December 2012 - MiTek Australia

ISSUE No. 53
December 2012
As I see it.
As I outlined in my article in the
previous edition of FabNews,
2012 has been the year of
SAPPHIRE™. And now, with
the official launch having taken
place at Hamilton Island in
early November, we can indeed
look forward to some exciting
times as SAPPHIRE is rolled
out over the coming months.
Indeed the three day event was such
a great success that everyone I
spoke to agreed, this was the best
MiTek conference ever. We had
some excellent speakers: our MC for
the Conference and Gala Dinner,
John Lees with his presentation on
Marketing and Sales Management;
Dr Helena Popovic - Boost Your
Brain, and of course our own Richard
Moulton with an excellent Sapphire
presentation followed by a live
SAPPHIRE demonstration with Mark
Sewell. Golf on the Sunday at the
spectacular course on Dent Island
was a highlight for those participating
while many others enjoyed a day trip
out to the Great Barrier Reef.
The final event, the Gala Dinner,
was another spectacular affair and a
fitting tribute to the weekend's
success. Anna-Maria La Spina had
the audience on the dance floor
within minutes of her opening song,
while later, Darren Percival and his
pianist Paul Gray spent more than
an hour entertaining and engaging
with the audience in a superb
performance. All in all it was a
wonderful night and an equally
wonderful conference.
Although details of the launch are
covered in the following pages
I would like to say that the feedback
I received from many of those who
attended was extremely positive.
With the end now in sight for 2012, it
is timely to look forward to what we
can expect in 2013. High on the
agenda will of course be the start of
the roll out of SAPPHIRE which will
begin towards the end of the first
quarter.
In respect of the economic outlook
the indications are for a modest year
ahead with mixed fortunes on a State
by State basis. Victoria and South
Australia seem set for a considerable
weakening in new home building
activity whilst the Tasmanian economy
is close to recession status.
Queensland enjoyed some fast
economic growth in the June 2012
quarter but continues to suffer from
relatively high unemployment and a
weak new home building sector.
NSW is looking better than it has
been for a number of years which is
at least a positive while West
Australia, the Northern Territory and
the Australian Capital Territory
represent three economies that are
looking up.
Overall I think we can expect the
continuation of a patchy economy
but, for what it is worth, one that is
still much better than in most other
places in the world.
2012 has been an exciting and
challenging year and as it draws to a
close I would like to take this
opportunity to thank you for your
business and support throughout the
past year. I hope you all have a very
safe festive season and I look forward
to catching up with many of you in 2013.
MiTek SAPPHIRE™ launch...every
facet a winner!
The official welcome to the MiTek SAPPHIRE™ launch was held
on the promenade of Hamilton Island's famous architectural
landmark: The Hamilton Island Yacht Club. Run over the
Melbourne Cup weekend (early November), the event proved to
live well beyond the hype. Of course SAPPHIRE was the
hero...but MiTek wanted this to be a conference to remember and they didn't disappoint! Stephen Fray, Executive Chairman,
Asia Pacific & South Africa gave a brief but sincere welcome to a
Continued page 2
1
SAPPHIRE launch continued
crowd of over 140 and stressed:
'this weekend was to be a
celebration of MiTek SAPPHIRE
and the relationships MiTek
enjoys with all of its fabricators.'
A bar at one end and a constant
flow of delicious canapés and
aperitifs saw the mood set for
the next few days. It would be
accurate to say: one doesn't
come to Hamilton Island to
lose weight or go on a health
camp - the food is just too
good to resist. Everywhere
you go quality abounds; the
variety on offer would leave a
Masterchef wanting more!
Guests needed little encouragement
to mingle with old friends and fellow
fabricators. MiTek staff were also on
hand to mix with customers and
partake in the much lauded release
of MiTek SAPPHIRE. The Yacht
Club Cocktail Party was deliberately
organised to coincide with a
spectacular sunset over the Great
Barrier Reef; a scene few will
forget! Not to be outdone; a huge
SAPPHIRE logo weaved its way
across the feature wall of the yacht
club...clearly visible to guests of
MiTek and others across the marina.
The Cocktail Party came and went
too fast - as attendees were keen to
keep up the spirit of the occasion.
