Craftsmanship, quality and professionalism were front and centre last night, with the winners of the 2022 South Australian Welding Excellence Awards announced in Adelaide.
Weld Australia's Excellence Awards are the most prestigious event on the welding industry calendar. The Awards showcase and celebrate the world-class work being undertaken by local welders, fabricators and industry educators.
This year, the awards were held at the Terrace Hotel and saw the best and brightest in South Australia's welding industry come together to acknowledge the incredible calibre of work achieved over the past 12 months across the following categories:
- 2022 Welding Professional of Year Award - Welding Coordinator
- 2022 Welding Professional of Year Award - Welding Inspector
- 2022 Training and Education - Organisation Award
- 2022 Company of the Year Award - Fabrication (Small Organisation)
- 2022 Company of the Year Award - Fabrication (Large Organisation)
- 2022 Company of the Year Award - Gas and Gear
- 2022 Ken Trevena Award
According to Weld Australia's CEO, Geoff Crittenden, "Weld Australia's 2022 Welding Excellence Awards celebrate the incredible work of Australia's welders and fabricators. The Awards recognise and reward professionals whose dedication, skill, and teamwork speak for themselves."
"This year's South Australia winners feature businesses and people committed to the pursuit of innovative, sustainable solutions that minimise risk and maximise project outcomes, as well as initiatives designed to increase the breadth and depth of skilled labour within the welding sector," Crittenden said.
Rebecca Cameron from Mine Tech was named the 2022 Welding Professional of Year Award – Welding Coordinator. With over a decade of experience, Rebecca commenced her career in sales and is now a qualified welding coordinator. As the lead of Mine Tech's Quality Assurance department, she has implemented new systems to take the company into the future. Rebecca has established a reputation amongst her peers as professional who can be relied upon on share her knowledge with others.
John Watson from BAE Systems was named the 2022 Welding Professional of Year Award – Welding Inspector. With a career spanning over 40 years, John has experience both in Australia and the United Kingdom. Committed, energetic and efficient, John has consistently developed his own skills and is always striving for new ways to maintain and increase his own industry knowledge. He plays a key role in training and supervising junior team members, helping them improve their skills.
TAFE SA received the 2022 Training and Education – Organisation Award. TAFE SA enables students, industries and communities to develop, grow and thrive through high quality education and training delivery. Their state of the art Advanced Welder Training Centre includes augmented reality welding simulators, that help them deliver training that meets high standards of quality, accessibility and flexibility.
Bowhill Engineering received the 2022 Company of the Year Award – Fabrication (Small Organisation). Bowhill Engineering is a high performing, innovative second generation family business. Established over 40 years ago, Bowhill has a workforce of 60 people and an enviable track record for project delivery, quality, safety and environmental excellence. Their Net Promoter Score (NPS) currently sits at a world class score of 91, indicating their superior service offering.
Mine Tech received the 2022 Company of the Year Award – Fabrication (Large Organisation). An innovative engineering, fabrication and construction company, Mine Tech has experienced rapid growth since 2020 through acquisitions and expansion into new markets. Their team boasts technical know-how and vast experience working across a variety of carbon steels, stainless steels, alloys and plastics. Mine Tech is committed to innovation, quality and providing opportunities for its people.
K-TIG received the 2022 Company of the Year Award – Gas and Gear. K-TIG is an Australian owned manufacturer of a patented, high quality, high productivity and repeatable welding technology known as Keyhole TIG. Over a 10-year period, K-TIG has evolved from a set of advanced physics developed by the CSIRO to become one of the world's most advanced welding technologies. They have seen outstanding growth over the last three years, expanding into more than 20 countries globally including the USA and UK.
David Price from ASC received the 2022 Ken Trevena Award as recognition for his essential role in developing and delivering high quality welding processes, resources and quality systems for the fabrication of the Collins Class Submarines at ASC. David has also been the Chair of Weld Australia's South Australia Committee since 2018, actively promoting their activities to support the industry.
