Lysaght Australia Celebrates 100 Years of Local Manufacturing

100 YEARS OF LOCAL MANUFACTURING

LEADING AUSTRALIAN STEEL BUILDING PRODUCTS COMPANY, LYSAGHT, IS CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF LOCAL MANUFACTURING— AN IMPRESSIVE ACHIEVEMENT THAT GOES AGAINST THE TREND OF OFFSHORING, WHICH HAS PREVAILED IN AUSTRALIA DURING RECENT DECADES.

WHILE THE CURRENT LYSAGHT RANGE COVERS ROOFING AND WALLING, ARCHITECTURAL CLADDING, GUTTERING, FASCIA AND RAINWATER GOODS, FENCING AND SCREENING, STEEL SECTIONS, FORMWORK AND FRAMING, PATIOS, CARPORTS AND STRUCTURES, IT’S UNDOUBTEDLY CORRUGATED IRON THAT IT’S LONG BEEN KNOWN FOR. THIS STEEL BUILDING PRODUCT HAS BEEN USED ON EVERYTHING FROM THE ROOFS AND BULL-NOSE VERANDAS OF HERITAGE HOMES, THROUGH TO SHEARING SHEDS AND OUTBACK DUNNIES, AND MORE RECENTLY IN EN VOGUE ARCHITECTURAL BUILDINGS.

REVOLUTIONARY BEGINNINGS

For any lover of history, the 1850s was a pivotal and powerful decade. From a manufacturing perspective, the era marked the end of the industrial revolution, where production methods changed from manmade to mechanised, and mass production.

With this insurgency came innovation and visionaries. One of these was a 25-year-old ardent Irishman by the name of John Lysaght. As demands for factory and warehousing needs grew in England, John developed his expertise in galvanizing and corrugating iron sheeting in Bristol during 1857. Durable, versatile, lustrous and resistant to rust, the product was trademarked as ORB.

At the same time, Australian immigration boomed due to the gold rush era. The influx of people hoping to find their luck as prospectors created the beginnings of modern cities and a need for construction – both residential and commercial. That’s why, after satisfying demand in the United Kingdom which was being fuelled by the Industrial Revolution, Lysaght turned his attention to export markets, namely Australia. John saw huge opportunities arising from the gold rush of the late 1800s, and he began exporting to the colony soon afterwards.

Initially ORB was sold across Australia through independent merchants until John established his own distribution company, the Victorian Galvanised Iron and Wire Company. By 1913, some 80,000 tonnes of ORB had found its way across the Equator to our shores from Bristol, England.

NAVIGATING THE WORLD WARS

The next challenge the company encountered was World War I, which saw compulsory redirection of production capacity to assist the war effort. This devastated local supply and highlighted the need for a local production presence in Australia.

Within three months of the war commencing, the company (now under the direction of John Lysaght’s nephew Herbert Royse Lysaght in Australia) was making arrangements to purchase 24 acres of land in Newcastle, New South

By the following year in 1917, John Lysaght (Australia) Pty Ltd was formed with the intent of establishing a manufacturing site in Australia. Approximately four years later, in April 1921, the new Lysaght company commenced manufacturing at its purpose-built site in Newcastle. From that date, Lysaght has remained intrinsically Australian-made.

EXPANSION AND GROWTH THROUGHOUT THE 20TH CENTURY

In 1961, Lysaght became a public company, issuing three million shares (20%) to the Australian public. Since then, the company has experienced exponential growth.

Some of this growth was made possible through acquisitions, such as those of the steel building products division of Brownbuilt, Melbourne-based structural steel manufacturer Metalform, roof installation business Kiteleys, and Tasmanian steel distributor The Roofing Centre. All of these acquisitions expanded Lysaght's footprint, capacity and skills base.

However, much of Lysaght's success can be attributed to continual improvement and refinement in product development. All of Lysaght's products meet the most stringent of industry standards and are designed for optimum performance and durability.

According to Blake Tasker (Marketing Manager, BlueScope Building Components), "Product testing, compliance and meeting Australian Standards is at the heart of Lysaght's business model. Thoroughness and performance are integral to everything we do."

KLIP-LOK®

The first such example of innovative product development was the launch of KLIP-LOK® in the 1970s. KLIP-LOK® enabled commercial building designers to develop roof systems that offered larger water carrying capacity and concealed fixing to help the weather resistance of these larger structures. It also allowed roof structures with gentler slopes, while providing excellent water carrying capacity and fewer joins because of its longer length.

The evolution continued with KLIP-LOK® 700 in the 1990s. This wider profile increased manufacturing efficiencies by using the same steel feed width as popular, high volume profiles such as CUSTOM ORB® . Then came the current profile, KLIP-LOK 700 HI-STRENGTH®, which improved sheet strength and water capacity while providing longer sheet lengths. The introduction of a new clipping system, LOK-KLIP®, also solved problems caused by sheet lapping.

A major leap in roof design and integrity was then achieved by rolling the KLIP-LOK® profile on site and ‘straightto-roof’, meaning roof sheet lengths of up to 100m became possible thereby eliminating joins.