This saw several groups heading off
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to different restaurants on the
island...and quite a few taking the
opportunity to get an early night; in
preparedness for the heavy schedule
planned for the weekend.
An 8.30am start the next morning
saw Stephen open proceedings in
the Conference Centre (only a short
stroll from the Reef View Hotel) - the
large room was packed with barely
an empty seat to be seen.
Professional Marketing & Sales
Management presenter (and MC for
the rest of the conference), John
Lees took to the stage. Author of 11
books, former marketing and sales
director of Schwarzkopf Australia and
a presenter highly regarded for his
ability to entertain and educate, he
shared his insights into marketing
mixing satirical observations of
people's behaviour with business
acumen. It was the perfect mix of
informative material and comic relief.
it was difficult to take him too
seriously at times as he interlaced
the serious with the satirical.
Following a well deserved thankyou
from Stephen, John took over
the role of MC and introduced
Richard Moulton. Richard stressed:
'SAPPHIRE is for more than
fabricators
but
created
with
fabricators business' in mind - it is
more inclusive for everyone in the
chain of users; creating a potential
intellectual resource.' Richard went
on to give his statement context.
He elaborated on the history of
software involvement in prefabrication
and how MiTek has always led the
way. He also explained why MiTek
continue to be proactive and how
genuine 'whole-house' differed from
piece-meal, stop-gap solutions which
might espouse whole-house, but
could never live up to the claim.
Richard also explained: 'users don't
have to change to a single designer
approach, but if you do, productivity
gains are achievable. We need look
no further than the US, who are
already using the system, and
realising a 20% productivity gain.
This has been directly attributed to
the automation SAPPHIRE offers the
end user; with wall frames, floor
systems and roof systems able to
work as one, always in sync, with
nothing hidden, everything completely
automated and wonderfully visual…'
Gone is the reliance on manual
data transfer and repetition of data
input - SAPPHIRE would speak all
languages to all in the communication
chain.
Morning tea couldn't have come at a
better time.
Coffee, Tea and some magnificent
white chocolate, dark chocolate and
assortment of fruit muffins, some
glazed and some sprinkled with
tasty delights lured even those not
burdened with a sweet tooth.
Hamilton Island was proving itself as
a culinary temptress yet again!
John simplified many issues
businesses sometimes see too
complicated. Gems like: 'your
business is supposed to help me, my
business is supposed to help you'
and ''ignorance is not bliss - it is
extremely dangerous' were themes
he extolled to a captive audience.
John also talked about the 'value
gap' in business and customer
relationships, imparting wisdom
many took as good advice. However,
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The return of Richard Moulton.
This time Richard, with the help of
Mark Sewell took SAPPHIRE through
its' paces up on the big screen in
real time - clearly and concisely
demonstrating just how powerful a
program and how positive a business
tool it would be for fabricators.
Together they proved SAPPHIRE
could handle real tasks, real
challenges quicker and smarter than
any software ever before. If this were
a marathon, the gap between MiTek
SAPPHIRE and 2nd place wasn't
judged by metres - more by kilometres!
Richard demonstrated all the
everyday, easy scenarios - then he
threw in some curve balls; stair
openings, floors, walls and windows
moving
and
the
engineering
implications of load bearing objects
on full load paths and how they
affected the whole structure. The
whole demonstration went seamlessly
- in front of an educated audience
ready to question even the slightest
concern. None rose…they were too
busy absorbing the implications
SAPPHIRE might have on their
business.'
Collaboration and communication
between project parties was next on
the agenda. Richard talked about the
secure portal access fabricators
could input then went on to explain
the role of new media. The MiTek
SAPPHIRE iPad App saw the room
go quiet; no one moved, they were all
glued to their seats. The implications
of this feature on-site and the
intellectual property fabricators could
share were of particular interest.
Some even saw the potential to use it
as a value added benefit for their
customers and a great sales tool.
When Richard mentioned: 'the whole
SAPPHIRE Suite, OptiFlow and
Scheduler could be loaded onto the
latest Windows 8 tablet,' you could
hear people shuffling excitedly in
The giant, interactive screen held
no secrets - could SAPPHIRE deliver
all the advantages fabricators
expected?
