For the Canzoneri brothers, success in business is as much about partnerships as experience

It says something about the values that drive a business like the C3 Construction Group. Originally a family company called Classic Paving, and now run by brothers Sebastian and Salvatore Canzoneri, it has grown to become one of the largest tilt slab builders in Melbourne. And they’ve recently finished working on a site in northwest Melbourne that is about as far as you can possibly get from those small paving jobs their father started out doing all those years ago.

“It’s using more than 60,000 square metres of land,” explains Sal Canzoneri. “There is about 35,000 square metres of building, and the rest is car parking and landscaping. There’s 53 buildings on the site, all of various sizes.”

Normally a job of this size would take a contractor up to 18 months to complete, but the C3 Construction Group tackled it in half that time. “We can do it quickly because we’ve got a good group working with us, and we’ve refined the process over 20 years to get the most efficiency out of manual labour,” says Sal.

Years of experience in the business help them achieve those aims. “My father went into residential building originally, and then we came into the business in the late 90s, we went down this path and have done so for 20 years,” Sal explains.

“We always strive to be the best we can at this. We’re primarily builders with the capacity to do concrete in house—we’re a one-stop shop. That’s why we strive to do the best we can on the larger scale projects like this one.”

Partnerships are an essential element of being able to offer such as service, and two of the key partners the Canzoneri brothers are DBF Tools and Reid Construction Systems.

“Reid’s design engineering and certification services are signed off by our qualified engineers boasting years of onsite experience,” says Reid’s Peter Atanasovski. “Our design team leaves nothing to chance: we provide for correct lifter placement, carefully calculating the most efficient method for safe lifting and bracing. Our Bracing certification provides the location of the Reid bracing ferrule along with the brace- to-slab location where BraceSetTM is used. This is has been achieved with the input and support of our customers via our Lifting and Bracing On-Line request system.

“The comprehensive range of
Reid tilt up solutions armed DBF and C3 Construction Group with a full arsenal of hardware and components for this massive pour. Our “one-stop- shop” approach for tilt assisted the Canzoneris in saving them valuable time, money and effort from sourcing products from multiple suppliers. With Reid on hand, they were able
to source quality engineered solutions and systems for tilt up, that are designed to improve efficiency, further reducing in-place costs.”

DBF was also an essential partner in working with Reid, supplying key tools and products for the build, including Stanley hand tools, DeWalt power tools, and fixings from Bremick Fasteners and sealants from Bostik. “DBF is essential to our productivity because of their prompt deliveries,” Sal says. “They deliver all my lifting equipment, all my tools—they are very efficient in bringing out materials. If someone for- gets something, it’s just a quick phone call to get it replaced.”

“They are one of DBF’s very loyal customers and support us 100 per cent, as we do to them,” says Fred Hall of DBF Group.

The house, which rotates on casters supplied by CSS suppliers Richmond Casters, has generated a lot of press for its eco-credentials, and the fact that it spins around in a circle on twenty-eight wheels. The home, named Girasole (which means ‘follow the sun’) was built by John Andriolo of MAG Con- structions, following what he described in some papers as a “lifelong dream”.

The four bedroom home is powered by solar panels on the roof, and is spun (gently) by the use of a touch-screen panel inside.

John Andriolo told a newspaper, “Girasole will encourage a change in thinking away from needing to find perfectly oriented blocks and will demonstrate that even the most ambitious under- takings can be seen as a prototype for future environmentally friendly homes.”

The designer, Peter McCabe, told the same paper the rotation mechanism uses minimal energy, due to the lack of lifting involved in the process.

‘’We think it’s about 100 watts, which is about the same as a bright light bulb.’’

Rotating homes were likely to remain a niche market, however the eco-friendly design could inspire other projects. ‘’It’s never going to be the main type of houses people design, but it has its benefits.’’

The home is on a 704-metre block in the Canberra suburb of Crace.

“A business in any industry that attempts to compete on price alone is doomed,” says Steve Sammartino, Marketing lecturer at Melbourne University.

“Now that we’re no longer geographically isolated in
a business sense and potential customers in any field can shop internationally, we can’t possibly take on the world’s biggest organisations on price alone. But if you’re able to differentiate your product or your service and build it with the needs of specific markets in mind, if you can customise it for the people in your region or for individual client organisations, then you’re able to offer something the big producers cannot.”

