CEO Update July 2024

Innovation is an area I am passionate about as I want to ensure our customers are benefiting from new and improved products and services.  

The best ideas can come from anyone working in the organisation which is what happened in our wire business. One of our colleagues came up with an inventive and novel idea to improve the quality and manufacturability of certain prefabricated field fencing designs that made a big impact on the quality of our product for customers.   

The innovation involved decreasing the spacing between picket wires at each end of the fencing roll. This idea improved the fence’s strength at pressure points in the corners of paddocks and the roll formation during manufacture, reducing the likelihood of damage to the fence roll.  

A patent was sought to protect the idea in 2018 and in really good news it was formally granted by IP Australia this year.  

Another innovation I am proud of is our SENSE 600® range of products. There is a lot of commentary about pathways to making green steel, however, at InfraBuild we are already making progress towards manufacturing more sustainable steel with SENSE 600®. 

Made from 100% recycled scrap steel, using up to 16.7% less raw material, yet with the same Load Capacity as our 500N product, SENSE 600® will deliver a lower embodied carbon solution of up to 39% than our standard grade reinforcing steel. 

This month we continued our education events for our innovative SENSE 600® products in Perth, focusing on technical and design solutions, sustainability certifications, and how the product is a perfect lower embodied carbon construction solution. 

As it was NAIDOC week earlier this month, it was an opportune time to honour the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We were privileged to be joined by chef Nornie Bero, who is from the Komet Tribe of the Meriam People on Mer Island in the Torres Strait. Nornie hosted a webinar cooking demonstration from her kitchen celebrating First Nations food, culture and connection to land.  

As part of our Reconciliation Action Plan, events such as this help us as an organisation build on the relationships we have with First Nations Peoples, while working to increase Indigenous employment across our business, and contributing to the broader goal of reconciliation. 

All the best and stay safe, 

Francisco Irazusta 
CEO InfraBuild