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their seats. 'Just imagine,' added
Richard…'you could be monitoring
everything as you walk around your
office, on the plant floor - or on-site!'
Richard welcomed attendees to get
their hands on a few of the iPads and
the Windows 8 tablet at the end of the
conference…to try them out.
also answered the most asked
question in the room: 'when can we
get our hands on SAPPHIRE?'
'MiTek are aiming to have the
full SAPPHIRE Suite, including
Reporting & Production by the 1st
quarter of 2013,' was his answer.
Andrew explained: 'many fabricators
have shown a keen interest in
becoming Beta sites - and one of the
big challenges was narrowing down
that group.'
Andrew Bricknell took to the stage
to thank Richard and Mark and give
his view on where MiTek were
heading and how important he saw
the continuation of strong working
relationships with fabricators. Andrew
Next presenter was author and professional speaker: Dr Helena
Popovic. Her theme: Boost your
Brain, Boost your Life, Boost your
Business revealed just how little of
our brain we use constructively and
how mastering your brain can
improve all facets of life and work.
She also explained the 'fundamentals
of success.' An excellent way to finish
the formal part of the Conference!
Delegates moved out into the foyer of
the Conference Centre to be greeted
by MiTek staff ready to demonstrate
SAPPHIRE on both the iPads and
Windows 8 tablet. There were also
two long tables on either side of the
foyer - one with a lavish presentation
of food for lunch, the other covered
in blue beach bags. Each bag
contained a large blue striped beach
towel, a SAPPHIRE cap, some
SAPPHIRE sunscreen and other
merchandise…more gifts from MiTek!
Many chose to stick around and have
a chat after lunch - but for some, the
chance to try out their new towel and
sunscreen by the pool or down on the
beach was too hard to ignore. The
rest of the day was free, but Sunday
would prove to be action-packed, so
a good rest was recommended.
2011
Footy Tipping 2012
With the completion of the AFL season, the winner of the popular
and hotly contested MiTek Footy Tipping competition for 2012 was
Lyn Merchant from Bowens Timbertruss Geelong.
In second place - Matt Legg from McCormack Demby with Shaon Arnol
(Trusses Plus) and Nick Martin (Trussworks S.A.) taking out third and fourth
respectively.
Congratulations and thanks to all participants for this year and we look forward
to testing our skills in 2013.
5
Fore...Five...Six...TwentySix!
Hamilton Island's 18 hole golf
course (on nearby Dent Island)
cost $45 million to create.
However in its 18 month
history it has probably already
claimed nearly 45 million lost
balls - a slight exaggeration,
but this is a course where
enough 'spares' in the bag
are never enough. And the
wayward golfer is given less
than encouraging incentive to
look for anything that may
have found its way into the
thick grass or never-ending
overgrowth; as local course
aficionados are quick to point
out: 'there's Taipan, Tiger and
Brown snakes hidden amongst
the habitat. No whacking the
grass with the 5 iron or
stamping your feet to 'feel' the
bump of a lost ball here - just
cop it on the chin, drop a ball
and move on.
Fore-warned and fore-armed, 28
brave golfers ventured forth for a
9.30am tee-off to answer the
challenges which lay ahead. 18 holes
in this incredible location begin like
no other. No milling in a bitumen
car park, madly scrambling to get
the bag, buggy and bearings in
check...this golfing adventure started
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in the Hamilton Island marina,
surrounded by swathes of tropical
palms and luxurious 'runabouts.'
A quick count - and all boarded
the ferry to take them to nearby
Dent Island. Assembling in the Club
Rooms & restaurant, some welcome
tea & coffees and a brief overview of
the match format and the day's
proceedings. A four ball, Ambrose
event seemed the most popular
option as the layout would challenge
even the most skilled amongst the
group. This would prove to be no day
for the faint-hearted...or hot-headed!
The weather was typical Hamilton
Island fare - beautiful one day...better
the next. Blue skies and barely a
breeze, mixed with a humidity that
had a way of draining even the most
resilient beckoned. Golf carts aren't
an option on this course with 17 km of
sealed paths and undulating (at best)
landscape physically impossible to
navigate with a buggy. Carts,
Calaway Clubs a box of 12 balls each
- plus another half-a-dozen Calaway
MiTek SAPPHIRE™ balls were all
supplied. Some of the more serious
players brought their own clubs.