Sammartino is on the Advisory Board of a new manufacturing company in Australia which, believe it or not, makes cars. But Tomcar Australia does not mass produce lines of automobiles in competition with other major automotive brands. Instead it builds an entirely new category of off-road vehicle that is specifically designed for the military, mining, rural and tourism industries. “It is made right here in Melbourne and
will very soon be an exemplar of manufacturing 2.0 in this country,” Sammartino, also the author of popular business blog startupblog.wordpress.com, says. “It’s differentiated, built for specific needs, unique, not price oriented. Even the way the car is being retailed is non traditional.”

Along those same lines, Dr Swee Mak, Director
of the Future Manufacturing Flagship at the CSIRO, wrote in Business Spectator that over the next ten years, “success factors that will influence the competitiveness of Australian manufacturing firms will include the need for faster discovery and development to respond more quickly to dynamic markets, advanced design to create much more competitive and sustain- able products, improved collaboration across our innovation system to maximise the exchange and transfer of knowledge, an increase in our ability to leverage our national broadband infrastructure, and encouraging
a better understanding of supply chains. Another key success factor will be our ability to develop, adapt, adopt and integrate the right enabling technologies that provide a competitive advantage for Australian manufacturing firms.”

Fortunately many of our leading manufacturing organisations are taking up Mak’s challenge, much to the benefit of their clients.

What Our Manufacturers Say
Michel Marcellin, Managing Director of Bostik Australia, says that even before the manufacturing process begins
it’s important that the manufacturers’ scientists are in the same environment as the consumers, facing the customers and communicating with them.

“The people who create our products know the needs of our customers. They understand how the consumers are going to use the products,” Marcellin says. “We’re able to fine-tune and innovate before the product even hits the manufacturing line. Our product quality is also driven by rules and certifications, and our company is often a part of the consultation process in developing those guidelines.”

There are practical advantages to being local too, Marcellin says. Not only is Bostik confident in the supply and quality of the chemicals they need to produce specific items for consumers, but the ‘freshness’ of those chemicals is also important.

“Every chemical has a shelf life,” Marcellin explains. “If you import the product then it can be six months old by the time it hits the shelves in Australia. We guarantee a fresh product made to local specifications.”

“We have 55 years experience in manufacturing wheels for industry. We offer design, concept and the total manufacturing package under one roof.” Steve Harty, Richmond Wheel and Castor Co’s Marketing and Business Development Manager.

Paul Cox, Market Manager of Sekisui Foam Australia, agrees that there is great benefit for clients in dealing with a local manufacturer. His company manufactures closed-cell foam products for several sectors of the market including the building industry, the automotive industry and even for surf products such as boogie boards.

“We’re able to produce the exact product that a client needs, in a timely fashion,” Cox says. “If the standard foam product is 10mm in thickness but a project needs 30mm or 50mm, we can offer that with a quick turnaround time. It saves the project manager having to cut corners with solutions cobbled together from off-the-shelf products.”

“At the same time there’s a guarantee of quality. And if there happens to be an issue with anything we have produced then it can be addressed and rectified on the spot. If necessary we’ll do a
site visit to help figure out what’s going wrong before we provide a fix. You’re not going to get that quality, service and peace of mind when you go with cheaper, imported choices.”

Client Choice
The health and survival of the Australian manufacturing industry isn’t just important for the manufacturers, it’s also vital for the many industries that rely on them. If Richmond Wheel and Castor Co didn’t exist, for instance, or if it was busy obsessing over keeping their prices below anything China could offer, then the Gorgon civil and underground services project, located on Barrow Island, would have been left with a serious problem.

As Australia’s largest natural gas project, the capacity of Gorgon demands expertise in pipeline and LNG handling. For this, project managers brought in Richmond Wheel and Castor Co to fabricate specially designed low profile pipeline rollers to handle HDPE pipe up to two metres in diameter. The rollers allowed complete lengths to be spooled – in some instances up to 80 metre spools—with the welder stationed in one position. This improved productivity and eliminated costly handling issues and other potential obstacles.

“We have 55 years experience in manufacturing wheels for industry,” says Steve Harty, Richmond Wheel and Castor Co’s Marketing and Business Development Manager. “We offer de- sign, concept and the total manufacturing package under one roof. We have the ability to draw on previous designs for custom work and thanks to stock holdings in all Australian cities the time frames are always minimal. Quick turn around times from an innovative manufacturer, including alternative concepts for tooling and mould making, keep costs at a minimum. Importantly, the intellectual property for custom designs remains with the client.”

