When Brian Blowes first started work as a welder at a small fabrication shop in western Sydney, little did he know that just a few years later he would own the business and over the next four decades would turn it into a highly specialised manufacturer with international reach.
Today, BAB Aluminium is a lean, highly automated manufacturer based in Ingleburn, NSW. The company specialises in aluminium seating, aluminium grandstands, their famous buddy bench and a range of outdoor aluminium furniture with a strong focus on sustainability and Australian-made supply.
“I bought half the business on a loan that was guaranteed by my father,” Brian said. A few years later, when his partner wanted out, he took control of the whole company.
In the early days, the company focused on lace railings, gates and other decorative work. That changed when a specialist in remote controls approached the business to manufacture automated gates for homes. This opened a new line of work that carried the business through into the late 1990s.
The turning point came with the 1991 recession, when demand for luxury home improvements collapsed.
“I realised then that we needed to change the business model to fireproof it,” Brian said.
A request from a local school for aluminium seating became the spark for that change. Brian sourced extrusions from Alcan (now Capral) but baulked at the cost of imported steel brackets.
“They were like 25 bucks a pop, which was a fortune back then. I thought, ‘I can make my own.’ So I did,” he said.
From that moment, BAB Aluminium shifted into aluminium seating systems, a niche that grew into a substantial national and export business. Today, BAB Aluminium has their seats on a Thames River boat in London, high-speed ferries in Thailand, the US Embassy in Singapore to name just a few.
Today, BAB Aluminium manufactures a range of:
- school and community seating
- tables and benches (including accessible designs)
- modular grandstands, from small, demountable units for local clubs to larger structures seating up to 1,000 people
“Look, we sell to everyone – you might have one in your backyard,” Brian said.
Operating with a small specialist team, BAB Aluminium has invested heavily in automation and precision equipment to keep output high and quality consistent.
A strategic move from Chipping Norton to Ingleburn allowed the company to consolidate three smaller manufacturing facilities into one larger premises that houses three robotic welders, a three-axis CNC mandrel bender, presses, folders and other specialist machinery. “Today, we processes around 140-150 tonnes of aluminium a year.”
The Ingleburn facility is also closer for Brian to go home to his family farm in Crookwell on weekends.
BAB Aluminium is the parent company and now operates its two other important brands Grandstands Australia, Australia’s leading aluminium grandstand manufacturer, and Buddy Bench Australia, the anti-bullying bench initiative for schools and community spaces.
Sustainability is central to BAB Aluminium’s success. The company uses super green, low-carbon aluminium from Capral and designs its products for durability, reuse and recyclability.
BAB Aluminium is also committed to a local supply chain, as well as being a long-standing member of the Australian Made campaign and featuring in Capral’s “Crafted with Capral” initiative.
A key enabler of the company’s visibility into larger and more complex projects has been its relationship with ICN.
Brian first connected with ICN Regional Manager Western Sydney, Raquel Bloom, through the Southern Strength Manufacturing Alliance, a network of manufacturers spanning Sutherland, Campbelltown, Liverpool and surrounds.
Since then, ICN has supported BAB Aluminium by:
- referring grant opportunities
- encouraging and supporting nominations for manufacturing awards
- facilitating introductions to opportunities with major clients
- providing a platform via Gateway, where BAB Aluminium has lodged expressions of interest, including proposals for 2032 Brisbane Olympic venues.
Looking ahead, BAB Aluminium is extending its fabrication expertise into streetscape and urban furniture, collaborating with a leading Perth architectural design firm to partner in manufacturing and distribution of their outstanding range of complementary products on the east coast.
It’s clear that BAB Aluminium punches well above its weight thanks to its long history, technological capability, strong partnerships, and industry leadership including with ICN and Capral.
For more information, visit BAB Aluminium.