If their families are to be believed, the Wollongbar Alstonville Rugby Club in New South Wales’ Northern Rivers region is to blame. But the truth of

the matter is, the paths of 47-year-old Richard Mould and his 51-year-old business partner, Alan Theron, were bound to cross eventually.

Both ex-pat South Africans, successful small-business professionals and Alstonville Plateau property owners, the men’s friendship was sealed when they found themselves on the hunt for new posts after parts of their existing fence lines succumbed to rot courtesy of the rural area’s hard rock shelf and moist soil conditions.

Mould says the price of replacement timber fencing was off-putting, but when the pair struggled to find any manufacturer who would provide a guarantee for their product the alarm bells began in earnest.

“The quality was far from what we

10 Construction Supply Specialists

Rugby brought them together while a mutual rot issue helped solidify their future. Tracey Porter investigates the secret formula behind the success of Australian Concrete Posts

Members in action

expected. Metal posts just didn’t cut it. Acid sulphate soils rapidly rust posts at ground level and eventually requires replacement. Some concrete posts cracked and split when they were hit during installation because they only had a single reinforcing bar that did not allow for driving the posts.”

It was around this time Mould began reflecting on his father Michael’s experience with concrete fencing in the late 1970s. With limited access to hardwood timber in South Africa, Michael had made his own posts and fence panels from concrete, bringing the precast concrete moulds with him when he emigrated to Australia in 1978.

He substituted the timber posts with long-lasting concrete posts on his farm near Lismore—the quality was such that nearly four decades later, they are still standing in their original position.

It dawned on Mould that the only way the pair could be assured of the quality,

From pillar to post

Construction Supply Specialists 11

“We’ve purpose-built the manufacturing plan from

scratch and developed an efficient system

that ensures consistent quality of products.”Richard Mould, Australian Concrete Posts

staff based in the factory along with Doug, the business’ national sales manager, and Mould’s sister Suzi, who takes care of marketing and design.

Currently, it takes the ACP team two days to prepare the tables, tension the steel, pour and compact the concrete. After that, the posts are cured for a minimum of three weeks before being ready for delivery.

To ensure it complies with Australian standards, each product manufactured on site goes through a controlled curing period before undergoing a rigorous examination

process, including compaction and strength testing, slump tests and batch monitoring, after which it is then certified by engineers.

“We can produce 2500 posts a week, but we’ve designed the plant so that it can be easily amped up when we’re ready to go to another level of production.

“We’ve purpose-built the manufacturing plan from scratch and developed an efficient system that ensures consistent quality of products. We’ve also made sure that we’ve got plenty of room to grow as we supply the demand,” says Mould.

Their argument that concrete posts are superior to traditional timber and steel fence posts due to their extended life span has clearly resonated beyond the immediate farming community, with ACP’s product now being

seen throughout the viticulture and agricultural industries.

In addition, it has also been sought by the Roads & Traffic Authority, national rail authorities and peak parks and wildlife bodies; all of these have used ACP products extensively throughout locations nationwide.

In recent months, the core product range of concrete fence and strainer posts has been expanded to incorporate adjustable and box end strainer brackets, single post bracket sets and box end stays in a variety of lengths.

strength and durability they required was to join forces and manufacture the posts themselves.

Months of trial and error followed before Mould and Theron eventually defined a unique concrete mix, made off-site at Boral, which met their exacting standards. “Our posts are long-lasting, rot- and fire-resistant and termite-proof, but are also uniform and consistent in size and shape,” says Mould. “In addition, the holes are all pre-formed, so no time is wasted measuring and drilling holes.”

Selecting the aptly titled Australian Concrete Posts (ACP) as their business name, they set up shop in northern NSW shortly after, with Mould acting as the front man, driving the design, marketing, sales and administration side of the business, perfectly complementing Alan who would rather be out on the factory floor.

The ACP team has since been extended to include an additional six

ACP says its concrete strainer posts consistently outlast

traditional hardwood fencing.

ACP co-owners Richard Mould (left) and Alan Theron.

The brand’s concrete strainer post and galvanised steal

bracket system has proved popular.

Continually seeking to innovate, ACP recently introduced colour concrete fence posts and strainers to its offering, with both brown and standard grey coloured posts now included in its product mix.

CSS member Chris Waring, who owns The Bolt Barn—a business that caters to tradesmen, handymen and DIYers—has been working with ACP for the past 12 months supplying everything from abrasive gear and hoists to concrete dissolver Crete-Off and push trolleys.

Waring says he’s been fascinated by the way Mould and Theron’s business has developed and now feels personally invested in its performance.

“I’ve been out to the factory and got quite interested in it myself. It’s really quite ingenious the way they do it. There’s definitely a good market for it.”

With the business poised for further expansion down the track, Mould says both himself and Theron would fight to the death to ensure manufacturing of the ACP

product remains onshore. Having its manufacturing base in northern NSW benefits other local businesses, as well as sporting organisations and community groups.

“We’re both from families who are immigrants to Australia. This is a land that gave us and our families a new opportunity, so we’re a local and family business,” says Mould.

“Our kids can work here during their

school holidays, and there are many skilled and hard workers who we have worked with before. We have been able to utilise their skills and reliability. We can also sponsor and support local sports clubs and community groups by staying in Australia and in the country.

“We love where we live and to be able to support other local families and businesses by manufacturing locally—it is a huge factor for us.”

12WHY BUY A STANDARD HAMMER WHEN YOU CAN BUY A GROZ HAMMER?

Steel Locking Plate

Steel ReinforcedLanyard Hole

Spring Steel Bars Tested Durability

Drop Forged Head

High Visibility Head

OH&S COMPLIANT

Adds instant identificationon any job site.