Also important from the customer point of view is the fact that they get to know the product more intimately when they have some form of involvement with the manufacturing process or with the people involved in that process. Damian Callinan, Operations Manager of Tridon Australia, says this knowledge can help a business to both manage a project and to save money along the way.

“When customers see it happen and speak with the people who manage the process they definitely develop a better understanding of the manufacturing process,” Callinan says. “That can be very valuable for them. It helps customers to better understand how products can be customised and what is possible. And should there ever be a particular requirement, it helps both of us work out a solution.”

Tested For Australian Conditions
Local manufacture can mean a great deal for products used in an environment as unforgiving as Australia’s. Peter Smith, Marketing Manager of Apex Tool Group which manufactures Lufkin Tapes in Albury, NSW, says the company’s tapes are the tradesman’s choice because they’ve been relentlessly tested to meet the rigorous needs of the Australian working environment.

Such tests include the ‘falling sand test’, during which the blade is subject to sand falling on it from a specified height for a specified time to test the durability of the coating covering the tape markings, the ‘drop test’, when a tape is dropped from a significant height onto all its faces and must be fully functional after the test, and the ‘blade retraction test’, during which the full length of the blade is pulled out of the tape thousands of times and released at full speed to test the end-hook, bump stop and blade.

“When people buy from us they have a guarantee of quality,” Smith says. “We’re easy to contact, we’re answer- able for anything that might go wrong and we actually want to know if there are any problems. Our Australian-made products have a lifetime warranty.”

Considering the quality control processes, personalised service, innovative practices, problem solving abilities, opportunities to customise for specific purpose, lifetime warranties and the many more benefits offered by local manufacturers, it seems surprising that an imported product—one that has been made to a price and shipped half way around the world to undercut locally manufactured products—can compete at all.

There are plenty of ways in which Australian manufacturers can and do take on the overseas players. It will always be an ever-changing game of innovation, technological advancement, research and development as the foreign competition ramp up their own customisation programs. But as long as the locals stay one step ahead then there is little reason for anything but confidence in our manufacturing industry.”

A young workman is toiling in the searing Australian heat on the rooftop of a two- storey house. Behind him, a makeshift net covers the void where the stairwell will eventually be built. The radio is playing in the background. He is installing roof trusses wet from earlier rain but lifts two that are laminated together and suddenly loses
his grip, collapsing backwards into the stairwell void.

The terrified 26-year-old crashes four metres from the rafters to the landing below, breaking three vertebrae. He also suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs, a fractured wrist and head wound.

This harrowing scene in Keysborough, Victoria, is every construction worker’s nightmare. It left the young man so horribly injured he is now a paraplegic and relies on a wheelchair for mobility.

Contractor Mayneline Pty Ltd was dragged into court by the government heath and safety regulator WorkSafe and fined $60,000 in 2010. Fall protection had not been erected, and the workman had tumbled straight through the makeshift net above the stairwell.

Johns Lyng Insurance Building Solutions Pty Ltd, the main contractor on the site, pleaded guilty in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court to one charge under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004.

At the time of the incident WorkSafe expressed frustration that its calls for the elimination of temporary safety measures and for improved practices within construction had largely fallen on deaf ears.

WorkSafe’s general manager for health and safety, Lisa Sturzenegger, said: “It is enormously frustrating that this essential part of construction work must still be a focus of WorkSafe’s compliance and enforcement activity.”

The young victim is one of around 40 among an estimated one million workmen who die on construction sites across Australia annually.

Over the last seven years, the death rate has fallen, albeit gradually, from around 50 to 40, according to the national policy-making body Safe Work Australia’ s latest Comparative Performance Monitoring Report (October 2012).

Yet construction site deaths, recorded from 2003-2010, represent roughly double those of all other recorded work-related fatalities across all industries, including the blue collar sector.

Last March a 54-year-old worker was killed in a fall from scaffold at a site on the corner of Pitt and Campbell Street in Sydney’s CBD.

Days later, a 17-year-old suffered severe head injuries and died after he was struck by a falling excavator bucket in Sydney’s south-west.

The construction union CFMEU NSW Secretary Brian Parker sent its members’ sincere condolences to the family and friends of the workers saying: “No one should ever have to die as a result of accidents or unsafe practises at the workplace.”