A refreshment cart, complete with
a couple of hundred 'emergency'
balls was never far away - offering
a respite from the heat and
encouragement to the frustrated.
'This cart was a lot quicker than
anything we were driving,' said
Richard Moulton. 'It was like a V8
Supercart - it had to be to keep up
with all the golfers needing balls and
refreshments!'
Dent Island's 18 holes are a mix of
impossible par 3s and ridiculous par
4s. Throw into that a few par 5s and
sloping fairways depriving even the
straightest tee shot a fair lie...and you
have a lot of fun; if you approach the
game with the right mind-set. One of
the greatest challenges for the players
was: staying focussed on the game.
Spectacular, sweeping 360° views of
the majestic Whitsundays bore a constant reminder of just how special this
part of world is and how unique a
course Peter Thompson created.
Nearby Whitsunday and Lindeman
Islands and crystal clear coral reefs
created a stunning scene.
There were many 'special' moments
on the day - however one is of
particular note: Don Horsley, of Truss
Me, Canberra obviously enraptured
by the views form the 12th hole;
neglected to gather all his clubs
before alighting his buggy and
moving on to the next hole. 'SNAP;'
his 5 iron was now two two and a half
irons! Richard Moulton, seizing the
moment suggested Don's 'short
game' might improve as a result.
The next hole saw a rather 'stunted'
Don teeing off on his knees. Some
carefully placed shoes provided
comic relief for the group - and a
rather red-faced Don trying to explain
some hours later how this mishap
occurred. 'Upon our return I noticed
Don in deep discussion - actually
more like an interrogation with the
staff in the pro shop,' said Stephen
Fray. 'He was suggesting he may
have hit the ball too hard.'
remember: Dent Island is a National
Park - so the design had to be
sympathetic to the landscape,' noted
Stephen. 'I've never played anything
like it…it was so much fun.'
Stephen was grateful two very
experienced golfers were in his group
of four: Geoff Holland and Neil
Phillips. 'Geoff had played the course
several days earlier and gave both
George Prothero and me some
handy tips on how to attack each hole
best. I lost 3 balls in 3 strokes early
in the game…but things improved
dramatically from there on. They
needed to,' added Stephen. Stephen
has played golf in some very
prestigious courses around the
world - but rates this as the most
spectacular he's ever seen. 'I was
so impressed with the layout and
character of this course. You have to
Straightest drive: Julie Plesko
Winners on the day: everyone.
Ball-losers on the day: everyone.
Official winners:
First place team: Geoff Holland,
Stephen Fray, George Prothero, Neil
Phillips
Second place team: Peter Owen,
Andrew Scane, Stephen Fisher,
Dylan Fisher
Longest Drive: Doug Burgin
Nearest to the pin: Geoff Holland,
Jenny O'Rourke
The challenging conditions levelled
the playing field for both hackers and
pros alike…so it was good to see the
ladies feature so prominently in the
awards. If it is any consolation for
those who participated; Hamilton
Island held its first Pro competition
a few weeks after the MiTek
SAPPHIRE™ Conference...no-one
was spared then too! If you think this
story a tad over-exaggerated; spare a
thought for the poor chap some
weeks before the conference, who
posted a course record...47 lost balls
in 18 holes!
7
Turtles, giant trevally…
and Teletubbies!
wonders of the world! It took about
1hr 45min to reach the Reefworld
pontoon…and, although the boat
boasted a computerised stabilizing
system and the conditions weren't at
all rough, several on-board found the
going a little too tough for their tender
stomachs. The sight of slices of
overly rich mudcake and cheese and
crackers half way into the journey
probably did little to settle their
condition either. For those with a
stronger constitution getting there
was half the fun. At times one could
have been left wondering how the
Going to Hamilton Island and
not experiencing the Great
Barrier Reef is like going to
Disneyland and not getting on
a ride - no offence to those who
played golf; that sounded like a
lot of fun too! In fact, attendees
at the MiTek SAPPHIRE™
conference were given the
option of either playing golf or
going on a Great Barrier Reef
adventure cruise on board the
37 metre, 'Seaflight' catamaran.
