Celebrating Victoria & Tasmania’s Top Talent at Weld Australia’s 2024 Welding Excellence Awards

Hanlon Industries won the 2024 Company of the Year Award – Fabrication for Victoria. Hanlon Industries is a second generation Australian business, specialising in steel fabrication. Operating across road, rail, airports, and commercial developments, Hanlon provides comprehensive in-house solutions that include concept design, project management, manufacturing, and construction. They are also recognised for their community involvement and support, actively engaging with local organisations to provide apprenticeship opportunities, foster emerging talent, and promote diversity within the workforce.

The Runner Up of the Company of the Year Award – Fabrication for Victoria was Steel Mains.

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Jayben Group won the 2024 Company of the Year Award – Fabrication for Tasmania. The Jayben Group is an original equipment manufacturer that specialises in power train products and light to medium industrial plant and equipment—including R&D, engineering, manufacture, domestic and international distribution, and continuous improvement. Headquartered in Burnie, Tasmania, and with operations in Royal Park, South Australia, Jayben develops their own branded products and bespoke solutions to an expanding group of businesses throughout Australia and Asia.

The Runner Up of the Company of the Year Award – Fabrication for Tasmania was Incat.

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ACCIONA won the 2024 Victoria Project of the Year Award for PPG’s Plant C Manufacturing Facility. ACCIONA was engaged to perform the structural, mechanical, and piping works package for a new water-based paint manufacturing facility known as “Plant C” at PPG’s site in Clayton, Victoria. ACCIONA’s scope of work included the fabrication of all piping/tubing and structural supports comprising of mild steel structural frames and stainless steel pressure piping/vessels. At its peak, the ACCIONA team consisted of over 100 personnel – navigating a complex design process to deliver a first-of-its-kind plant.

The Runner Up of the Project of the Year Award for Victoria was Pure Piping for Moderna’s ‘Project Resilience’.

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Crisp Bros & Haywards won the 2024 Tasmania Project of the Year Award for the Fyans Street Rail Bridge. The Fyans Street rail bridge is a level crossing removal project being undertaken by the McConnell Dowell Downer Joint Venture. Crisp Bros & Haywards were contracted to fabricate the 550t centre steel section, including two 32 metre long, 4.2 metre high I beams weighing more than 125t each, and two 16 metre long I beams weighing over 65t. Specialist fabrication and transport equipment was required to safely and efficiently weld, rotate and transport sections of this scale.

Structural Challenge (SC) won the 2024 Health and Safety in Welding Award. Structural Challenge (SC) is a Victorian-based steel fabrication company known for their strong commitment to quality and innovation. Since its inception, SC has established itself as a leader in the industry with a focus on health and safety in every aspect of its operations. Their dedication to maintaining a safe work environment is reflected in their comprehensive health and safety management plan, active engagement in continuous safety improvement, and a work culture of safe and lean manufacturing.

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Migomag Welding Supplies won the 2024 Company of the Year Award – Supplier. Migomag Welding Supplies specialises in providing high-quality welding solutions across a broad range of sectors, including construction, manufacturing, and infrastructure. Over the past 30 years, the Migomag brand has become renowned for their comprehensive suite of welding machines and welding consumables, and advanced capabilities in both manual and automated welding processes. With state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technology, the company demonstrates an unwavering commitment to advancing the welding industry through innovation, exceptional quality, and customer satisfaction.

The Runner Up of the Company of the Year Award – Supplier Award was Coregas.

Chisholm TAFE won the 2024 Training and Education – Organisation Award for Victoria. Chisholm TAFE’s Engineering Department is a premier training provider, delivering an array of courses designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary for a successful career in engineering, fabrication and welding. Training over 1000 students annually, Chisholm TAFE boasts an impressive 97% retention rate for apprenticeship delivery – catering to a diverse student body from various genders, age groups, and cultural backgrounds. The department has a particular focus on encouraging women in trades.

The Runner Up of the Training and Education – Organisation Award for Victoria was Ringwood Training. A Highly Commended Award for Victoria went to the Australian Institute of Engineers.

 

TasTAFE won the 2024 Training and Education – Organisation Award for Tasmania. TasTAFE Metals and Manufacturing provides training to approximately 800 students across campuses statewide – supporting employment and workforce development. The dynamic educational model places students’ needs and industry requirements at the centre of delivery, with the ability to quickly develop programs from scratch to help businesses expand into new manufacturing sectors. A big supporter of WorldSkills, many TasTAFE teachers assist with running and judging regional and national competitions.

