Sydney Fabricator Steels Itself For The Future

New South Wales fabrication company Ken Mitchell Engineering is upgrading its sheet metal and plate working machinery and looking to significantly increase sales of roofing products made from COLORBOND® steel in the next six months.

The Sydney based company's services range from organisation and design through to fabrication and erection in the commercial and residential markets. Projects of interest have included the Sydney Olympic Velodrome and work on Sydney Harbour Bridge.

"It took us six months to cut, drill, punch, weld and notch every roof purlin for the Olympic Velodrome," company manager Ian Mitchell says.

"We also revamped and extended a mezzanine floor of the maintenance area inside one of the northern pylons of Sydney Harbour Bridge.We have recently organised and ordered roofing and rainwater items for shipment to New Caledonia for a new client."

Ken Mitchell Engineering was established 35 years ago by Ken Mitchell in his garage. The company is now run by Ken's son Ian, who operates from a 1,250 square metre workshop at Heathcote in Sydney's south where he employs eight people.

"We are lucky to have a great crew, all working as a team," Ian says. "About 90 per cent of our fabrication work comes from word of mouth recommendation or from our longstanding contractors, who all liaise well with our employees.

"As we're usually working on an average of eight jobs simultaneously, we recently installed two new machines for our workshop a pan brake and guillotine," he says. "We have a five tonne overhead crane and large floor area that allows us to fabricate and pre assemble before installing on site."

Ian says the company's longest ongoing job has been fabricating gutter stop ends from COLORBOND® steel for BlueScope Lysaght.

"Dad developed the dies 25 years ago, and we've been punching and forming them for BlueScope Lysaght ever since," he says.

The company's remaining business comes from selling roofing and rainwater material made from COLORBOND® steel to builders and owner/builders.

"We would like to promote the roofing supply side of the business more, and will install a large advertising sign on our workshop roof by mid 2007," Ian says.

Ken Mitchell Engineering uses BlueScope Steel's hot rolled structural steel sections and LYSAGHT SupaZed® and SupaCee® purlins for its structural work. It also sells roofing made from COLORBOND® steel, BlueScope Steel rainwater goods and LYSAGHT BONDEK® profiled steel decking as a ceiling system for concrete slabs to builders and owner/builders.

Ken Mitchell Engineering joined the STEEL BY™ Brand Partnership Program to align the company's reputation with that of Australia's leading steel supplier.

"We wholeheartedly support Australian made steel, and believe Australian manufacturers and fabricators should use it as much as possible," Ian says.

For more information contact:
Ian Mitchell
Ken Mitchell Engineering
Ph: 02 9520 3700