1
STEEL FRAME EXPO POINTS TO UPSWING
IN NATIONAL HOUSING INDUSTRY
23/10/09
The national housing industry put on a positive face this week at the Steel Frame
Building Expo staged at Yarraville in Melbourne.
According to major exhibitor FRAMECAD™, a number of up-beat signals were
given at the Expo that indicate the Australian housing industry’s slump is over –
or soon will be.
FRAMECAD™ Regional Sales
Manager, Mr Peter Blythe said, “There were four
very positive signs:-
1.
feedback from attendees from the industry through the week consistently
referred to a ‘turnaround’ and things looking better in terms of their customer
interest and sales
2.
attendance at the Expo was better than expected with good crowds on most
days including tertiary students from Holmesglen TAFE
3.
attendees mainly asked business-building questions; they were mainly
prospective buyers rather than ‘tire-kickers’
4.
FRAMECAD’s™
sales were good, selling two machines so far this week plus
two or three very positive leads that we look forward to converting into sales
in coming weeks.”
Mr Blythe noted that feedback from attendees at the Expo underlined an ongoing
groundswell of support in the local housing industry for steel framing. “Builders
increasingly understand that steel is a better fit with Australian conditions –
particularly our extremes of climate, landscape and distance.
“Aussie builders tell us that they prefer steel
frames to traditional wooden
versions more and more because they are: --
cheaper to construct (less skilled labour required)
lightweight to erect
lightweight and compact to transport (i.e. assembled on site)
fireproof and termite proof (very important in
many parts of Australia
especially in rural and remote parts)
non-warping, non-twisting, water/rain proof (galvanised)
safer to construct (i.e. less OH&S concerns than establishing traditional wood
frames with nail guns etc)
100% recyclable with a lower carbon footprint than wooden frames.”
At the Expo, FRAMECAD™ displayed its Mobile Factory that provides a completely
self-contained mobile steel frame fabrication factory. This unit can be used in
number of situations, from private commercial to emergency relief in response to
crisis demand for housing following natural disasters like bush fires, earthquakes
and tsunamis.
The Mobile Factory is housed in a modified 20 foot (6.1m) shipping container and
is easily transported. FRAMECAD™ Mobile Factory can be airlifted into virtually
any location and made operational within 24 hours.
With its own diesel generator and computer-operated steel frame-fabricating
machine, the Mobile Factory can manufacture precision-engineered framing at a
2
rate of 700 lineal metres per hour, allowing construction of structures to begin
immediately and proceed quickly.
“Production is computer controlled and every piece of framing produced is
numbered and coded so it can be easily assembled on site,” Mr Blythe said.
Background:
The FRAMECAD™ Mobile Factory, which was developed and manufactured in New
Zealand, was unveiled and is operating for demonstration in Melbourne this week
at a Steel Frame Building Expo at Yarraville from October 19-23.
There will be two presentations each day at 10:00am and 5:30pm
The Expo is open to anyone associated with the building industry and will be held
at Denim Park, 341 Francis Street, Yarraville in Melbourne.
More Expo information:
Those interested in attending today (Friday 23 which is the last day) should
contact Peter Blythe on +61 419 101 639 or email at peterb@framecad.com
Peter Blythe
Regional Sales Manager
FRAMECAD Solutions Australia Pty Ltd
Unit 2, 25-29 Prospect Street
Box Hill, Vic 3128
Australia
Media:
David Park parkyoung 0418 159-231 or media@parkyoung.com.au
end
NEWS 