Krishna Annapureddy from Alstom was named the 2024 Welding Professional of the Year – Welding Coordinator. Krishna is a highly skilled Metallurgical Engineer and International Welding Engineer with 12 years of experience across the heavy fabrication industry. He has successfully handled major excavator, construction, and railway projects from design through to delivery. As the Responsible Welding Coordinator of Alstom Dandenong factory, Krishna did an exceptional job of leading possibly the largest welding team in Australia, managing and coordinating nine welding engineers, supervisors and inspectors.

The Runner Up of the Welding Professional of the Year – Welding Coordinator category was Kim Temple from ITEST (Independent Testing & Inspection Services).

 

Brett Sutton from Ulbricht International won the 2024 Welding Professional of the Year – Welding Inspector Award. Brett is a qualified boilermaker and welder who exemplifies competency in practical welding, service pressure equipment inspection, and welding supervision. He is skilled in developing welding procedures and quality systems; managing teams and liaising with engineers, tradespeople, and management; and maintaining inspection and test plans for outages, in line with industry standards. Brett has also demonstrated a commitment to fostering a culture of continual improvement at Yallourn Power station to improve morale and welding quality.

The Runner Up of the Welding Professional of the Year – Welding Inspector category was Brendan Farley from Pure Piping.

Joel Sibraa from Furphy Engineering was named the 2024 Welding Professional of the Year – Welding Supervisor for Victoria. Arriving at Furphy as a metal fabricator tradesman in 2015, Joel quickly positioned himself as a future leader of the company – moving to QA/QC Officer and on to a range of supervisory roles across different departments. In addition to his well-rounded knowledge, exceptional people skills, and can-do attitude, Joel has a keen interest in sharing his expertise with up-and-coming tradesmen, apprentices and other new staff – making him instrumental to the business.

The Runner Up of the Welding Professional of the Year – Welding Supervisor category for Victoria was Li Tian from TMC Australia.

Matthew Swinden from Elphinstone was named the 2024 Welding Professional of the Year – Welding Supervisor for Tasmania. With over seven years of dedicated service at Elphinstone, Matthew has contributed significantly to the organisation’s success – progressing through various team leader and coordinator positions across multiple projects. He has recently been engaged in defence sector initiatives, particularly the LAND 8116 project which involves large-scale machine and structure fabrication and assembly for Defence OEMs. Matthew’s proven track record highlights his ability to lead teams, solve challenges, and set new benchmarks for welding excellence.

 

Iesha Swan from Hanlon Industries won the 2024 Young Trades Person of the Year category. Since starting her boilermaking apprenticeship with Hanlon Industries in 2023, Iesha has consistently outperformed her peers, earning the title of the best at her level every year at trade school. She has quickly become an essential part of the team, known for her ability to not only handle her own tasks with precision but also assist seasoned boilermakers with fabricating and designing complex steel structures. Iesha’s contributions have been integral to the successful completion of several key projects at Hanlon Industries.

The Runner Up for Young Trades Person of the Year category was Kynan Smith from Pure Piping. A Highly Commended Award went to Ned Sweeney from Hanlon Industries.

 

Farokh Banihashemi from Shadbolt Group was named the 2024 Trades Person of the Year. Farokh has twenty years of experience as welder in the oil and gas, fabrication, and shipbuilding industries in Iran and Australia. Specialising in process piping and structural shipbuilding, Farokh is an outstanding and highly-skilled welder who is always able to deliver projects of high specification within time and quality requirements. His productivity and workmanship quality set an example to other welders at Shadbolt, who regularly train with Farokh to advance their own exotic welding skills.

The Runner Up for Trades Person of the Year category was Grayson Cooper from Chisholm TAFE and Energy 360. A Highly Commended Award went to Ernesto Locsin JR from Structural Challenge.

 

Rodney Bentvelzen from Chisholm TAFE won the 2024 Training and Education – Individual Teacher Award for Victoria. With a distinguished career spanning 30 years, Rodney has significantly contributed to the welding and fabrication industry through his exemplary teaching and industry involvement – from organising welding exams and competitions to integrating new technology into his teach practice. Rodney’s impact extends beyond the classroom, playing an active role in the Victorian Engineering Senate committee and Victorian TAFE Teachers of Mechanical and Fabrication streams to promote collaboration and best practices among training providers.

The Runner Up in this category for Victoria was Joe Haley from TAFE Gippsland.

 

Michael Schnackenberg from TasTAFE won the 2024 Training and Education – Individual Teacher Award for Tasmania. Michael is a highly-respected TasTAFE teacher, with 35 years of trade experience and industry recognition including the 2004 National Gold Medal for Construction Steelwork. In addition to overseeing the delivery of the AS1796 program in the North West, Michael mentors and supports his fellow teachers to ensure they have a deep understanding of welding codes requirements. His passion and enthusiasm for teaching inspire and engage students, creating a positive and productive classroom environment.