BONDEK®

In the structural field, Lysaght also enabled building efficiencies and cost savings with new formwork solutions. BONDEK® was introduced in the 1960s as a permanent formwork system to replace timber. It provided savings in reinforcement requirements as the BONDEK® system forms part of the steel reinforcement and it also assisted fire ratings.

Above (Top)

Corrugating Galvanised Iron at Lysaght's original Newcastle works.

Above (Bottom)

LYSAGHT CUSTOM ORB® roofing.

Left

L-House featuring LYSAGHT LONGLINE 305® cladding.

In the late 1980s, a quantum leap was achieved with the introduction of BONDEK® II. The new design dramatically improved the interaction between steel and concrete, resulting in further reductions in steel reinforcing requirements and further improved fire ratings. The latest advancement to the range is BONDEK PLUS®, which provides greater spanning capabilities.

All Lysaght product breakthroughs and enhancements are made possible through the work of their Product Innovation Group. This team of dedicated engineers is responsible for bringing ideas to life, and ensuring all products meet Australian standards and equally importantly, the lofty standards of Lysaght's parent company BlueScope.

Using its NATA-accredited testing facility, the Product Innovation Group is able to undertake critical bespoke product development tasks including prototyping, product development, building system design, global and Australian standard compliance testing, cyclonic testing conditions, design software development and installation and usage guides.

TODAY'S STRENGTH

Lysaght General Manager, Peta Renkin, said the company was extremely proud to reach the important milestone. “For Lysaght to have reached 100 years of manufacturing in Australia is an extremely satisfying achievement for our company,” Renkin said.

“It’s proof that there’s viability in local production – Lysaght has worked hard to develop new product lines, to innovate and to make manufacturing processes as efficient as possible while still providing premium quality products and offering superior support."

“Of course, this achievement would not have been possible without the dedication of Lysaght employees and the ongoing support of our business partners and clients, so to all of you we say ‘thank-you’ and we look forward to the future,” said Renkin.

Service Excellence

Service excellence is one of the values on which Lysaght was founded, and remains one of the company's key ingredients for success.

"An emphasis on service excellence started with John Lysaght back in the early 1800s—at the time, the concept was quite a new thing in business," explained Tasker.

"This focus on customer service excellence has carried all the way through to today. Our customer service

“It’s proof that there’s viability in local production – Lysaght has worked hard to develop new product lines, to innovate and to make manufacturing processes as efficient as possible while still providing premium quality products and offering superior support."

Below

LYSAGHT LONGLINE 305® cladding.

PENRITH ANGLICAN COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

Penrith Anglican College Performing Arts Centre is a Major Award winner in the annual Lysaght Inspirations Design Awards, the program that celebrates outstanding Australian architectural work incorporating LYSAGHT® steel building products.

The Performing Arts Centre entry constituted the first stage of a broader transformation of Penrith Anglican College and featured one of Lysaght's most popular products, LYSAGHT KLIP-LOK 700 HI-STRENGTH® cladding across its expansive roof area.

LYSAGHT KLIP-LOK® roofing has long been a design favourite for prestige architectural projects. With a substantial, bold rib rising from wide, fluted pans, this profile creates a dynamic linear visual and uses a concealed fixing system for uninterrupted lines and superb watertightness.

The design of the Performing Arts Centre cleverly exploits the product’s geometric possibilities allowing the roof to become a key design feature of a building that points to the creative endeavours that take place within, just as it asserts the school’s broader learning possibilities.

and sales teams deliver the best service possible, in what can be quite a complicated manufacturing process and supply chain."

A National Network

"In terms of manufacturing capability, Lysaght has a true national network. Regardless of where you might be located in Australia, you can get hold of Lysaght products. Lysaght has grown as Australia has grown—both in terms of our manufacturing footprint and our product offering. So, whether you need products delivered in regional, rural, outback or metro locations, Lysaght can help," said Tasker.

A strong local manufacturing industry is clearly important to Lysaght. "From a transactional perspective, our product needs to be manufactured and supplied on a short lead time. Industry demands our product quickly, so we need to make locally," said Tasker.

"But, more than that, a strong local manufacturing industry supports local jobs. We have operations in regional centres all around Australia, which helps us to create regional employment opportunities—not just for direct employees but throughout the downstream supply chain as well."

Throughout Lysaght's strong history, one thing has remained a constant – and that’s Lysaght’s commitment to putting customers, shareholders and communities at the centre of their operations.

So as part of their ongoing commitment then, now, and into the future, Lysaght aims to help communities to rebuild and recover when times get tough through the Build Up community support fund. Community groups impacted by natural disaster, or unforeseen events or circumstances, are encouraged to apply to receive assistance through the supply of LYSAGHT® steel building products.

GAME CHANGING INNOVATION

Today, Lysaght’s parent company, BlueScope, supplies it with Australianmade steel, with manufacturing (customising, forming and profiling) of the Lysaght products overseen by skilled production technicians at over 40 Lysaght branches nation-wide.

Along with products like CUSTOM ORB® – whose heritage can be traced back to ORB – Lysaght has continued to innovate and lead the industry, introducing many game-changing products to market including KLIPLOK® and BONDEK® .

If John Lysaght was here today to witness the achievements grown from his ingenuity and foresight, we're certain he would be proudly sipping tea under a corrugated bull-nose roof, listening to the sweet drumming of the rain above.