owners happy and also

provide extensive savings on

electricity usage, keeping centre

management happy!

We had to design a system that

not only worked, but was extremely

minimalistic and easy to maintain.

Our company came up with a

cost-effective design to attach to

existing roofing framework and

to prevent any need for drilling

through steel etc.

This was most important as we

were working at roof height of a

large two-level shopping centre

(15m above ground level). By

developing a system that could

be fixed to existing framework,

there were no metal shavings for

customers or staff to contend with

and also the installation time was

very streamlined and minimised

— no excessive on-site labour!

The custom designed awning

system known as ‘Sun Baffles’

incorporated five sun baffles per

bay over 22 bays throughout the

entire centre. The ‘Sun Baffles’

are located inside the shopping

centre along the centre of roofing,

directly below the glass atrium.

The sun baffles fix to existing

rolled roofing framework while

not penetrating the steel or

compromising the steel coating.

The sun baffles were designed

and shaped so as to ensure NO

sunlight penetrated the shopping

centre tenancies. The Shopping

centre is ‘U’ shaped and therefore

the sun affects each section

differently at different times of the

day. The baffles needed to be very

durable, yet aesthetically pleasing

and non-obtrusive. The baffles

needed to be minimalistic, yet add

feature and value to the shopping

centre and not detract or look like

an obvious ‘add-on’.

Our installers were required to

complete all work from a large

Boomlift and prior to it being

used, structural engineers had

to perform loading tests on the

second level flooring to ensure it

could take the machine’s weight

(1600kg).

The second level floor to the

ceiling is 10m, and the second level

floor to the ground floor is 5m.

Our installers were mainly working

over the large open areas between

the upper and lower level of the

shopping centre, suspended 15m

in the air in a small basket much of

the time.

Each day shift was spent shaping

and making the baffles of varying

size depending on where they

fixed to the existing framework and

all installation work was conducted

out of hours, starting at 6pm and

working through to 4am.

Our project proved to be a raving

success! The installation process

was very streamlined and no

interruption to customers or staff

was ever experienced.

The sun baffles look fantastic,

adding a definite minimalistic,

architectural feature to the atrium

roofing of the centre. Sun does not

penetrate the stores, yet the natural

light is still an important feature

of the shopping centre and

the centre management team

is extremely pleased that the

baffles have significantly reduced

electricity usage.

Attention to detail reduces sun glare and heat.



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Category 6: Shade structures — Domestic and Commercial Tension or Framed Structures using shade cloth or PVC meshSponsored by: Ricky Richards (Sales) Pty LtdWinner: WeatherSafe WA / Abacus Shade StructuresFabric: Monotec 370, supplied by Ricky RichardsProject Title: Punmu Basketball Court Cover Location: Punmu, WA

Four hundred and fifty kilometres

south east of the north west coastal

town of Port Headland in the

Great Sandy Desert is a small

aboriginal community of Punmu

Rawa, home of the Martu Tribe

of Aboriginal people.

Approximately 90kms from

the Canning Stock Route, the

remote community is home to

approximately 400 adults and

80 school age students.

The local Rotary club of

Margaret River which has

been involved with the Punmu

Rawa community consulted the

community elders who said that

a major redevelopment of the

basketball court would be of the

most benefit to residents. A hand-

drawn A4 sketch was provided of

a basketball court with a dome

cover. Instead of a tin roof they

were interested in a fabric structure

that would be a bit different, blend

into the environment without being

too obtrusive and be truly unique

to the area.

Our company proposed a curved

framed Barrelvault structure with

a series of shade sails off the side,

and the Rotarians subsequently

sought government funding.

A site inspection revealed the

existing basketball court was a

crumbling mess and required

extensive retaining and leveling.

Clearly we would need much

cement to build footings and shore

up the perimeters.

A concrete contractor from Port

Headland advised that the only way

to get the concrete onto site was to

set up a batching plant onsite and

freight in all the equipment along

with all the sand and aggregate,

using two huge semi trailers.

Within one week we had the

footings dug, rag bolt assemblies

set into footings and a new 150mm

concrete slab laid for the new

basketball court.

The building of the structure

posed a whole new set of

problems; firstly we had to get

the structure onto the site.

Fortunately people from the

Newcrest Telfer Gold Mine

which is situated about 120 kms

away and is on Martu land were

very helpful in many aspects of the

project, organising freight, flights

and lending 4WDs.

We hired a semi-trailer to deliver

a crane and two scissor-lifts from

Port Headland.

Although Punmu is only 120kms

from Telfer, the trip takes about

five hours each way in the truck as

the road is little more than a rough

desert track with a top speed of

speed 40 kms per hour.

The equipment arrived two

days late which put the pressure

on to complete the project in the

allotted time, but fortunately a

DET (Department of employment

and training) work for the dole

Special commendation:Advanced Shade Systems Pty LtdFabric: Monotec 370, supplied by Pro-Knit Industries Pty Ltd.Project Title: Brisbane Boys CollegeLocation: Toowong, QueenslandProject: Supply and installation of a curved shade fabric structure over the amphitheatre seating area.

Brisbane Boys College

commissioned a landscape

architect to design a new outdoor

amphitheatre at the school.

We worked with the landscape

architect to ensure that the area

would have sufficient shade, and

that the proposed shade design

would positively contribute to the

aesthetic appeal of the college.

This is a unique design as it

strays from the normal shade sail,

shade structure type of shade

system. The purpose of the design

was to make sure the amphitheatre

seating provided optimal shade

during the hottest part of the day.

Taking into consideration the sun’s

position at specific times of the day

was crucial in the design. A major

focus was a cantilever structure to

reduce the amount of posts and

still provide adequate shade to

the amphitheatre.

We commenced the fabrication

process once the final design had

been approved by the College

and the Queensland Government

Department of Environment and

Resource Management. Additional

holes were drilled into the frame

for electrical cables, then the steel

30 · CONNECTIONS

scheme was in progress, so we

had about six locals on hand to

help us, along with five Rotary

club representatives.

Once the build commenced it

was pretty straight forward, the

problem of access for our scissor

lifts was overcome by assembling

a frame by running the scissors

inside over the court slab.

The dome shaped barrelvault

roof structure was 25m wide

by 36m long. (900m²); we also

incorporated two frames at each

end for the basketball hoops into

the frame installation.

Once the structure was

assembled we simply dragged the

shadecloth cover, which we made

in one complete piece, along the

length of the structure using the

two scissor lifts.

The shadecloth was then

tensioned and secured to the

frame. We then fitted seven 6m

x 6m triangular sails to the side

of the structure to depict the

Aboriginal flag.

The finished structure is a most

impressive sight. The nine metre

height of the centre of the structure

make it by far the largest building

in the community. The structure

covers the entire basketball court

with a 10m x 4m extended annexe

to one side where there is a stage.

The structure has provision to

hang netball hoops on the side

uprights as well as anti-climbing

spikes to deter would-be climbers.

The structure was completed in

September 2010 and in the time

since it has played host to a basket

ball carnival, an official grand

opening by the Minister for Sport

and Recreation, numerous music

festivals, weekly cooking schools

as well as a focal point for the

whole community.

To see the look of delight in

the faces of the locals when the

structure was completed was a

golden moment. Also for us to be

given the chance to experience

the culture of life in the desert for

a week was a life changing event

never to be forgotten.

A week of sleeping in swags,

modest accommodation, no beer

(it was a dry community) and BBQ

dinners in the middle of the desert

made us realise how easy we have

got things back home.

Above: Overcoming challenges presented by extreme heat and remoteness, this desert project is worthy of a short story. The team immersed itself in the aboriginal community for the duration of the project.


Category 7: Tension structures — coated fabrics greater than 500sqmSponsored by: Halifax Vogel GroupWinner: MakMax AustraliaFabric: Sheerfill 2, supplied by Taiyo Kogyo CorporationProject Title: Metricon StadiumLocation: Carrara, Queensland

The original structure built in the

late ‘80s played host to a number

of events however the venue

has traditionally been a football

ground. The decision to redevelop

the site was welcomed by many

sporting fans.

The newly named and revamped

venue is built to accommodate

a professional football oval,

world standard cricket oval,

provision to allow future

installation of an athletics

field and international standard

soccer field including all the

associated corporate, media

and player facilities.