One of the largest vessels to
8
access the reef, this impressive
boat offered air conditioned
comfort
inside
(on
two
levels)…and open-air comfort
on the top deck. Over 100
MiTek delegates took up the
reef adventure offer, so several
buses were required to usher
them to the marina to ensure
boarding was finalised by 9am.
The catamaran travels out to a
permanent pontoon some 20km from
Hamilton Island - so you're right in the
middle of one of the seven natural
skipper would find a pontoon in such
a large, open ocean - but it soon
appeared on the horizon, nestled in
the middle of crystal clear waters
every shade of blue. From a distance
the pontoon seemed small and
insignificant, but as the boat drew
closer it became clear it was large
enough to serve as a comfortable
base station for everyone for the next
2 hours…and as a mooring dock for a
collection of smaller craft which
would take guests out onto and into
the reef.
As the catamaran approached the
pontoon a metre-wide turtle swimming
close to the offloading ramp met it.
One lucky couple who had spent the
night on the pontoon stood on the
sun-deck madly waving at the
approaching boat; welcoming all.
Cruise Whitsundays staff slid the
landing board into place and counted
off the guests as they scrambled from
one deck to the other. Long rows of
over-sized boxes contained an
assortment of flippers, waders, life
jackets, snorkels and goggles - with a
combination sure to fit the smallest to
the tallest. However the selection of
stinger suits weren't so kind. There
were plenty of 'slimming & forgiving'
black full-body stinger suits for
anyone from a child up to Medium
or even Large. Go to XL, XXL or
anything bigger and the reef
adventurer had a choice of iridescent
blue or fluorescent pink!
Unfortunately the summer months in
Queensland attract several types of
pest (not including schoolies): the
Box Jellyfish and Irukandji Jellyfish.
The Box Jellyfish have a sting, which
can be fatal. At best it inflicts searing
pain and leaves prominent scares.
Irukandji are much smaller than box
jellyfish; only 2cm in diameter. Their
sting is less toxic, but approximately
30 minutes after the sting the patient
develops severe back and abdominal
pain, limb or joint pain, nausea and
vomiting, sweating and agitation.
The pros for wearing a suit: don't get
stung. The cons for wearing a stinger
suit: you ran the risk of looking like a
larger-than-life Pappa Smurf or an
oversized Teletubbie. Suffice to say,
many of the children who were on
this reef trip will never view some of
their TV favourites in the same
light…ever again!
The reef life didn't seem too
perturbed by their new intruders;
brightly coloured leatherjackets and
schools of small bait fish filled the
water. There were striped fish,
spotted fish, odd-coloured and
odd-shaped fish on view for
the snorkelers and scuba divers.
For those less inclined to get wet
(or look ridiculous) there were
glass-bottomed boats offering just as
enthralling a subsea experience.
A semi-submersible submarine proved
popular too. There were even two
smaller pontoons where helicopters
awaited any keen to see the reef from
the air. For the most part guests were
left to swim the reef freely, however
there were guided snorkelling safaris
for those wanting to learn more about
the marine life and the way the reef
works. There was plenty to do and
options galore.
After a good session in the water
guests were greeted by a buffet lunch
including an array of fresh salads,
fresh chicken and ham…and quickly
disappearing platters laden with tiger
prawns. Cold drinks, hot drinks and
sweets followed. For those wanting
something a little stronger the two
bars aboard the catamaran offered a
variety of beverages. These became
particularly popular on the trip back to
Hamilton Island! The food was plenty
- seeing many retire to the top deck of
the pontoon to absorb the sun's rays
and catch a quick nap. Others decided
more reef time was needed. An hour
later and it was time to shed the suits
and watersports gear, gather one's
belongings and head back on board
the catamaran for the trip home.
A helicopter was also at hand to take
a select few back quicker than they
came.
'Great weather, great day, Great
Barrier Reef - what more can I say,'
offered Wayne Hondow. Although
tired from a long day all agreed: this
had been a special day, well
organised, well attended and an
excellent way to wind down before
the Gala Dinner that night. A long day
saw the boat finally return just after
5pm, as the sun began to set over the
Hamilton Island Yacht Club. This left
little time for MiTek guest to get back
to their rooms and prepare for the
'Night of Stars' - but all were looking
forward to this final chapter in what
was a fantastic conference and an
apt way to celebrate the launch of
MiTek SAPPHIRE™.
