Hosted by Weld Australia, the Excellence Awards are the most prestigious event on the welding industry calendar. These awards honour and highlight the exceptional work of local welders, fabricators, and educators contributing to the industry’s growth.
This year’s ceremony was held at Burswood on Swan in Perth, drawing together the brightest talents from the Western Australia welding sector. The event celebrated the outstanding achievements and workmanship demonstrated over the past year.
Geoff Crittenden (CEO of Weld Australia) said, “The 2024 Welding Excellence Awards showcase the exceptional talent of welders and fabricators across Western Australia. We are excited to honour both individuals and businesses who are driving advancements in welding through their commitment to quality, safety, and innovation.”
“The winners this year embody the pursuit of cutting-edge, sustainable solutions that enhance project outcomes while reducing risks, alongside initiatives that broaden and deepen the skilled workforce within the welding sector,” Crittenden said.
RCR Mining Technologies won the 2024 Company of the Year Award – Fabrication. RCR Mining Technologies is an Original Equipment Manufacturer that designs and delivers award-winning materials handling solutions for mining applications. Headquartered in Western Australia, their innovative product range is manufactured locally at cutting-edge facilities in Bunbury and Welshpool. With a rich legacy dating back to 1975, RCR has built a reputation for the efficiency, durability and value of their industrial equipment and installations – and for their continual pursuit of new ways to improve manufacturing efficiencies.
Griffin Marine Services won the 2024 Project of the Year Award for Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Training Submarine Project. Griffin Marine Services undertook work on the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Training Submarine Project for the design, manufacture, installation, and commissioning of a training submarine simulator. The project involved complex fabrication work, including precision cutting, welding, and assembly of aluminium components to replicate the interior and exterior of a Collins-class submarine. The GMS team’s expertise was crucial to ensuring the durability and accuracy of the simulator.
RCR Mining Technologies won the 2024 Health and Safety in Welding Award. Safety is the number one value and priority at RCR, with a raft of documented procedures and processes that are subject to regular reviews, audits, and updates. They recently rolled out changes to their risk assessment processes together with practical face-to-face training, to help educate workers and contribute to a safer workplace. With additional initiatives such as one-on-one quality and safety spot checks, RCR has successfully halved the company’s total recordable injury frequency rate this year.
Gentronics won the 2024 Company of the Year Award – Supplier. For over 40 years, Gentronics has provided a comprehensive range of welding products, consumables, and industrial supplies – offering top quality solutions at competitive prices as well as comprehensive repair and maintenance services. With a state-of-the-art welding bay on site, their facilities are fully equipped with the latest advancements in welding technology. Working with partners around the world, Gentronics is committed to bringing groundbreaking welding innovations to the Australian market.
South Metropolitan TAFE won the 2024 Training and Education – Organisation Award. As the state’s largest trainer of apprentices and trainees, South Metropolitan TAFE is working with WA’s world-leading Defence industry to deliver a pipeline of skilled workers to meet the future needs of the sector. Pathway programs are in place to bring together schools, TAFE, higher education and the Defence sector to attract, train, retain personnel – ensuring a whole-of workforce development approach to deliver the right skills at the right time.
The three winners of the 2024 Welding Professional of the Year Award were: Francois Kotze from Bossong Engineering for the Welding Coordinator category; Nathan Cappa from MC Quality for the Welding Inspector category; and Tom Linder from Shadbolt Group for the Welding Supervisor category.
Justin Whitby from Griffin Marine Services won the 2024 Young Indigenous Trades Person of the Year category. A third-year apprentice at Griffin Marine Services, Justin is already a standout talent in the Australian welding and fabrication industry. At just 20 years old, he has played a key role in a major marine construction project and actively worked to improve safety protocols. A proud traditional owner from the Pilbara land, Justin's rapid development and impressive skill set demonstrate his dedication to his craft and his potential as a future leader in the industry.
Jacob Piesse from ASC won the 2024 Young Trades Person of the Year category. Completing his Engineering Tradesperson Fabrication trade this year, Jacob was recently awarded ASC’s Apprentice of the Year for 2024 – a testament to his exceptional performance and dedication. Jacob approaches welding challenges with creative problem-solving skills to identify and resolve issues quickly. His attention to detail and commitment to quality is evident in the durability and precision of his work, contributing to the overall success of ASC projects and maintaining high safety standards.
Clarisse Orchard from Callidus Welding Solutions was named the 2024 Trades Person of the Year. A qualified boilermaker welder with expertise in the mining industry, Clarisse is now a Technical Process Specialist for Callidus. Working closely with clients and the workshop team, she assesses quality, fixes problems, and finds solutions for technical issues – delivering fabrication and repairs on high end exotic materials. Clarisse is passionate about inspiring other women to perform their best in a male-dominated industry, helping drive greater diversity and equality in the welding profession.
Adam Fiannaca from South Metropolitan TAFE won the 2024 Training and Education – Individual Teacher Award. Adam is a lecturer in Metal Fabrication at SM TAFE, with a professional background in welding and fabrication, construction, and marine/mechanical design drafting. For almost two decades, he has dedicated his time equally between metal fabrication and tertiary education. Adam has made significant contributions to a variety of educational programs, including VET in schools, advanced and diploma-level engineering projects, the Defence Industry Pathways Program, and the Senior Hull Maintainer Program for the Royal Australian Navy.
WPF was named the winner of the special CEO’s Award for services to the Australian welding industry. WPF specialises in delivering muti-discipline engineering services to the Australian energy, construction, and manufacturing sectors – combining a world-class manufacturing and fabrication facility with the capacity to install, service and repair specialised equipment, both onshore and offshore. Since the company’s inception in 1988, WPF has built strong client relationships, earning a reputation for exceptional service and an unwavering commitment to engineering excellence within the context of safe work practices.
About us:
About Weld Australia
Weld Australia represents the welding profession in Australia. Its members are made up of individual welding professionals and companies of all sizes. Weld Australia members are involved almost every facet of Australian industry and make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy. The primary goal of Weld Australia is to ensure that the Australian welding industry remains locally and globally competitive, both now and into the future. Weld Australia is the Australian representative member of the International Institute of Welding (IIW). For more information or to join Weld Australia, please visit: www.weldaustralia.com.au.
Contact details:
Further Information and Interviews
Sally Wood on 0434 442 687 or sally@wordly.com.au