The local state government

funded project secures a future

for sport of all kinds in the region,

opens the possibility to world

class soccer coming to the region

as well as other major national

and international sporting events.

As with any world class stadium

the design incorporated a tensile

membrane roof component.

We were engaged to supply and

install the 16,600 square metres

of PTFE providing cover for three

sides of the structure. Architects

was hot dip galvanised and

powder-coated for longevity and

an excellent finish. The completed

frame assembled very easily as

each component was carefully

engineered and fabricated.

We were employed to construct

the shade structure after the

amphitheatre was completed.

However, during the initial

construction of the amphitheatre

large pier footings were

incorporated into the structure.

These were designed with the

shade structure in mind.

Unfortunately all of the footings

ended up at different spacing and

different angles. As a consequence

the challenge for our design

was that every strut, every cleat,

every cable and every panel in the

fabric top was different. We met

the challenge.

Designing a shade structure

to be installed in the vicinity of

heritage listed buildings will

always be challenging because

there are many stakeholders to

satisfy. The finished product meets

the client’s needs since it not only

provides excellent shade coverage

to the area, but it also blends in

beautifully with the surrounding

architecture and landscaping.

The client has received many

compliments about the structure

and says that “it harmonises so

well the college feels that it has

always been there.”


The colourful ampitheatre.

specified the overall shape of

the panels providing work points

and a schedule. Our engineers,

drafters, and project managers

made this a reality.

This project was brought about

through necessity. The tensile

membrane component of the

project was brought about by

architects’ want for a flexible,

lightweight solution to long

span, mass roofing. Like most

stadia architects worldwide,

the architects recognised the

lightweight properties of tensile

membrane make it the ideal

choice for this project.

Our scope broadly included

the supply and installation of a

16,000sqm tensile membrane

roof and details requiring our

attention included water run-off

management, waterproofing

in areas where trades overlap,

and the major consideration —

installation methodology on a site

without full access.

Architects were specific about

almost all aspects of this project

other than a few practical details.

We found a solution to water

run-off from the structure in the

form of drainage. The large area of

fabric can collect a huge amount

of water. Because fabric is such a

flexible medium to work with both

physically and in relation to

design constraints we were able to

design a steep reverse cone in the

low point of every panel.

This reverse conic shape acts as a

funnel channelling all water into a

siphonic drainage hub. The system

needs only 50ml of water to begin

siphoning water from the top side

of the fabric making it ultra efficient.

We were also responsible for

closure details between the

tensile membrane roofing and

the perimeter solar panels.

Traditional glass solar panels are

not our product so an amount of

research and understanding went

into how this was achieved, with

our engineers deciding on an

extended flashing arrangement.

Another practical consideration

was the installation methodology

for the 14,000sqm of fabric on

39 panels. Installation of the fabric

roof was the biggest challenge

we faced.

Our project manager devised

an installation methodology that

was both safe and practical. Using

a technique similar to that used

on a previous project we devised

purpose-built work platforms that

were secured to the steel frame

of the venue. These were used at

the inner and outer edge of each

panel, giving workers a safe place

to harness to and continue work.

Great consideration was taken in

designing the methodology; we

sought guidance from government

departments including Workplace

Health and Safety bodies. In the

process we performed an internal

safety audit gaining our own

international safety accreditation.

The most impressive aspect

would be the rear of each fabric

panel, the highly curved shape

is unusual for a stadium roof of

this size and it adds a point of

difference to the overall look of the

venue. The flexibility of fabric as a

building material is clearly visible

by the apparent ease in which

these curved shapes are achieved.

We are confident in the job we’ve

all done here; the result is a striking

addition to the overall venue. I think

the look and feel of the space is

fitting with the region’s atmosphere.

Having a great design helps to

show off our product and I believe

this project achieves this goal.

Special commendation: Atkins FabricationFabric: Sheerfill V, supplied by St Gobain, USAProject Title: SoundshellLocation: California, USA

The collaboration of our architects

and landscape architect created

a 7.9 acre public park, privately

maintained by Playa Capital in

California USA. This park includes

a basketball court, soccer field,

playground, bosque, bocce courts,

berm gardens and a soundshell

with an amphitheatre lawn.

The traditional soundshell has

been given an aeronautical quality

by the architect.

A roughly spherical tensioned

fabric (PTFE coated glass fibre

woven material), stealthily perched

on two steel feet, conveys a sense

of buoyancy. In lieu of traditional

guy wires, two ramps radiate

and extend out. The form radiates

with spatial complexity. The

translucent membrane creates a

solid opaque white shell which

dematerializes visually by night,

glowing like a lantern.

Structurally the design transforms

potentially heavy rings into trace

like ribs. Loads are transferred

through a series of transnodal

struts. The skeleton simultaneously

conveys lightness and dynamic

sculptural depth heightened by a

pleated skirt rather than a simple

surface. One does momentarily

wonder if the soundshell is

spinning or static. This unique

design has been cleverly

incorporated in this design by the

architect and turned into reality by

the project manager and installer.


32 · CONNECTIONS

Above: MakMax delivered its hallmark professionalism in the execution of Metricon Stadium.


Special commendation: Company: Oasis Tension StructuresFabric: 902 T2, supplied by InnovaProject Title: Kilvington Girls GrammarLocation: Caulfield, Victoria

This structure was designed to

provide protection against the

elements so that the students

of this school could enjoy tennis,

netball, basketball or a host of

other activities during any sort

of weather.

The PVC coated fabric structure

is stretched over two large arched

portal frames and tensioned

through catenary cables to a series

of perimeter support frames.

The purpose of the structure

was to create a carnival type

atmosphere for these outdoor

sports, providing a more inviting

environment to play all forms of

outdoor sports.

Some of the unique features of

this project include the 2D truss

column penetrations through the

fabric — this required pin-point

accuracy in procurement and

fabrication of both steelwork and

fabric. The holes created by the

column penetrations were along

high tensioned seams and so

these areas had to be reinforced

appropriately with fabric and steel

support plates.

Due to program restraints,

the surface beneath the structure

was paved prior to Oasis being

allowed access. This meant the

structure had to be installed using

lightweight plant and equipment:

the steelwork was installed using

a 5t crawler crane while access

to most areas was via tiny

boomlifts, the weight of both

machines was distributed using

large marine plywood to avoid

damage to the delicate surface.

Industrial twin ropes had to be

engaged to access the higher

portions that the lightweight

boomlift could not reach.

The client was delighted with

the finished product: it has been

used in all weather conditions

during the day and night. The client

specifically stated how spectacular

the structure looked

at night illuminated by lights,

a beacon that could be seen

for miles.


34 · CONNECTIONS

Category 8: Tension structures — coated fabrics less than 500sqmSponsored by: SynthesisWinner: Oasis Tension StructuresSee full story on pages 21–22

Special commendation: WeatherSafe WAFabric: Ferrari 802S, supplied by InnovaProject Title: Donnybrook Sound Shell Location: Donnybrook, WA

We were approached by a local

council to help design a portable

sound shell to be used for festivals

and functions at different locations

and towns within the shire.

The council already had one

engineer designed structure that

they had submitted to a local steel

fabrication shop for costing but

were not really happy with the

design. The steel fabrication shop

approached us to help design

something that would have more

aesthetic appeal and less cost than

the original proposal.

Between us we set about

designing a portable sound shell.

The steel fab guys designed the

base (stage) and we designed the

structure and cover.

The initial design that we

took back to the Council was

the following:

We had the two different

structures, made by two separate

manufacturers, engineered by two

different engineers so it was very

important that we were continually

in contact with each other to ensure

that the two structures would fit

together once fabricated.

The base, or stage part, was

made in three sections that bolted

together. Each of the three sections

fit neatly together when stacked for

easy transportability. Each section

also had adjustable legs so that

the structure could sit solidly on

uneven ground.

The base was finished with a

wooden decking.

The top structure was a

barrelvault design with a slanted

overhang at the front and rear as

well as either side to give good

coverage if a function was marred

by rain. The six uprights slotted

into a formed slot built into the

stage frame.

The curved rafters were made

in two halves and bolted together

in the centre. This was so that the

framework could be dismantled

into manageable sizes suitable for

packing and transportation.

