The Australian heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and building services industries recently celebrated the achievements of industry performers at the ARBS 2014 Industry Awards in Melbourne.
Five nominees were also inducted into the ARBS Hall of Fame.
Hosted by MC Shane Bourne (Tricky Business, Thank God You’re Here), the event saw winners being announced by industry luminaries and presented with their awards by Ian Hopkins, Chairman of the ARBS Board.
Young Achiever – Brett Saunders
The ARBS Young Achiever award went to Brett Saunders, the 32-year-old founder and Managing Director of Hiflow Industries Pty Ltd.
Outstanding Service and Maintenance Provider – Precise Air – Homebush NSW
Precise Air’s Fresh Thinking customer service strategy centres on partnering with customers to develop efficient, sustainable and cost effective solutions specific to each customer’s needs.
ARBS Product Excellence Award – Hercules Packaged Air Conditioning Unit – ActronAir
ActronAir revolutionised the >100 kW rooftop packaged unit category with the Hercules product range, which has been optimised for seasonal energy efficient performance.
ARBS Project Excellence Award – Queen Elizabeth II Courts Of Law, Brisbane – Aurecon Australia
Aurecon provided multi-disciplinary engineering design services for the $570 million project. One of the key features of the building is the unique, dynamically adaptable, double-skin façade, which provides the building with a practical solution to privacy, sunlight penetration control and enhanced energy efficiency.
Refrigeration Project Excellence – Coles Supermarket, Hallam
Actively committed to ensuring a sustainable footprint for future stores, Coles was able to realise a 20% reduction in energy consumption at the Hallam store through better engineering design of the refrigeration and air conditioning plants along with initiatives in lighting, mechanical services and water and waste management.
Outstanding Education/Training – Web-Based Training (Technicians) – Daikin Australia
Daikin Australia’s web-based training course offers technicians seamless access to online training anytime and anywhere. With courses including Basic Air Conditioning, New Refrigerants and Troubleshooting, Daikin is contributing to the ongoing professional development of the industry.
Hall of Fame Inductees
The five inductees to the ARBS Hall of Fame were recognised for their significant contributions to the industry, and included Alan Woodhouse, a former Chairman of the Association of Fluorocarbon Consumers and Manufacturers, instrumental in designing the HCFC phase-out in the mid-1990s; Alan Obrart, previously an office bearer for Engineers Australia, President of AIRAH and fulfilling various councillor positions with RACCA and AMCA; Albert Watson, whose career spans decades, including more than 25 years of service to AMCA SA where he served as President on two occasions; Bill Siganto, one of the most influential Australian HVAC&R engineers of recent times having helped pioneer the use of innovative engineering solutions during design and construction to help further traditional air conditioning practices; and Kevin Lee, who has played key roles in the development of HVAC&R standards and regulations in Australia.