“It’s extremely concerning, I’d say 50 per cent of the accidents and injuries in the construction industry are either not reported or massively under-reported.” Dean Hall from the CFMEU

While the gap for all work-related fatalities between Australia and the better performing countries has fallen, Australia today remains seventh place after Finland, Denmark, Sweden, UK, Norway, and Switzerland.

The major Australian building and construction industry association Master Builders (MBA)—which represents 31,000 building firms and contractors— says the fall in workplace accidents
is due to increased literature and government regulations aimed at clamping down on unsafe or do-it-your- self work practices, and on firms which do not enforce statutory health and safety regulations.

In 2010–11 more than 140, 000 work- place interventions were undertaken
by work health and safety authorities around Australia. Authorities issued 57,600 notices made up of 970 infringement notices, 5,292 prohibition notices and 51,349 improvement notices.

The MBA views controlling the hazard of makeshift safety measures, such as in the case of the worker who died crashing through the stairwell, or as a result of erecting a temporary fence at the edge of a top slab, as integral to the construction task itself.

Its national director Richard Calver said: “Any death within any industry is bad news. Falls from height is a serious hazard in the construction industry equating to 25 per cent of all construction fatalities and 26 per cent of serious workers compensation claims—where the injured worker was required to take one or more weeks off work.

“A person conducting a business
or undertaking has a duty of care to provide, so far as is reasonably practicable, a work environment without risks to health and safety as well as safe systems of work. Temporary safety measures have been practised for years and will continue to be.”

The construction union, CFMEU, believes recorded accident figures on Australian construction sites are just the tip of the iceberg.

“It’s actually a plague in the construction industry at the moment and we’re going to target it.”
CFMEU spokesman

The union goes as far as to say half of accidents and injuries on building sites are not reported properly.

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 requires construction employers to report workplace injuries and near-misses but such is the volatile nature of the industry that tradies are often afraid to voice accidents and chose to continue working while injured.

Dean Hall from the CFMEU says under reporting of incidents is an ongoing problem, particularly in civil construction.

“It’s extremely concerning, I’d say 50 per cent of the accidents and injuries in the construction industry are either not reported or massively under-reported,” he has said.

“We’re seeing time and time again, the most dodgy builders and subcontractors in the industry either not reporting or under-reporting.”

Another CFMEU spokesman added: “It’s not in their interest to report an accident or serious injury because there is a real chance that when the WorkSafe inspectors come out to investigate it, they’ll find massive systematic problems in the workplace.

“It’s actually a plague in the construction industry at the moment and we’re going to target it,” he said.

Contrary to the belief that it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure safe work practices, the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 states the charge also falls on the shoulders of the employee.

Safe Work established two codes of practice approved by the Government in 2011 to guide companies to meet work health and safety duties of care by identifying fall hazards, assessing risk and implementing controls.

These two codes of practice are: man- aging the risk of falls at workplaces and preventing falls in housing construction.

The code states erecting a temporary bracing system as guard railing around an unprotected edge may be used to provide effective fall protection at the perimeters of buildings or other structures, at the perimeters of skylights or other fragile roof materials and at openings in floor or roof structures and edges of excavations.

One such American-designed solution is a guardrail system called the Safety Boot, a metal or strong plastic fixing that can be drilled into a slab and used to secure a temporary fence.

“Education is the best way of changing the culture of the industry so that work health and safety becomes integral to all workplace tasks.” Bradley Rea, occupational health and safety research officer

Victoria-based Construction and Sup- ply Specialists (CSS) sells 700 a month in the state. Sales of the $30 contraption have picked up 25 per cent in the last two years.

Managing director Jeff Wellard believes that had Johns Lyng Insurance Building Solutions used the Safety Foot—which complies with government standards—the workman who toppled from the rooftop would not be in a wheelchair today.

He said: “The greatest problem on building sites is the lack of supervision and the Safety Boot is a safety mechanism to prevent falls around stairwells, from open balconies, or from an edge or a height. It’s a temporary fence around any hole big enough for a bloke to fall through. It doesn’t cost much but it can save a life. I’m sure that if one was used on the worksite in Keysborough two summers ago, the young worker would not be in a wheelchair today.”

New plans are continually being hatched to improve workplace safety within construction.

The (MBA) says it is important workers are observant on construction sites and take responsibility for their own actions.

Bradley Rea, occupational health and safety research officer, added:

“All businesses and all workers have a basic duty of care to safeguard both their own and other’s health and safety. Training for work health and safety is
a priority, especially for young people entering the industry.