The top frame was constructed

with support provisions to take

sound and lighting gear.

The frame cover was PVC. It was

secured to the frame with rope

track at the front, and the sides and

Above right: Fun, functional and portable.

Below: Simplicity and style by Oasis Tension Structures.


Category 9: GeneralSponsored by: Wax Converter TextilesWinner: MakMax AustraliaFabric: Polytheme, M7205; supplied by Eclipse Textiles, MehlerProject: Trailfinders Australian Garden Location: London, UK

Our client for this project exhibits

annually at one of the world’s

most prestigious events, often

winning awards for their unique

exhibition stands. We were

engaged to bring an architect’s

design to life in the form of a

unique temporary structure.

Our client engaged an architect

to design their most recent

stand. The architect’s inspiration

included themes of colonisation

and discovery. Natural shapes

and light play a large part in the

design brief. We were engaged to

bring this idea to life through the

architect’s vision. In order

to continue the winning tradition

for our client we manufactured

the structure to the architect’s

request. What is unique or complex

about the project? Although the

concept was the work of the

architect, some of the technical

details of manufacture were not

conceptualised until our engineers

began looking at the design from

a practical point of view. Being a

self supporting structure we had

a fair amount of control over the

manufacture and fixing details of

the project.

One major oversight in the

original design was the absence of

natural light on the inner space of

the dome-like structure. Engineers

and project managers suggested

ports in the outer skin that would

allow natural light to filter through.

These ports were reinforced so as

not to hinder the streams of light.

Three visits from the architect

and two prototypes later we

had a structure that embodied

the architect’s vision and was

structurally sound.

The project is definitely a

success from all parties’ point of

view. Precise engineering and

manufacture has brought this

project to life. Attention to detail

and the perfect simplicity in design

back were made similar to a shade

sail with a perimeter stainless

steel cable and stainless steel

fixing points.

Ideally for a structure such as this

you would attach a rope track front

and back to tension. Due to the fact

that we needed to make the cover

easily removable the shade sail

style of tensioning with turnbuckles

at each fixing point made it a

simple matter to remove and refit

the cover whenever the sound shell

was relocated.

To finish the job off we made a

neat black skirt that clipped all

around the base of the stage.

Once dismantled the whole

structure fits neatly onto an

8m flat bed truck tray for easy

transportation to the next venue.

The finished structure was

a functional and very visually

appealing sound shell.

save this project from being just

another exhibition stand. Tall

enough to walk through but low in

points, the structure engages the

visitor; stepping under and around

the smooth white edges of the

structure may evoke a feeling of

stepping through a canvas tent on a

beach as explorers may have done.

Visitors to this stand are able to

look past a crisp white sail as if

pulled taut under wind out toward

lush green trees. Allowing visitors

to touch and feel will surely be

a crowd pleaser.

We supplied all elements of

this structure from the steelwork,

fixings, fabric manufacture, and

we also trained the special

installation team.

Category 10: Innovation (no entries received)

Note: This does not mark the end

of awards coverage; forthcoming

issues of Connections will feature

all runners up. This popular

ongoing segment puts on show the

creative talents of all ACASPians —

award winning or not.

Above: Worthy of a magazine cover, the elegant appeal of this show garden won MakMax accolade from far and wide.

36 · CONNECTIONS

I want more from them; I don’t

want to sit back and say it’s done

and OK. I have asked industry

for feedback on everything we

have produced. Why? Because if

anything needs to be corrected,

altered, adjusted or whatever,

then industry needs to tell us so

that we trainers keep improving

and moving forward, thus always

meeting industry standards.

Much of our work has been

dealing with new businesses

where workers don’t have a

qualification. In this regard our

Business Development consultant

Mel Kane has been instrumental

and has provided many employers

with necessary information

regarding RPL and government

funding incentives.

Part of our obligation in training

Queensland students is that we

satisfy Department of Education

guidelines. Both Mel and Murat

have met with the DET QLD

representatives to discuss our

training models and processes and

found they are extremely satisfied

with our work and student record

keeping processes, so much so

that TAFE NSW/Sydney Institute is

their preferred Textile Fabrication

training provider.

Motor trimmers in Queensland

have also been deprived of quality

NSW based Lawrence De Paoli who provides training for industry students across many states of Australia presents a round-up of activities across the nation.

Queensland’s re-trainingIt’s been 18 months since we

commenced textile fabrication

training in Queensland. We’ve

met many fabricators in the

industry and all have been very

supportive of our involvement

and efforts thus far.

Initially it was a bit overwhelming

taking over from another RTO;

the big problem was most of the

students were enrolled in the old

training package while Sydney

Institute was offering the most up-

to- date qualification. We had to try

and link old units with new ones for

a massive RPL process.

Long story short — it’s worked

with some guys having to

make up a few units only; many

students have now received their

qualification.

Resource development was

a huge project for us. A new

Under TAFE guidance, students develop technical skills through focus and determination.

Whether a supplier, fabricator or trainer,

young people are our future and without them, we don’t move forward. Raising our

profile and image will assist all and

sundry to survive and grow in the future.

The state(s) of training

TRAINING

qualification meant developing

resources that were valid and

actually meet the requirements

of industry and the training

package. The workload for us

in this project was huge and it

involved more duties for one of

our part-time trimming staff, Murat

Hersli who developed resources

and took them out to industry for

validation. Murat has been a

fantastic asset for our section and

this whole process.

Businesses such as EH Brett’s

and Nan’s Tarps as well as

Barracouta Sails were involved in

this process, and their feedback

was essential and appreciated

in this process. I’ve spoken to

many employers throughout

NSW and Queensland about

our resources and assessment

tasks; all are happy with what has

been done so far. The trouble is,

training in recent years, and this

presents us with further training

opportunities. We’ve had enquiries

from quite a few trimmers and

presented training models to all

concerned. Some have sent their

employees to Sydney for block

release training.

A useful note: DET QLD will pay

return airfares from anywhere

in Queensland and provide a

small living-away-from-home

allowance. This can be arranged by

the employer through the Australian

Apprenticeship Centre that the

employee is registered with.

CoursesWe’re offering Certificate II and

III in Textile Fabrication and

Certificate II and III in Automotive

Vehicle Body (Trimming). We also

offer a 16-week specialised Marine

Trimming program for those with

basic skills in marking/cutting/

sewing etc who want to diversify

their skills into manufacturing all

types of covers for marine craft.

Steve Busuttil is our resident expert

in this field. Our programs are

offered on a block release basis

for apprentices doing Cert III and

weekly night classes for Cert II.

The LMT30407 Training package

(which Textile Fabrication is part

of) has this year undergone a


review with some minor changes

implemented. Introduced into

the core units is an environmental

unit which falls into line with all

other training packages delivered

throughout Australia.

The selection process for units

of competency is now also a lot

easier. In total, 19 units must be

selected: nine being compulsory

and 10 electives. There are also

other units included as electives

from other training packages i.e.

Certificate II and III in Automotive

Vehicle Body (Trimming).

This is to allow for fabricators

who work with manufacturing

covers for machinery, trailers etc

and those that delve into marine

covers to select units that meet

what they are currently doing in the

workshops. I believe version 2 of

the training package is quite good

and certainly offers employers

more selection on relevant units for

their businesses.

During the past 18 months

inmates at Sydney’s Long Bay Gaol

complex have been receiving

training with us in Certificate II

Textile Fabrication. This enables

inmates to develop skills that will

help them gain employment upon

release. Certificate II is only 12

months’ duration but in that time

they have developed good marking

them — have very kindly donated

seconds fabrics for training.

Nolan.UDA has also been a

tremendous ongoing supporter of

training at Sydney Institute and it’s

only through such goodwill that our

job is made that little bit easier.

Recently, we’ve purchased a

new RF welder for our training

purposes, replacing the pre-1978

model that became a liability in

recent years due to OH&S issues,

the costly replacement of parts and

our inability to deliver some training

programs due to the machine’s poor

performance. We now look forward

to working with the latest and

greatest from C.J. Loftus! Part of our

repertoire is a Triad wedge welder,

kindly donated by Frank Sinclair

in the USA. Students undertaking

PVC welding training now have

access to four styles of equipment:

wedge, RF, motorised hot air and

hand held hot air welders.