9
Gala Dinner a ball!
Returning to the Conference
Centre, where SAPPHIRE was
the star of the show only a day
earlier, guests gathered in the
foyer for pre-dinner drinks.
All were ushered through a
blue tunnel bathed with
glittering lights, then opening
out to the main ballroom area,
to the tunes of Adele's 'Rolling
in the deep' - performed
admirably by local band: Under
the Radar. The dazzling light
theme continued with swathes
of blue and black and dinner
tables adorned with large glass
vases filled with blue crystals.
The light show was fantastic the talent to come, spectacular.
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MC, John Lees took to the stage
to set a light-hearted tone for the
night with more of his witty tales for
the next few minutes. Under the
Radar returned with some mood
music as Hamilton Island continued
its gastronomic extravagances with a
flurry of waiters bringing out delicious
entrees. The food disappeared as
quickly as the band; John Lees
launching into yet another comic
routine.
The band came back to the stage as
sumptuous main courses appeared.
Some saw a window of opportunity to
hit the dance floor early - this soon
turned into a packed throng as the
first of the feature artists, Anna-Maria
La Spina gave superb renditions of
classic songs by famous divas.
Her voice was simply stunning powerful and mesmerising.
11
Headline act Darren Percival proved
why he went so far in popular TV
show 'The Voice' as he belted out
hit after hit with a professionalism
seldom seen. His warmth and
engaging nature saw Darren leave
the stage and mingle with the crowd,
both on the dance floor and whilst
moving from table to table. Not to be
out-done, Geoff Holland (Bendigo
Truss) donned a dinner jacket, took
the stage and gave a rousing
rendition of New York, New York with
Darren enthusiastically encouraging
the display. Darren stayed longer
than his allocated time, but not long
enough for a crowd eager for more.
12
Under the Radar came back to take
guests to the end. The dance floor
was a sea of people - even young
children were caught up in the
moment, dancing away to songs
written before they were born.
The band pushed Hamilton Island's
curfew to the limits. More, more,
more yelled the crowd…but alas, the
night had come and gone too quickly.
'What really counts is: what
customers thought - and I heard
unsolicited praise from all,' said a
very proud Stephen. 'You hear
people giving such enthusiastic,
genuine responses and it makes all
the effort worthwhile. It was a
great conference and an excellent
way to launch such an important
development to the industry.'
13
MiTek goes west.
MiTek NSW runs three major
conferences a year: one in
Canberra for our ACT &
Southern NSW fabricators,
another in Orange servicing
Central & Western NSW...and
finally, one up on the north
coast in Coffs Harbour
servicing the North Coast
and Northern Tablelands.
'These conferences are a major
point of communication for
our customers,' said Peter
Hutchison, MiTek NSW State
Manager. 'We understand how
difficult it can be for fabricators
and their staff to take time off and, in many instances, travel
great distances to get to
metropolitan venues; so we've
adopted the stance: let's take
the show to them. Three
locations have proven very
successful in the past...so
we've continued with that
format.' One very good
example was the Central &
Western NSW Conference held
on Wednesday, September 12;
carrying the theme: 'Partners
on Purpose.'
'The thinking behind this theme
centred around the partnerships
MiTek has with our fabricators on
varying levels ie: growth, profitability,
staying ahead of the competition,'
said MiTek NSW Chief Engineer, Tim
Rossiter. 'Another benefit to this
theme is: the focus we all have on the
tasks ahead, not just going with the
flow, but always looking forward.
Plus, it is on purpose we are in
partnership with our fabricators; we
want to work together to achieve
goals and take advantage of new
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opportunities as they arise.'
Held in Orange at the Central Caleula
Motor Lodge (a regular venue), the
conference began at 10am and
finished at 4pm. 'Quite a few of the
attendees still had some distance to
travel, so we didn't want to start too
early or finish too late,' said Peter.