Eliminates head loosening or falling apart.

Vulcanised Rubber Handle

Textured Non-Slip Grip

9/32” (7.1mm) Dia.Spring steel bars resist overstrike

without breaking.

Absorbs impact & vibration, reducing user fatigue. Made

from special grade ozone resistant rubber for use in tough

outside environments.

In direct strike and overstrike tests, hammers recorded 36,000 blows with no evidence of deformation.

Also available with Soft Faced Heads

CHID4.0-12CU 4 12SHID8-24CU 8 24SHID14-30CU 14 30

Part No. Head Weight (Lb) Handle Length (”)

Part No. Head Weight (Lb) Handle Length (”)CHID2.5-12 2.5 12CHID4.0-12 4 12CHID4.0-16 4 16SHID6-24 6 24SHID6-30 6 30SHID8-24 8 24SHID8-30 8 30

SHID10-30 10 30

SHID12-30 12 30

SHID14-30 14 30

SHID8-36 8 36

SHID10-36 10 36

SHID12-36 12 36

SHID14-36 14 36

CLUB HAMMERS / SLEDGE HAMMERS COPPER HAMMERS

IND

ES

TR

UC

TIB

LE H

AN

DLE

TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y - Longer life than w

ooden/fiberglass handles

ME

CH

AN

ICA

LLY FA

ST

EN

ED

HE

AD

- When safety really counts – guaranteed not to com

e loose

Drop Forged HeadFor added durability

Members in action

ACP products are manufactured at a custom factory in northern NSW.

Cobalt Bi-Metal HolesawsUsageGeneral purpose saw suitable for use in steel, aluminium, brass, cast iron, plastic and timber.Size Range14mm up to 210mm

Thinwall CobaltBi-metal Sheetmetal HolesawsUsageSteel, stainless steel and non-ferrous sheetmetal.Ideal for use in electrical boxes and data cabinets.Size Range16mm up to 51mm

XP & XP2TCT HolesawsUsageHigh performance repetition cutting in plate steel and stainless steel up to 4mm thick. XP2 deep cut saws are ideal for use on curved surfaces such as pipe.Size Range16mm up to 100mm

Ripper® TCTHolesawsUsageTimber, MDF, composite board, cement sheet, villaboard, blueboard, ply, laminates, insulation and other materials that quickly dull standard bi-metal saws.Size Range16mm up to 152mm

Brilliant® DiamondHolesawsUsagePorcelain, ceramics, tiles, vitrifi ed products, natural and engineered/composite stone, monocottura, fi breglass, graphite, carbon fi bre and fi bre reinforced plastics.Size Range6mm up to 128mm

Bordo Tungsten Carbide GritEdge® HolesawsUsageLaminates, fi breglass, ceramic tiles, marble and slate, cast iron, cement sheet and composite materialsSize Range16mm up to 114mm

Bordo Tungsten Carbide GritEdge® Downlight CuttersUsagePlasterboard, cement sheet, blueboard, villaboard, composites and other hard and abrasive materials.Size Range72, 75, 89, 92, 95mm

A HOLE WORLD OF CHOICEThe world of hole saws has changed signifi cantly over recent years. Not too long ago, most of us would have gone to the toolbox and taken out a Bi-Metal Hole Saw for most jobs. Bi-Metal hole saws have been around for a long time and were originally developed using the same material as that used in bandsaw blades. Bi-metal refers to the fact that the tips of these hole saws are made from high speed steel - these days often with cobalt - while the main body of the hole saw is made from a less expensive alloy.

Bi-metal hole saws were, and still are, a great general purpose hole saw. They will cut wide variety of materials including steel, stainless steel (under proper conditions), aluminium, wood, plastics, fi bre cement sheet, and more.

But there are now a large number of material specifi c hole saws which can increase your productivity and lower your tooling costs. Only the other day, a tradie installing a security system in our building was telling me he didn’t get good product life out of bi-metal hole saws when cutting into electrical switchboards and the fi nish was often not great. I gave him a Thin Wall Sheetmetal Hole Saw to try and he was amazed at how quickly it cut and how good the fi nish was. The thin wall means that these hole saws have less material to remove and their smaller teeth ensures they cut quickly without distorting the sheet metal.

A common question we get asked is which hole saw is ideal for repetition cutting in steel and stainless steel. The answer is simple – XP and XP2 Hole Saws. Even by carefully selecting the ideal speed and feed rate and using a cutting lubricant, bi-metal hole saws will not cut through steel plate and stainless steel as well as XP Hole Saws. The deeper XP2 Hole Saw have three edged carbide teeth which balance the cutter for smoother boring and greater control. The deep body makes them ideal for use on curved surfaces like metal pipes.

Another material people fi nd diffi cult is MDF. Certainly a bi-metal hole saw will do the job but a Ripper Carbide Tipped Hole Saw will cut much faster and last much longer. And the core will be much easier to remove as well. Carbide is much harder wearing than high speed steel so it is more suitable for abrasive products. Fibre cement is another case in point.

But what about cutting holes in masonry materials? Bordo Grit-Edge Hole Saws are ideal for products like standard wall tiles, marble, laminates, glass and even cast iron. Downlight Cutters are a continuous grit version perfect for plaster board and other ceiling materials.

Very hard masonry products like porcelain and granite are best cut with a Brilliant® Diamond Hole Saws. The diamonds in these hole saws are vacuum brazed for faster cutting and are actually even more effi cient when used in angle grinders than standard pistol drills.

The bottom line is this: when cutting holes you need to select the right type of cutter for the job. General purpose bi-metal hole saws are great and will always be an important weapon in your arsenal. But material specifi c hole saws will signifi cantly improve your productivity and, because they will last much longer, will save you money and time.

ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

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