ChallengesTo conclude, there are many

challenges facing us as trainers,

among them: funding, human

resources and equipment. We

would benefit greatly if there were

more persons willing to assist us

in part-time teaching. We have two

full-time staff and two part-time

staff assisting us in our efforts.

Phone 02 9804 1146Mobile 0418 270 [email protected]

50NB Rafter End Cap

www.triax.com.au

Federal and State Government

funding opportunities are rare,

with restrictions placed upon our

resources ensuring that careful

management is needed to achieve

our goals.

Since commencing training

in Queensland, employers from

far and wide have contacted us.

Together with Ana from ACASPA,

we are negotiating visits to

fabricators in South Australia.

Part of our obligation to DET QLD

is that apprentices must be visited

in the workshops twice a year to

carry out training and workplace

assessments etc and we suspect a

similar scenario awaits us in SA.

Another challenge facing training

providers is creating a bigger

profile of the industry within

society. This would help

entice young people into the

industry, which is urgently needed.

Whether a supplier, fabricator or

trainer, young people are our future

and without them, we don’t move

forward. Raising our profile and

image will assist all and sundry

to survive and grow in the future.

Lawrence De Paoli is Head Teacher

– Autobody Repair, Refinish &

Trimming at TAFE NSW

Sydney Institute.

edu.au www.sit.nsw.edu.au

/cutting/sewing skills. So much so,

the group that finished in June this

year were able to manufacture a

complete set of industry standard,

removable covers for a fork lift

(roof, rear window, front window

and side curtains). The motivation

and enjoyment of inmates made

training for me a real pleasure and

I was very proud of their efforts.

StudentsSimply put: without students we

don’t exist. With them, we have

the opportunity to mould the

tradespersons of the future.The

biggest problem facing employers

is finding suitable young people.

We’ve tried to offer high schools

between Gosford (north of

Sydney) and Wollongong

(south) the opportunity for HSC

students to study units in Textile

Fabrication, in particular aiming

at the yacht sail making industry.

A lack of response prevented the

program progressing.

EquipmentI’ve been told many times that our

workshop is the best in its field. The

large room is fitted out with work

stations (benches) that have sewing

machines on each end. Over the

years industry suppliers — Ricky

Richards and Bradmill among

Images depict Robert Bull’s impressive project.

Hard work pays off. If you just blend into the

crowd and clock-in and clock-off you will not get too far.

38 · CONNECTIONS

The Young Achiever category also

aims to foster interest in the Young

Leaders Group being developed

by ACASPA. This year the award

attracted five grand entries and

among them was a standout project

delivered by Robert Bull of NSE

based EH Brett and Sons.

The brief presented to Robert

Bull of EH Brett was relatively

straightforward: the design and

delivery of a membrane structure

at St Angela’s Catholic Primary

School in Castle Hill, Sydney’s

North West.

However, the project appeared

to present a series of design

challenges and complexities.

Fortunately these were not tough

enough to deter the relatively

youthful Robert, who was confident

about managing all aspects to

deliver a suitable structure.

The school sported an unusual

problem: as part of the school BER

programme, they had commissioned

a new school hall adjacent to a

COLA (covered outdoor learning

area), with the idea that the COLA

would provide overflow seating to

the hall by way of huge vertically

operated folding doors.

However during rainy days,

the six-metre gap between the

structures meant a wet seating area

with the added risk of damage

to the hall’s timber floors. To say

nothing of the OH&S risk presented

by slippery wet floors.

The request was to come up

with a membrane structure which

would effectively join these two

very different roofed structures not

sited squarely next door to each

other — one which created a large

continuous auditorium protected

from weather.

‘Young Achiever’ Robert handled

the project from beginning to

end; the design, fabrication and

installation of a structure to join two

different shaped roofs to provide

a large continuous and more open

waterproof area for the school

students and hall.

Another key aspect was to

minimise the potential OH&S issue

of slippery floors by installing a

6.2m x 22m infill PVC membrane

between the two existing structures

Robert was able to successfully

open up their outdoor under cover


Following on from last year, the special award category of Young Achievers was very generously sponsored by Ricky Richards. This award recognises the impressive achievements by the younger members of ACASPA’s community.

Young gun

Joining two buildings was a complex task.


area, so the school and its students

can now enjoy the quadrangle and

hall area in all weather conditions.

Dealing with complexitiesDevising a structural solution that

was going to be functional and at

the same time visually appealing

was extremely challenging; the

existing buildings were not square

to the variances in degrees of the

slopes in the skillion roof of the

COLA to the hip roof of the hall.

The outcome is a unique

membrane structure with varying

radius curves, lengths and angles

in steelwork that required the PVC

membrane to fit like a glove.

None of these elements was

exactly the same — not one piece

of steel was the same length or

bent to the same radius and not

one seam on the membrane was

straight or parallel to another

member or seam.

To achieve this, Robert first

surveyed the area to determine the

final rafter properties — lengths,

angles & curves; then ensured the

eaves were clear of overhangs, but

at the same time staying as close

as possible to the roof to minimise

any wind driven rain that may blow

in the sides of the structure.

A professional surveyor

examined the structure’s twisted

shape and assessed the amount of

steel required; there was no clear

line of site to the Theodolite and

therefore three different reference

points had to be picked up to take

all of the measurements. Data was

then patterned and converted into

a plot file for welding.

The structure was custom built

on site with the aid of machinery

to work at heights and also to lift

materials into position.

The hall had a skillion with a pitch

of 15 degrees, while the COLA had

a hipped roof with open gable, with

a pitch of 30 degrees. The client

also had an OH&S requirement

on this structure to incorporate

digitally printed warning signs

(‘Danger: do not walk on structure’)

on the membrane.

THE GENESIS OF BRETT’SThe origins of EH Brett & Sons are somewhat colourful: the business was founded in a rowing boat on Sydney Harbour more than a century ago by Edwin Henry Brett.

Over the decades Brett’s has been working with textiles and been witness to the evolution of the industry — the changes and developments in fabrics and methods and ways of working with them.

The team has adapted to embrace new fabrics, production techniques and ideas in all areas of fabrication.

What sorts of fabrics? Canvas sails for clippers to tension membranes for shade; truck tarps and side curtains, roll top tarping systems and prairie covers; also bunting and flags and enormous aerial heli-banners.www.brettproducts.com.au

Result!Robert reputedly displayed

excellent customer service skills.

This project demanded a series

of site visits and concept drawings

as well as quoting; final design;

managing other trades, surveyors,

and engineers; organising,

overseeing and giving guidance

to the work team on site, and the

manufacture of the membrane.

Robert skilfully handled all of this

along with design coordination

and procurement of all materials

and services.

Both Robert and the client are

very pleased with the end result,

with EH Brett, saying “As a business

we are proud of the finished

product which demonstrates the

versatility of fabric in addressing

a unique building challenge!”

Connections chatted to Robert

Bull who described his Young

Achiever award win as “Amazing

— there is a lot of good work and

strong competition out there and

I hoped to be in the top three…

but to win it!”

He went on to explain that

following the initial inquiry in

July 2010 it was a case of going

“Backwards and forwards weekly

between the Catholic Education

Board and school to ensure the

right product and materials would

be used to meet all requirements.

“The actual work order was

received by Brett’s just before

Christmas last year and we aimed

to complete the structure during

the summer school holiday period.

Work involved steel fabrication

and bending as well as transport

of materials etc, so we anticipated

finishing the job by late January or

early February.

“The actual time on site one-and-

a-half weeks. But planning was

stretched over a long time.”

Robert clearly had the depth of

experience to competently take on

the project. Since leaving school

ten years ago he has worked on

shade sails and general canvas

work and gained valuable building

skills by pursuing carpentry

qualifications.“Then I was lured back

into this great industry!” he said.

“I started out sweeping floors

and now I’m production manager

which shows you can start at the

bottom and work your way up.

My daily tasks involve working

with floor staff to ensure proper

standards, taking customer calls

and arranging quotes; you could

say I am wearing many hats.

“Hard work pays off. If you

just blend into the crowd and

clock-in and clock-off you will not

get too far.