Peter welcomed more than a dozen
fabricators and staff; then it was
straight to business. Richard Moulton
co-presented an informative segment
on the Help Desk with a video from
FSM, Amanda Ling. Fellow MiTek
FSM, Bruce Wells followed with the
latest
updates
on
OptiFlow
Scheduler; then Richard returned
with another co-presentation from
Buildsoft Sales Manager, Haydon
Carroll. Morning Tea gave all a
chance to freshen up before Tim
Rossiter took to the stage to
introduce new product developments
and review FRAME Australia 2012.
This served as the perfect segue to
Richard Moulton's talk on the Impact
of Whole House Software…and how
important it was to adopt software
that had been built from the ground
up - not just cobbled together from
various different platforms. True
Whole-House (SAPPHIRE™) would
prove the perfect desert to…lunch.
MiTek Managing Director Andrew
Bricknell introduced SAPPHIRE™
(remembering many fabricators
found it difficult to attend FRAME,
where
SAPPHIRE™
featured
heavily). For some this meant the
first opportunity in several months
to be brought up-to-speed with
SAPPHIRE's™ progress and see
many of the developments first hand.
Bruce Wells returned to elaborate
on the features and benefits of
SAPPHIRE™ Portal…and how
improved communication could
impact on the day-to-day operational
procedures of an efficient plant.
Richard followed again with some
comprehensive insights into the
workings of SAPPHIRE™ Suite and
how it would make life easier for
fabricators and their staff in the future.
This left little time for questions…but
some healthy discussion ensued.
'Everyone seemed quite excited
about SAPPHIRE™ and MiTek's
commitment to their business,' said
Peter. 'It was all very positive.'
'This was all about reaffirming our
partnership focus with our valued
fabricators, and to demonstrate some
of the tools we can deliver now and in
the future to help them develop
long-term partnerships with their
customers,' added Tim. 'It's only by
planning for tomorrow today that we
can all be prepared for what lies
ahead...and be in a position to take
full advantage of opportunities as
they present themselves.'
Simply Tee-rrific!
'It's amazing how quickly these
things come around,' said
Peter Hutchison, of MiTek
NSW's annual golf day. It was
the 22nd time this event was
held...and popularity hasn't
waned - quite the contrary.
'We had over 60 starters,' said
the MiTek NSW State Manager
proudly. 'We seem to have
been blessed over the years
too - as the weather couldn't
have been better; clear blue
skies, not a breath of air and
warm conditions.' Held at the
same venue for many years,
the idyllic Glenmore Heritage
Golf Course, the next six
hours would see handicaps
shattered, balls lost and
reputations in tatters....But it
was all in fun! Glenmore is
nestled at the foot of the Blue
Mountains in the magnificent
and historic Mulgoa Valley and
is one of Sydney's few 27-hole
golf courses...with some very
easy par 3s mixed in with some
very challenging fairways and
greens.
The format: 4 ball Ambrose; with
teams of four setting off with a
shotgun start at 8am. Sign up was
only 30 minutes earlier, with all keen
to leave the welcomes behind and
get on this lush course as soon as
possible. Unfortunately the only lady
to play on the day was MiTek's very
own Amanda Ling - so the call is
well and truly out for more ladies to
participate next year. 'The boys
seem to behave better when the
girls are around,' said Peter. 'Having
said that: there wasn't too much
mischief on the day, with most
participants more intent on playing
well rather than playing up.' However,
a MiTek courtesy cart complete with
refreshments of the liquid kind (and
the odd nibble) was kept busy all
morning, darting from hole to hole.
After a splendid day strolling the
fairways...and sometimes off the
fairways all gathered back at the
clubhouse for a well-earned lunch
and a few drinks. Peter Hutchison
held court using the opportunity to
thank all who came and hand out
some prizes:
1st place - Tilling Timbers Group:
Steve Clark, Peter Celep, David
Ward & Matt Thomas
2nd place - Andrew Bricknell (MiTek),
John Ryan and Michael Turner (both
from CRT)
3rd Place - The Timberfast Group:
Mark Porter, Brendan Sommerfield,
Corey Sheehan & Ben Porter
Then there was MiTek's version of
Black Caviar (such a short-priced
favourite, he's unbackable) for the
NAGA Award: Shan Sudar. Three
years in a row and he won it
AGAIN!...all with different partners
and this time without swinging a club
in anger as his back was out. Shan
decided his enviable talents could be
put to better use as team coach passing on his erudite advice from
the comfort of the golf cart. The team
mates he lowered to his level were
John Roberts (MiTek), Phil Langley
and Scott Maloney (Oxley Timbers).
