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Frank Seeley AM honoured as inaugural hall of fame recipient at IMPACT awards gala dinner

Announcement posted by Leverage PR 11 Nov 2015

Seeley International Founder and Chairman, Mr Frank Seeley AM has been honoured as the inaugural IMPACT Awards Hall of Fame Recipient in recognition of his profound impact on global markets using innovative products, as well as generating significant benefits for the South Australian economy by creating high value jobs, connections to Universities and representing South Australian business with integrity.

In accepting the prestigious accolade, Mr Seeley said he was honoured to be recognised for his leadership and contribution efforts, and encouraged other business leaders to push the boundaries, question the status quo, and draw on their entrepreneurial spirit, as secrets to achieving sustainable global success.

“It is with great pleasure that I accept being the inaugural Hall of Famer, and share this amazing accolade with the entire Seeley International team and in particular my wife Kathy, because success can only be achieved through dedicated teamwork and unwavering tenacity over many, many years,” Mr Seeley said. 

“There has been a great deal of focus and debate about Australia’s future, and as head of the nation’s largest manufacturer of heating and cooling products which also exports locally-designed and manufactured products to more than 120 countries, I can say that local manufacturers can still enjoy a bright and prosperous future,” he said.

“However, as an urgent priority, we need to have a different mindset about the way we do business, and in particular, and we must do two things: we must innovate like there is no tomorrow, and we must automate, automate, automate – and then we will have a sustainable manufacturing base that can deliver market-leading products to the rest of the world.”

Awards organiser, Mr Kimon Lycos, said Mr Seeley was a worthy inaugural recipient for the Hall of Fame.

“Frank is an inspirational role model for the South Australian business community, because his ambition and drive has continually led to innovations of global importance. He has blazed a trail which has enhanced South Australia’s international reputation for world-class solutions. It’s never easy, but Frank has taught us all, that continually producing  world-firsts as a standard, means that you can create a global enterprise with its head office right here in South Australia,” Mr Lycos said.

“The IMPACT Awards are designed to showcase South Australian companies that demonstrate global ambition and illustrate the future prosperity of our State, and we could not have selected a better statesman than Frank Seeley,” he said.

“We have been immensely proud to have Frank as an Impact Awards ambassador, and we look forward to his new role as a Hall of Famer in continuing to promote opportunities that show how home-grown capability can generate high value employment opportunities on a global scale, and help to take South Australia to a new level of performance.”

This is the latest accolade for Mr Seeley, who has previously been announced as the 2013 Ernst & Young Champion of Entrepreneurship (South Australia) in recognition of his long-term entrepreneurial achievements and significant contribution to the community.

Mr Seeley was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2001 and won South Australian Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005. In addition to being state winner of the coveted Jason Lea Award by Family Business Australia in 2010, in 2011 he was named South Australian of the Year, was awarded the Ernst and Young Champion of Entrepreneurship in 2013 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Manufacturers Monthly in 2012.

Recently, Mr Seeley was announced as the first ever winner of the CCN HVACR Leader of the Year Award at a gala breakfast ceremony at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Friday 14th August, 2015 where he emerged victorious against a strong field of industry contenders.

About Seeley International

Seeley International is Australia’s largest air conditioning manufacturer and is market leader in the design and manufacture of ducted and portable heating and cooling products for the domestic, commercial and industrial markets in Australia.

Renowned for its innovation, Seeley International’s brands include Breezair, Braemar, Climate Wizard, Convair, Coolair, Braemar Tudor Romeo and Coolerado. Based in Adelaide’s south - and with factories in Adelaide (evaporative coolers) and Albury (gas heaters, refrigerated and commercial cooling) - the company was founded in 1972 by Frank Seeley AM, who remains Executive Chairman.

Unlike many of its competitors, Seeley International continues to design and manufacture most of the components for its Australian-made products, which it exports to more than 120 countries around the world. More information about Seeley International and its products can be found at www.seeleyinternational.com