“And I say customers are always

right! I meet their needs and

requirements which is necessary

to prove you are the right person

for the job. My general business

skills, trade background and

knowledge help us win tenders

and complete tasks correctly

and on time.”

Working closely with business

owners and brothers Greg and

Ross Penman has enabled Robert

to hone his skills.

Currently he’s working on a

dome canopy that involves digital

printing and “lots of shaping,

cutting and high frequency

welding”. The masterpiece is

destined for the snowfield launch

of a new — and as yet unnamed —

vehicle; all will be unveiled in

due course.

40 · CONNECTIONS

The word “extreme” means

different things to different people.

But when brides and grooms

demand the wedding of their

dreams, regardless or unaware

of the challenges, tents—and tent

professionals—often can and do

save the day. Read on to see how

five tent companies made out-of-

the-ordinary weddings possible.

Wedding on iceSnow and ice are just part of the

job for Eagle River, Alaska-based

Over the Top Tents and Events. So

when a young couple requested a

tented, winter wedding on a frozen

lake in Anchorage, owner Shelby

Johansen didn’t hesitate to take

the job.

“I’ve got a great crew and we

run into these things all the time,”

he says, adding that the biggest

challenge was staking the tent down

without tearing up the surrounding

ice, which was to be used as a

skating rink during the celebration.

It’s not uncommon to have high

winds at the base of the mountain

where the event took place, so

Johansen and his crew focused

on how best to safely secure

the tent to the ice. After careful

consideration, they decided to use

ice screws similar to those used by

mountain climbers.

“We screwed them into the ice

and then poured hot water over

them to freeze them in so they

wouldn’t move,” Johansen explains.

“It wasn’t a very big tent, but it was

still about six or seven thousand

pounds of fabric that needed to be

held down in the wind.”

Installation only took about four

hours because the crew planned

the process well ahead of time,

Johansen says. Everything the

Extreme tented weddingsIce, sand dune, trees and more: Tent pros pull off extraordinary wedding installations, says Meleah Maynard of IFAI’s InTents magazine.

Left: Taking tent design to futuristic new heights.

Above: Over the Top Tents and Events set up a 20-by-20 foot and a 10-by-20 foot tent for a wedding on ice. The tents by Warner Shelter Systems are a good choice for cold weather installations, Over the Top owner Shelby Johansen says. Photo by Sam Barber.

installation team needed was

hauled to the site in a truck and

then offloaded onto a sled that they

pulled with a snowmobile right up

to the lake. “We were concerned

about the wind the whole time,

but the evening ended up being

beautiful for a winter wedding,”

Johansen says.

Accommodating mature treesThe stone terrace at Graydon

Hall Manor in Toronto, Canada,

is home to seven large trees that

needed to be accommodated in

a tented structure for weddings

and other special events. Fiesta

Tents Ltd. of Quebec took on

the project, which required the

design and manufacture of a tent

that could be taken down and

reinstalled whenever functions

were scheduled.

“It was complicated because

each tree had between three and

nine branches that needed to pass

through the top of the tent,” says

Fiesta international sales manager

Alexandre Renaud. Another

challenge was the fact that the

top of the tent was clear vinyl, so

any imperfections would be quick

to show. Because the location’s

main attraction is its spectacular

gardens, the tent needed to

provide shelter from the elements

without compromising the view

It was a team effort to create

the tented structure, which fits

over the entire stone terrace and

incorporates four access points

and two sets of stairs. Toronto-

based JJL Events Inc. designed

the tent and came up with the

plan for incorporating the branches

while Fiesta manufactured the

finished product. “We also

custom built the frame so the

components don’t interfere with

the branching,” Renaud says.

Ongoing installation and removal

of the tent is done by Toronto’s

Regal Tent Productions Ltd.

After preliminary discussions, it

took about five weeks to complete

the frame and tent. Each branch

was measured to ensure the

openings were the right size.

TECH-NICAL


C O M M E R C I A L S H A D E C L O T H

100% Australian made and owned

Meets AS1530.2, AS1530.3, CSFM Title 19, 1237.1 (1993), NFPA 701, ASTM E84 Class A

• 5 cool colours

• 3.25 metres wide

• Custom widths and lengths available by request

• 10 year UV warranty

• Install and forget – NO retensioning

strongest FRshadecloth on the market

Designed for many applications including:

• Council Parks • Shopping Centre Car Parks• Shade Structures • Shade Sails • Childrens Playground Area • School Outdoor Lunch Areas • Athletic Events • Swimming Pool Canopies• Outdoor Recreation Areas • Truck Tarpaulins • Umbrellas • Nurseries

National Distributor:

7 Tombo Street, Capalaba, QLD 4157Phone: 07 3245 6756 Fax: 07 3245 6955

QLD Distributor:

Made In Australia

Monotec 370 is proudly manufactured in Australia by PRO-KNIT Industries Pty Ltd www.monotec.com.au

Ricky Richards (Sales) Pty Ltd 16 Park Road, Homebush NSW 2140 Phone: 02 9735 3333 Fax: 02 9735 3311www.rickyrichards.com.au

Summit Cream

Precision Grey

Spartan Green

Southern Sand

Thibault Blue

42 · CONNECTIONS

An extra flap of fabric that wraps

around the branches on the outside

of the roof line is held down with

tensioning straps to keep rain from

dripping into the tent.

Creating an upscale visionA wedding in the Hamptons with a

white-on-white minimalist theme

was the perfect opportunity for

Stamford Tent & Event Services of

Stamford, Connecticut, to show off

a new wide plank flooring option.

But to make that happen, the

budget needed to be the opposite

of “minimal.”

Requested by decorators, event

planners and others who want

an upscale look for social and

corporate events, the flooring can

be cut to varying lengths and hand-

finished in pickled birch or English

chestnut, says Stamford owner and

manager Steve Frost.

For the Hamptons wedding,

planned by Elizabeth K. Allen, the

flooring required two things: a level

sub floor and a generous budget,

says Frost. Installation is time-

consuming, and the flooring must

be covered during the process to

protect it from scratching.

The flawless floor was so

impressive that guests wondered

aloud whether their host, an

architect, planned to have it

installed permanently somewhere.

“People like this because it

doesn’t look like a typical rental

flooring option,” Frost says. “It looks

like something they would put in

their own home.”

Perfecting a seaside perchWhen a hurricane swept away a

house on the eastern end of Long

Island, it left behind a 16-foot-tall

sand dune with a breathtaking view

of the ocean—the perfect spot for a

tented wedding. After interviewing

several companies, the groom

chose Starr Tents of Mt. Vernon,

New York, for the job. It was a

challenging installation to be sure,

says owner Christopher H. Starr,

but it was not insurmountable.

“We’re often asked to do

complicated projects and we don’t

shy away from something even if

we haven’t done it before,” he says.

Though a frame tent would have

been easier to install, the event

designer, David Stark Design,

Brooklyn, New York requested a

tension tent. So Starr and his team

created a long staking system to

secure the largest tent, which was

used for the dinner, on the dune.

“We used special ratchet straps

that were made to extend to the

stakes down below,” Starr says.

Though the tent appeared to

be sitting on land when viewed

from the beach, it was actually

constructed atop an elaborate

flooring system. Down the hill

from the dinner tent, Starr’s team

also installed a cocktail tent so

guests could walk up from the

beach after the ceremony for

drinks before moving on to the

larger tent for dinner.

“We built a long ramp that went

all the way down to the beach, and

then the dinner tent had a deck

outside so people could walk

around two sides of it,” Starr explains.

No room for errorThe castle-style estate in Florida

chosen by rapper T. I. (Clifford

Harris Jr.) and Tameka “Tiny”

Cottle provided both the elegance

and privacy they desired for

their wedding reception—but it

came with timeline and technical

challenges for tent installer

EventStar of Miami, Florida.

The impressively designed light and airy wedding marquees bringing the outside in.

EventCouture LLC of Atlanta,

Georgia produced the lavish

event and called on longtime

partner EventStar for tented

options for the reception.

A lakeside design was chosen

that ideally would have required

five to six days to construct, says

EventStar’s Gerry Melendez.

But because the daily rate

for being on the site was cost

prohibitive, the crew was given

just three days for installation.

“We worked more than 12 hours

a day for three days and we got

it done on time,” Melendez says.

