Started from a garage in 1979, Australia’s iconic pull-down ladder brand, AM-BOSS, has played an important role in revolutionising the capability of the ladder industry by introducing innovative features like fixing clips, and utilising only the highest quality, local materials in their manufacturing process. Today, the brand continues to be an undeniable industry leader in this space so we sat down with Robyn Rutley, AM-BOSS’ owner and CEO, to talk about safety, the company’s many industry-defining firsts – and the sense of pride underpinning AM-BOSS’ enduring success.
With some of the milestones defining AM-BOSS 43 years in market including industry’s first and only 20-year warranty on the brand’s domestic series ladders and the launch of the much-coveted heavy duty commercial series with a load rating of 400 kg, AM-BOSS has certainly created an innovative and highly competitive offering. And the brand’s strong focus on safety and compliance further highlights the industry-defining character of their products.
“There is no Australian standard for pull-down attic ladders, so in 2003 we became the first company to ever comply with the Building Code by going through one of their appraisal schemes generated by the CSIRO,” explains Robyn. “A decade later, with the introduction of the National Construction Code, we became the first company to have an attic-style product that was CodeMark certified. In essence, we've been compliant with the Building Code for almost 20 years now.”
This commitment to compliance is also reflected in the fact that AM-BOSS’ products are never cut to make them suit the application. In fact, they are made from scratch, specifically to fit in with individual requirements of a project. “In the absence of a standard for attic ladders, we try to adhere as much as possible to the Australian standard for fixed and portable ladders,” Robyn says. “Ensuring that our rung or tread spacings are regular and compliant is an important part of that. If you cut your ladder system, that may lead to a safety hazard. The beauty of our system is that we manufacture it to suit each individual environment, and I don't believe our competitors offer the same thing.”
AM-BOSS’ dedication to keeping things compliant and individually manufactured with high-quality materials translates into an incredibly advanced safety profile which is of particular importance when working with heights. But there is another passion that underpins AM-BOSS’ business ethos. Robyn explains that the ability to manufacture the products locally, with as many Australian materials as possible – like Australian aluminium – is a great source of personal and professional satisfaction.
“I'm proud of our product, and I'm proud of the team that makes it. And I know that our employees share the same sense of pride, too,” Robyn enthuses. “It's a fantastic feeling to employ Australian people for an Australian product, made by an Australian, family-owned business.”
Head over to Talking Architecture & Design to listen to the whole episode.
