Provans Scholarships
The renowned Melbourne firm and family are investing in the next generation of timber trades. The name Provans has a long and respected history in Melbourne timber. In the early 20th century, David Provan set up a timber mill that grew to include a joinery business...
It’s All a Bit Screwy
Things haven’t been the best lately, but at least construction connections are improving. By George Dolezal, principal engineer, Meyer Timber. 2020 is behind us and what a year it was. The past year is one that will go down in history as one of the most-remembered...
Getting the Job Done
With an emphasis on local supply, Multinail has helped its customers get through a difficult year. We look at lessons learned and what they mean for Australian F&T and manufacturing. Forty-one years ago, when Peter Taylor founded Multinail, he pushed through a run...
2021 Themes
Prophecy is a risky game after the past few years, but there are a few key indicators worth focusing on. Looking back on the last few years, there have been many times when people have said “Who could have foreseen…?” Yet while the combination and timing of events...
Traps in Building Design
Even a careful designer can fall into one of these common traps when calculating design elements within residential timber structures. Any building industry practitioner designing a structure understands that individual, or groups of members are designed by following...
Christmas Catch-up
Been meaning to get ahead on your industry development for the fabrication and building sectors but had no time before Christmas? Here’s the reading and watching list for you! Back in the first half of the year, as we went in and out of different styles of lockdowns...
Little Wonder
For 23 years, North Shore Timber and Hardware has built its store’s capacity around Hubtex sideloaders. North Shore Timber and Hardware (NST) grew into a Sydney-wide operation during the time it was managed and then owned by the late Keith Wilkinson, a true innovator...
Adapt to Thrive
Permewans Mitre 10 has undergone a great period of growth and revival over the past two decades. So when a competitor with deep pockets came to town, this local hero was ready. At the start of practically every successful business story, there is a familiar pattern of...
Timber v Steel
Paul goes undercover to make the case for timber over steel. The spy’s mantra is “keep your friends close and your enemies closer “. In the truss and frame industry you might think your ‘enemies’ are those other timber fabricators that you regularly compete with. But,...
New Certifier Standards
NSW has new mandatory standards for building certification. The release of a compulsory and comprehensive new practice standard for building certifiers by the NSW Government is designed to cut back on sub-standard certification that has led to both actual problems in...
Lower the Risk
In the wake of the last, disastrous, fire season, materials are under close scrutiny. Clever options like FLAMEfixx use advanced technology to make timber safer in BAL-zones and more. The Bushfire Royal Commission recently handed down its 1000-page final report....
Covid Christmas
Jingle bells might sound a little different this year, here’s how to help staff adapt. Around the country, we are still at various stages of emergence from the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions into something more like our normal lives albeit with a big ‘new’ preceding...
Built by Families
Mitre 10’s new ad campaign celebrates independence. Over the past few years, readers of TTN have come to know many of the families behind the nation’s Mitre 10 stores as part of our IHG profiles series. Now the rest of Australia will be doing likewise as the...
Make Timber Your First Choice
With multiple benefits over steel, timber can do almost any structural job better. By Afzal Laphir, Principal Engineer, Meyer Timber Steel as a material has played an integral role in timber-framed domestic buildings for many years. The reliance on steel became more...
Models of Possibility
Panelisation and offsite construction are natural evolutions of F&T. So why are these technologies taking so long to filter through the construction sector? We asked the experts. At recent construction conferences, the words offsite, panelised and modular have...
New FWPA Chair
The first virtual AGM for Forest Wood Products Australia (FWPA) was recently held with business proceeding smoothly and a wide attendance of members from across the forest and wood products supply chain. Following the retirement of incumbent chair John Simon, Craig...
Well at Work
How to boost performance with wellbeing At the time of writing this article, I am sitting in lockdown in Melbourne and, like others, hopefully and, at times, frustratingly awaiting news that restrictions will ease and I will be able to gradually resume my normal life....
Strength and Systems
Engineered wood products have revolutionised what timber can do in a building, but for all they are making life cheaper and easier for builders, there’s much still unexplored. Look at construction in most states in 2020 and engineered wood products (EWP) are...
Local Timber Supporters
The campaign to Buy Aussie Timber First is gaining pace. The people and faces supporting the Buy Aussie Timber First (BATF) framing campaign come from across Australia and all along the supply chain, from foresters to carpenters. For several months now they’ve been...
Community Hub
Serving the growing regional centre of Bendigo for 140 years, Hume & Iser Mitre 10 has seen it all. Along the way, they’ve become a key part of local life for the growing city. With much of Australia tightening belts due to Covid, Stephen Iser has the grace to...
Tips and Traps
Navigating the changing employment legislation in these troublesome times. For most of us, 2020 will be the most challenging year in our business lives on a whole range of fronts. There are the commercial challenges with disrupted operations and cashflow and trying to...
One Thing I’d Add… Machines
In our semi-regular series, experts share advice they wish more people knew. This month, Multinail’s Warwick Porter talks about machines that give the best bang for your buck. Working as the national machinery sales manager at Multinail, Warwick Porter sees a lot of...
What’s in a Name?
Trusses and air conditioners often don’t play nicely, but this design might fix that. As a lover of all things building industry and the English language, I often have a chuckle about some of the terms we use in building. My all-time favourite word is podger, which...
In Memoriam
George Zammit has left a legacy of customer-centric service at his family business, Warringah Timbers. The Sydney timber trade has lost another stalwart with the death of George Zammit, founder of Warringah Timbers. In 1962, George started a business erecting timber...