Because the terrain was uneven,

EventStar had to level the site

before flooring could be laid, and

everything needed to be measured

precisely so glass panels along the

estate-facing side of the tent could

be inserted.

“Those glass panels would never

have worked if everything wasn’t

perfectly level to within an eighth

of an inch of tolerance,” EventStar

president Alain Perez says. “We

went out three times with lasers to

survey the site to be sure we had

the measurements right. No one

knew we’d had to work so hard to

do the levelling because ultimately

the bottom of the tent was hidden

by a white skirt.”

This article reproduced from

InTents with kind permission

from IFAI.

We’re often asked to do complicated projects and we don’t shy away

from something even if we haven’t

done it before

TECH-NICAL


Asia 201226-28 June • SingaporeSuntec Singapore InternationalConvention & Exhibition Centre

ifaiexpoasia.com

Asia 201226-28 June • SingaporeSuntec Singapore InternationalConvention & Exhibition Centre

ifaiexpoasia.com

Your gateway to business opportunities in Asia PacificIncluding Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, China, and 14 other emerging countries for technical textiles.

Contact Todd Lindemann at IFAI: [email protected] or +1 651 225 6918

“This was the show we were missing in Southeast Asia.” - Eike Eberle, Sioen Coated Fabrics (Shanghai), IFAI Expo Asia 2011 exhibitor

Organized by:

Co-Managed by:

i faiexpoasia.com

44 · CONNECTIONS

Shann’s new perspective on blinds and awningsThink of summer and invariably

outdoor spaces to enjoy the warm

weather come to mind, whether

that’s relaxing at home, dining

out or enjoying a cool drink

at the local watering hole.

Protection from the sun is also

important as the hot Australian

summer takes its toll. Now, thanks

to Shann, taking advantage

of our great outdoors is easier,

and more affordable than ever.

Launching their latest blind and

awning range, Perspective

by Shann is purpose built

to be affordable without

compromising performance.

Featuring in the initial launch

of the Perspective range are the:

Cantina folding arm awning,

Channel Blind system designed

for alfresco living and dining

areas, pergolas and verandas

and VertiShade, aclever fully

cassetted head box blind system

designed for vertical drop

sun blinds.

“With the domestic market

continuing to follow commercial

trends around café blinds and

awnings, our new Perspective

range offers our clients and their

customer’s affordable and attractive

options to enjoy outdoor living”

explains Martin O’Shannassy,

Marketing Director of Shann.

The Perspective range rivals

expensive European products

and delivers exceptional and

stunning results. Sourced from

respected suppliers using high

quality materials which are further

enhanced and re-engineered

in Australia to suit Australian

The latest offerings from ASASPA members

conditions, the Perspective range

create comprehensive and

perfectly price pointed offering

for a wide range of domestic and

commercial applications.

Martin further explains, “The

Perspective range is absolutely

designed for commercial and

hospitality applications as well as

domestic situations. Because the

products are so adaptable and

engineered for performance they

can be specified and installed

with confidence”.

And true too that the benefits

of the Perspective range carry

through to the winter months,

allowing outside areas to be an

extension of the indoors regardless

of inclement weather. With a further

two new products due for launch

into the range in September, the

Perspective range really does offer

a complete and cost effective array

of window solutions.

Backed by a full-service, high-

energy sales and a comprehensive

range of products from leading

suppliers to a diverse range of

industries. The company’s

commitment to excellence and

superior product sees its staff

constantly travelling to trade

shows and visiting suppliers

to ensure continual product

development and improvement.

The uncomplicated and

reliable design of the Perspective

Cantina folding arm awning

makes it perfect for application

in residential, commercial and

hospitality settings. Available

manual or motorised in a range

of 15 beautiful Planosol® colours

and designs, the Cantina folding

arm awning is practical, stylish

and perfectly price pointed.

The Channel Blind system has

been created for alfresco living

areas, pergolas and verandas.

Designed without pull ropes or

zip closures, the smooth crank

operating mechanism of the

Channel Blind is effective and

easy to use.

VertiShade is a clever, fully

cassetted head box system

designed for vertical drop

sunblinds. Installed recessed into

the window frame, VertiShade

creates a contemporary flush look

to each façade.

For more information, quotes

or images contact Melissa Vine,

National Product Manager —

Industrial Fabrics, Shann Australia

on (03) 8480 0800.

E: [email protected]

www.shann.com.au

SPOTLIGHT


&

The Bricos Group — doing business since 1972Established in 1972, the Bricos

Group has a long and respected

history in the internal window

coverings industry providing

fabricators and retail customers

with outstanding sales support

and a quality range of sales and

marketing tools for expanding

business opportunities in internal

blind and curtain lining fabrics.

Mark Wood, National Sales

Manager for the Bricos Group,

says the company has plenty

to offer ACASPA members. “We

offer our counterparts in the

external window covering industry

and we’d like to partner with them,

to help them grow their business

in the internal side of the window

furnishing market,” Mark said.

The Bricos Group’s display at

Expo 2011 included three quality

ranges of Blind Fabrics, including the

Designer Collection, Sunshadow®

mesh and the Roller, Roman &

Panel Glide Collection as well as

examples of Curtain Linings from

the quality Just Linings range.

“While displaying our fabrics

at the Expo, with the main goal

of showcasing the support and

resources we have available

for businesses, we were able to

discuss the goals of business

owners and how the Bricos business

model can help to expand their

product offering,” Mark explained.

Bricos’ partnering programme

includes technical support, free

educational training for fabricators

and their customers, and retail

point of sale material.

ACASPA members planning

to expand can take advantage

of the Bricos Group’s long

standing expertise and access

to resources which includes a

specially designed Triple-Pack of

fabric swatches in fashion colours

and patterns suitable for every

residential and commercial window

covering requirement.

“Our Triple-Pack is a key

resource that presents fabric

sampling in an easy to manage

format with specially designed

lift out swatches that have been

developed for ease of use when

coordinating colours and fabric

types,” Mark said.

“The Bricos Group is the

Exclusive Distributor for several

Blockout ranges along with the

Designer Collection of decorative

blind fabrics and Sunshadow®

internal mesh in Australia and

New Zealand providing Bricos

customers with competitive

advantages on sought-after window

covering products,” Mark said.

Other benefits include a fast

turn-around Skins and Cut Length

Services which offer a premium

service that delivers economies

in terms of time, and wastage and

eliminates the need to purchase

entire rolls for small jobs.

The Bricos Group has

warehouses in Queensland and

Victoria which store and despatch

fabrics within 48 hours to major

regional centres.

For more information contact

Mark Wood on 0439 743 522.

SPOTLIGHT

46 · CONNECTIONS

Absolute Trade Supplies (ATS) ATS proudly manufactures and

distributes the high quality

Abshade architectural shade

fabrics. ATS is excited to

announce an improvement in the

manufacturing process of the

Abshade product.

Sales Consultant Daniel Tonkin

said “ATS has always been

renowned for offering the lowest

prices for quality shadecloth within

the Australian market. We are now

able to combine with a product

second to none, as our new state

of the art stentoring machine has

come online.”

ATS’s architectural range of shade

cloths have always been heat set or

stentored. However it is clear that

ATS is determined to continually

make developments, and therefore

has invested in the new machine

in order to give their customers

access to the best product

possible. Product development

manager Colin Covill explained.

“Any change made to our

products is like fine tuning a high

performance racing engine. Our

products are technically excellent;

however we have never been quite

satisfied with the degree of flatness

and curl. This machine will not

change the physical make up of

our Shadecloth, however it gives us

the ability to virtually eliminate curl

and reduce shrinkage even further

resulting in a stand out product at

amazing prices. With the ability

to micro manage temperature

settings and the speed the fabric

moves through the heating

chamber, the end result will be a

more consistent product across our

entire architectural range.”

www.absolutetradesupplies.com.au

Successful debut of new Durkopp Adler M-Type model: H867

A change for FerrariThe world renowned Ferrari textiles

brand recently changed the business

name and brand to Serge Ferrari in

honour of the company founder.

Launched in France 38 years ago

by Serge Ferrari, the company has

developed into a global player in

the manufacture and marketing of

composite textiles, now exporting

to more than 80 countries under

the guiding hands of Serge’s sons

Sebastien and Romain Ferrari.