“Education is the best way of changing the culture of the industry so that work health and safety becomes integral to all workplace tasks”.

He added: “Regulators should not just introduce and enforce the law but actively help guide small business operators and owner-builders in how to comply with the law.

“Death in the workplace should be a thing of the past.”

Although price is always an issue for those in the market for supplies, there are some things you just can’t cut corners on—safety equipment. Even if you didn’t have to worry about OH&S laws, your one peace of mind would dictate you’d want safety equipment of the highest possible standard, and manufactured or tested locally to ensure it meets local safety standards. That’s the point of difference local manufacturer and importer Beaver Brands has in
the market, and according to General Manager Kevin Jacobson.

“It definitely gives us a point of differentiation, and it’s a great selling feature,” he explains. “But in the same breath, the landscape is somewhat shifting nowadays, and it’s becoming more difficult in terms of the trading environment. That’s predicated on people trying to cut corners. They are looking for product that’s dumbed down, but trying to satisfy all the standards.

“But at the end of the day, it’s not always about price. We’re not going to be ridiculously expensive, but if we are more, it’s because of the level of testing and engineering of our products. We pride ourselves on that.”

The company, which has been operating since 1977, attributes its success to a pro-active management team; a sales process that focuses more on solving client problems than chasing budgets; and a stable national distributor network. But according to Jacobson, “What differentiates Beaver is our ability to tailor a solution for customers. Our turnaround time is seven-to-ten days, and it’s made to order. For someone to go offshore, they’re not going to meet minimum order quantities. We’re so heavily invested in relation to testing and quality, even with our imported products that we bring in—we test those in accordance with Australian standards too. Most competitors don’t have that. They’d be importing finished product. We have full visibility and full traceability.”

Over the last 15 years the company has diversified into other categories, but maintained a focus on meeting or exceeding standards. “We pride ourselves on quality, and we are ISO accredited,” says Jacobson.

“We have 22 full-time sewing machinists. We are manufacturing five days
a week, every day, often longer. That team is fully engaged. And manufacturing and testing are exclusive. Once manufactured those products requiring compliance with various Australian Standards undergo type and / or batch testing in accordance with Beaver’s ISO 17025 NATA Accreditation and ISO 9001 registered Quality Management System. We end up testing beyond the requirements in 99 per cent of cases.”

Beaver’s Testing facility, now based at Erskine Park, was initially set up to carry out testing of materials handling products being imported. To maintain its place in the market based on quality items, these tests had to be carried out continuously. Materials handling products being imported covered items such as chain, hooks, rings, slings, tie-downs and similar equipment. All of which

Beaver’s Testing facility is accredited by NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) and is audited by this organisation to ensure ongoing accreditation and compliance.

need to be type and/or batch tested to ensure that the quality was acceptable. Beaver’s Testing facility is accredited by NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) and is audited by this organisation to ensure ongoing accreditation and compliance. With the ability to test both finished goods and component parts, the company can provide testing service to outside distributors and clients. These services are east and west coast based to add to the growth of the company.

That approach has added value when applied to the unique Twin Path sling range. The Twin Path range offers the ultimate in abrasion resistance and contains a check fast tag and external warning indicator for a pass/fail inspection of the internal load bearing core yarn. The Twin Path is renowned as the market leader in ergonomically designed synthetic slings.

Beaver’s height safety products were developed in 2002-3. The decision
to manufacture meant the company required a test program so the products could be tested to the requirements of the Australian and New Zealand standard 1891.1. Beaver Brands undertook to have their testing facility expanded to include the unique test tower for such testing. Their premises were inspected by an accredited Conformance Assessment Body and validated – currently Global Mark audit this facility against Beaver Brands stringent ISO 9001 Quality Management System to maintain accreditation.

All harnesses that were required had jig boards made to ensure consistent compliance and conformity. The development of this product range required the development of the requisite in- house testing system for dynamically testing harnesses and lanyards, which is now calibrated. Beaver uses this testing system to conduct Global Mark accredited tests of Industrial Safety Harnesses and Lanyards in accordance with the Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1891.1

Today Beaver Brands is a member of the Working At Height Association (WAHA) which is an independent body of the major fall protection equipment manufacturers in Australia. WAHA facilitates a coordinated approach to increase the awareness of issues relating to Height Safety.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about building enduring relationships and supplying quality products,” says Kevin Jacobson. “It’s a lot more than just grabbing a product and bringing it in. So building those relationships and focusing on quality is where our strength lies.”