One of his team-mates revelling at
winning an 'award' was soon brought
back down to earth when NAGA was
explained.
Longest Drives - Michael Watson
(Ridgetop team), Matt Thomas
(Tillings team)
Nearest the pin - John Roberts and
Richard Moulton - both from MiTek
'It was a great day and an excellent
chance to catch up. Quite a few of the
attendees still had some distance to
travel, so an early afternoon finish
was ideal,' said Peter. In fact, guests
came from near and far. Taree was
the farthest any had to come (some
300km away) - but even the close
ones still had time behind the wheel.'
Bowral (150km), Maitland in the
Hunter Valley (160km) and just
around the corner; Woolongong
(80km) were well represented.
'We have brought the 23rd event
ahead a week so fabricators don't
have end-of-month to do. And by
coincidence it is the 23rd of August, a
Friday' said Peter. 'It should see a
bigger turn-out, and yes…ladies are
very welcome!'
15
MiTek pedal power!
We've all seen them; those
lycra-clad lads…and ladies
puffing and panting their way
along our roads (much to the
dismay of some - others, more
forgiving). Bike riders.
Once a year Melbourne's EastLink
arterial is closed to give bike riders
unprecedented access to an excellent
'ride surface' not often enjoyed by
riders. It's one of the newest,
smoothest arterial routes in the
Victoria - free of traffic lights, cars,
trucks…anything & everything. This
annual event attracts corporate
teams, families, sporting clubs and
groups of friends. This year it
attracted over 6,500 bike enthusiasts including, for the first time, some
MiTek teams.
It was Dave Walker (Engtruss) and
Glenn Johnstone (MiTek) who came
up with the idea of entering a 'MiTek
Team'…and made it happen. At first
they thought there might be a few
takers for this healthy event - after all
they wanted to do the serious 75km
ride. Three did…Dave, his son Guy
and Dean Ashton from MiTek. But
there was an even larger group keen
to do the 35km trek too. A shorter
15km was also on the calendar but
35km seemed like a better challenge.
Steve and Dianne Fisher (JD's Truss),
Dave
Tsakmakis
(Peuker
&
Alexander), Peter Owen & Mike
O'Brien (Owen Truss), Hillary
Andrews (AAA Advanced Truss)
…and Andrew & Jan Scane, Mark
Smiles and Katherine & Dean Ashton
and Glenn all braved the 35km course
admirably.
That's no typo - Dean Ashton did the
7am, 75km ride in 2hrs 11min…then
fronted up less than 20 min later to join
his wife for the 35km! This was all
taken as a great opportunity to have
some fun - although Mark Smiles
could have been forgiven if he felt less
than jovial; having to run a few km of
the course (through the Eastlink
tunnel and beyond), due to a late
puncture. Even though most of the
group everyone did a training ride
the week before, no amount of
preparation could have got Mark
ready for that.
It wasn't hard to spot the MiTek staff
and friends as they all had bright
'SAPPHIRE' inspired bike tops. Dave
would like to see them put to good use
again. 'I'd love to get the a crew
together for some of the many rider
events on the Melbourne calendar.
We all had so much fun - it was a great
social event.'
Typical of Melbourne's ability to have
four seasons in one day, the 75 km
ride was done in windy, wet conditions
- the 35km ride fared much better with
blue skies and barely a breeze.
Fabricator milestones.
Over the past year the
following MiTek fabricators
achieved a significant milestone
birthday and presentations
were made to them as the
opportunity arose.
Peter Alexander and David
Tsakmakis - Peuker & Alexander Pty
Ltd - 15 years
MiTek Australia Ltd.
ABN 98 004 564 587
46 Monash Drive Dandenong Sth
Victoria 3175 Australia
Telephone 03 8795 8888
Facsimile 03 9702 9464
Web site www.mitek.com.au
16
New South Wales 02 8525 8000
Queensland 07 3861 2100
South Australia 08 3801 2100
Western Australia 08 9412 3534
New Zealand 09 274 7109
Malaysia 603 3176 7473
Bruce Morgan - Beaver Truss &
Frame - 15 years