The Australian launch of the

new company name and distinctive

logo coincided with the 2011

ACASPA Expo. In Australia the

extensive range of Ferrari fabrics

are available from Melbourne

based Innova International.

Managing Director Ian Knox

said “there is a new focus and

excitement within the partnership

network and we expect a continuous

flow of product enhancements

in this and future years. Ongoing

success will similarly be

underpinned by Serge Ferrari’s

commitment to producing superior

quality textiles in their integrated

manufacturing operations in France

and Switzerland.”

Both Innova and Serge Ferrari

credit their growth in Australia to

their long standing partnership,

R&D driven technological

advances and genuinely

sustainable practices.

www.innnovaint.com.au

Such is the quality of industry

visitors to the ACASPA Expo,

DASEC and Durkopp Adler

chose that event to debut the

prototype H867. Shown for the

first time outside of Germany, and

in its second only public viewing,

the H867 drew comments and

praise from visitors and industry

delegates alike. It is modelled

from the most successful medium-

heavy duty industrial sewing

machine in the world — the

famous M-Type from Durkopp

Adler AG, Bielefeld in Germany.

After TexProcess the machine

was returned to Durkopp Adler’s

R+D department for final

checking before being

airfreighted to Sydney.

Designed and manufactured

in Europe, H867 will go into

production later in 2011 and ready

for delivery from January 2012.

With features such as: new hook

system with 3XL sewing hook,

largest bobbin capacity; sewing

speed up to 2000spm; robust

thread trimmer guarantees safe

and clean cutting of extremely

heavy sewing thread; full

automatic lubrication system;

self start bobbin winding system;

powerful and effective triple

feed system; modern, up-to-date

construction and operator controls.

H867 brings sewing parameters

previously unavailable in heavy

duty sewing.

For more information on H867

contact DASEC on 02 9645 2500

or visit www.dasec.com.au

A MALAYSIAN COMPANY MARKET LEADER in Malaysia in shadesails

& tension membrane structures with yearly profits is now for sale to

Australians as the owner will be retiring. It is an opportunity for Australians

to tap into Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines.

If interested, kindly email to [email protected] or

[email protected] to receive more information.

BUSINESSFOR SALE


HVG continues push into fabrics market HVG Fabrics’ investment as a gold

sponsor of the recent ACASPA

Expo was the latest initiative in

an ongoing campaign by the

company to increase its profile and

presence in the decorative and

industrial fabrics market.

One of four gold sponsors for

the expo, the brand also had a

strong presence on the exhibition

floor, showcasing its latest range

of fabric solutions for the domestic

and commercial shade, blind and

awning, agricultural, marine and

transport markets.

Expo-goers got a look at HVG

Fabrics’ full range of industrial

fabric solutions, including the

Tarpee Polyfabric, a premium

Japanese-woven PE fabric for

grain, shelter and structure covers,

dam liners, poultry curtains and

tent flooring.

HVG Industrial Fabrics’ Business

Manager, John Wood said the

Tarpee Polyfabric, sourced from

HVG’s long term partner Hagihara

Industries in Japan, demonstrated

the global connections of HVG.

“With a global reach of suppliers

and products, we do the leg

work to find the right products

for the right applications for our

customers. We’re also confident in

the quality of our product range

and put our reputation on the line

to back these products with a

broad range of warranty options,”

John said.

Other product highlights at the

ACASPA Expo included the Flex

PVC for outdoor, agricultural,

industrial and transport

applications and the Extrablock

Shadecloth for commercial and

domestic shade sails.

HVG Fabrics’ eye-catching stand

at Sydney Convention & Exhibition

Centre also threw the spotlight

on its range of decorative fabrics

and films, including the Visiontex

outdoor awning mesh, EASISLIP

window films and Nautolex marine-

grade vinyls.

A PVC coated, high tensile

polyester, Visiontex is ideal for

outdoor applications such as

awnings, drop blinds, marine

canopies, light weight sails

and umbrellas.

EASISLIP is a high quality

Japanese PVC suitable for both

internal and external applications,

while Nautolex is a patented

seat vinyl with abrasion and stain

resistant properties for outdoor

marine and commercial seating.

“We’re in the midst of an ongoing

campaign to increase our profile

and presence in the fabrics

market and the expo was a perfect

platform to showcase our entire

portfolio of fabric products under

one roof,” said Daniel Gollan,

Business Manager, HVG Decorative

Fabrics and Films.

While the expo was a terrific

opportunity for HVG Fabrics

to display its latest products to

a who’s who of the industry,

HVG CEO Bruce Rayment said

the brand’s strengths also lay

in its experienced staff, network

of locations and extensive

stock supplies.

“With a stable national team

with 130-plus years of combined

industry knowledge, HVG is an

alliance partner with a technical

and commercial instinct you

can trust,” Bruce explained.

“Our national network of sales

specialists, six distribution centres

around the country and large stock

holdings also means we have the

products where and when you

need them.”

He added that Rayment said

HVG Fabrics also had the

marketing resources and advice

to ensure the latest personalised

sampling and marketing

innovations and point of sale

marketing packages to enhance

customers’ company profile.

For more information on HVG

Fabrics’ range of products visit

www.hvgfabrics.com.au

The Buz about tabletsPC tablets are now being released

by everyone: Apple, Samsung,

Motorola and Acer to name a few.

They are powered by different

companies and not all of them will

suit your needs. We at BUZ Software

have decided to design our

software to work on all the tablets.

Buz Software has always offered

online wholesale ordering on the

internet, and this works well for

our wholesale customers. Now we

have enhanced this area and made

it work for retail quoting on any

tablet or portable computer, you

can even do it on your phone if you

are desperate!

Your retail sales reps will have

access to their up-to-date diaries,

be able to do their quoting with

discount options in real time at

the customers home or office.

The orders will be saved to the

office so the office can answer

customer enquiries and be ready

for production and invoicing within

seconds of your customer giving

the go ahead.

BUZ Software has a dedicated

team that is prepared to listen

and grow with your business,

accessing new technologies to get

the best results for your needs.

For more information about Buz

visit www.buzsoftware.com.au

48 · CONNECTIONS

ACASPA Promo Advert (Aug2011).indd 1 17/08/11 12:38 PM


Suite 201, 22 St Kilda Road, St Kilda VIC 3182Phone 03 9521 2114 Local Call 1300 555 787 Fax 03 9521 2116 Email [email protected] www.acaspa.com.au ABN 83 594 171 330 Australian Canvas and Synthetic Products Association Inc

acaspa

Company / Business Name

ABN or ACN # Please supply proof of business registration with this application

Does your business trade under any other name? Yes No If yes, what is the other trading name

Address

State Postcode

Telephone ( ) Fax ( ) Mobile

E-mail Web

Name of Business Owner Position held in business

Name of second business contact/representative Position held in business

Has this business or any other business owned by you (either now or previously) ever been reported to the ACCC? Yes No (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) If yes, please provide details to accompany this application

What area of the industry are you involved in? Blinds and Awnings Marine Motor Trimmer Shade Sails installer Supplier to the industry (specify)Flags and /Banners Sailmaker GeoSynthetics Shade Sail Fabricator Other

What Products do you manufacture, design or supply?

Full Membership Category

n FABRICATOR Construction/Manufacture from prepared components n ASSOCIATE Individuals interested in ACASPA objectivesn SuPPlIER Material/Component/Equipment /Services n AFFIlIATE Organisations affiliated with ACASPA

Do you belong to any other Industry Association? n Yes n No If Yes, please list

Applicants are required to be proposed and seconded by an ACASPA Member – If you do not know of any Members, please contact our Office for further assistance

Proposed by Company Name Telephone

Seconded by Company Name Telephone

I, (name of business owner) agree to abide by the Statement of Purposes and Rules of the Association and its Code of Ethics. I understand that should at any time any of the information supplied by me is found to be false/incorrect, my membership will be immediately withdrawn from the Association.

Signature (of business owner) Date

Payment Details Amount $

EFT - Payments to NAB Account # 50 757 1523 BSB # 083 166

Cheque Mastercard Visa AMEX

Credit Card Number / / /

Expiry Date /

Name as it appears on card

Signature

Date

Annual Membership Fees

Tiered fee structure based on average number of employees (Prices are inclusive of GST)

1 to 5 Employees $510 6 to 15 Employees $855 16 or more employees $1155 Associate $160 Affiliate $190

(pro-rata Rate applies July through to March plus $100 processing fee. This will be calculated by ACASPA office)

Current from 1st April 2011 to 31st March 2012

Membership Application Form

MA

M87

20

ACASPA Promo Advert (Aug2011).indd 1 17/08/11 12:38 PM

50 · CONNECTIONS

Quality Assured Company

Head Office:130 Denison Street Hillsdale NSW 2036PO Box 94 Matraville 2036Phone 1300 13 14 67Fax (02) 9695 3222

www.leister.com.au

TRIAC S

PLASTIC WELDING

Just perfect

The microprocessor-con-trolled, high-performancemachine for extrafast andeconomical tape weldingof industrial fabrics orcoated woven materials.

UNIMAT TAPE40 mm or 50 mm

Follow the Footprints…

Above: Bright green footprints’were a prominent feature of the Innova International display stand.

Bright green footprints surrounding

the Innova International display

stand at ACASPA Expo 2011

proved intriguing for delegates.

What did they signify? Innova’s

strong focus on reducing the

company’s carbon footprint.

Innova International Managing

Director, Ian Knox said “We have

introduced the Remove-Recycle-

Replace concept to the market with

the support of our partner Serge

Ferrari of France. This activity

linked to the patented Texyloop

process makes possible the

responsible reduction of waste or

end-of-life materials.”

He explained there have been

many examples where fabric from

tension membrane structures has

been removed, cleaned and then

delivered to Innova International in

Melbourne. Fabrics are then stored

until there is a sufficient quantity

to fill a container which is then

exported to Europe for recycling.

“Life cycle assessment (LCA)

confirms that the creation of raw

materials from recycling is a

decisive factor that significantly

reduces environmental impacts,”

Ian said. “The Texyloop process

enables recycling of 100% of the

components of coated polyester

textiles and can accommodate

fabrics from various overseas mills,

based on a certified assessment.”

As Expo delegates would attest,

the super-sized Innova International

stand provided a glamorous series

of images covering the diverse

range of Serge Ferrari products

including their architectural fabrics,

Soltis solar protection textiles and

the Stamoid marine collection. Also

featured was a striking montage

of exhibition structures/buildings

from the 2010 World Expo in

Shanghai. In all, 14 individual

country displays showcased Serge

Ferrari materials.

SPOTLIGHT

Unit 12, 7-17 Geddes St. Mulgrave, VIC 3170Tel: 03 9561 8779 | Fax: 03 9562 0017Email: [email protected] 74 108 919 615

Unit 12, 7-17 Geddes St. Mulgrave, VIC 3170Tel: 03 9561 8779 | Fax: 03 9562 0017Email: [email protected] 74 108 919 615


52 · CONNECTIONS

QUEENSLAND

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

TASMANIA

VICTORIA

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY INSTITUTE OF TAFEPh (02) 9217 4601 Fax (02) 9217 4963

Contact: Lawrence De Paoli

[email protected]

www.sit.nsw.edu.au/sailmaking

NSW & NT

REGISTERED TRAINING ORGANISATIONS

LAWRENCE DE PAOLILawrence De Paoli

Ph (02) 9217 4601 Fax (02) 9217 4963

[email protected]

TASMANIA INSTITUTE OF TAFEPh 1300 655 307

Fax (03) 6233 7830

www.tafe.tas.edu.

RMIT UNIVERSITYPh (03) 9925 9182 Fax (03) 9925 9129

Contact: Kent Williamson

[email protected]

www.rmit.edu.au

25 Dawson Street Brunswick

Vic 3056

LAWRENCE DE PAOLILawrence De Paoli

Ph (02) 9217 4601 Fax (02) 9217 4963

[email protected]

TAFE WAPh (08) 9207 4412

Fax (08) 9207 4399

Gary McCormick

Swan College, Balga Campus

Gate 1 Lockswood Road, Balga WA

OCTOBERConference on Collaborative

Design and LSAA Design Awards

Thursday 13 and Friday 14 October

Novotel Sydney Olympic Park

Workshop: Design of Tensioned

Fabric and Shadecloth Structures

Wednesday 12 October

Novotel Sydney Olympic Park

www.collaborativedesign.com.au

www.lsaa.org

IFAI Advanced Textiles

Americas 2011

Monday October 24 to Tuesday

October 25

Baltimore Convention Center in

Baltimore, Maryland (As part of

IFAI Expo Americas 2011)

www.ifaiexpo.com/advanced_

textiles.cfm

IFAI Expo Americas 2011

Tuesday October 25 to

Wednesday October 27

Baltimore Convention Centre,

Maryland, USA

Leading the way in specialty

fabrics: the largest specialty

fabrics trade show in the Americas.

www.ifaiexpo.com

NOVEMBER/DECEMBERCanvas Products Association

Zone 7 2011 Conference

Wednesday November 30

to Friday December 2

Hilton Akron / Fairlawn Akron,

Ohio, US.

Zone 7 trade organisation

comprises fabric product

manufacturers and suppliers from

US states Ohio, Pennsylvania,

Michigan, West Virginia, Western

New York and Northern Kentucky.

www.canvaszone7.com

2012JANUARY2012 MFA National Convention

Friday January 20 to Sunday

January 22, 2012

Hilton Hotel,

New Orleans, Louisiana, US

Described as the premier

convention for the marine

fabrication industry, this event

enables marine canvas delegates

to enhance skills and make new

business connections.

www.marinecanvas.com

FEBRUARYTent Conference 2012

Sunday February 26

to Tuesday February 28

New York, NY Hotel & Casino

Las Vegas, Nevada

Tent Conference 2012 is the

marketplace for preparing

for the future. New products,

innovative ideas and

networking opportunities

during sessions will address

clearspan installations, fall

protection in tents, evacuation

procedures and weather

challenges. The conference also

features The Idea Factory and

Event Solutions/Catersource.

www.tentexperts.org

MARCHIFAI Expo Canada 2012

Thursday March 29 to Friday

March 30, 2012

Delta Meadowvale Resort and

Conference Centre

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

The annual IFAI Canada Expo

brings together specialty

fabrics manufacturers and

businesses. The event features

dedicated exposition hours

on the exhibit floor, combined

with a compelling and

interactive program.

www.ifaicanada.com

MAYACASPA EXPO 2012

Saturday May 26 to Monday

May 28, 2012

At the centrally located, premier

events venue, Melbourne

Exhibition Centre.

ACASPA Expo 2012 will feature

a two-day exhibition, business

sessions and social events.

The very popular Awards for

Excellence dinner takes place on

Monday evening, May 28.

More details to come, visit

www.acaspa.com.au

JUNEIFAI EXPO ASIA 2012

Tuesday June 26 to Thursday

June 28 2012

Suntec Singapore International

Convention and Exhibition

Centre, Singapore

A dynamic trade exhibition

and conference dedicated to

technical textiles in Asia Pacific.

See the pages of this magazine

for more details or log on to:

www.ifaiexpoasia.com

ACROSS THE GLOBE

EVENTS

SALE/LEASE Rodda Tarpaulins — BordertownIdeally situated within the transport hub of Adel-Melb, upper & lower SE a & Sthn Mallee. 38 year established with large reliable client base of freighters & agriculturists, roll tops, general tarps & assoc. canvas goods. Expansion available for blinds & shade sails with enthusiastic buyer. Exc rural living c/w sporting schooling & medical facilities. Owner to assist transition on sale. Interest invited. Contact Ross Rodda on 0429 809 798

DISTRIBUTORLooking for distributors or agents for the “Street Smart Umbrella” Lightweight, two part rectangular cantilevered umbrella for street dining.This is a unique product and a great opportunity.Please contact James at Yarra Shade Co on 03 9676 2476. [email protected]


P: 1300 854 811F: 1300 658 889

[email protected]

The FLEX range of PVCs.Muscle in on the value!

Our FLEX PVC range

guarantees absolute strength and durability for outdoor, agricultural, industrial and

transport applications.

VynaFLEX CoverFLEX EnduroFLEX AlphaFLEX >

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