Re-invent Aussie ingenuity and stop treading water, urges Seeley International

Seeley International Founder and Executive Chairman, Mr Frank Seeley AM, has used a win for the revolutionary Braemar SuperStealth in the 2016 Australian Business Awards to urge manufacturers to commit to an ongoing program of innovation if they want to remain relevant.

“Australians have had a reputation for thinking outside the square, but that now seems to have faded over time. If we want to see our manufacturing sector survive and flourish then we need to re-grasp our Aussie ingenuity and start setting the pace in what is now a highly competitive global environment,” Mr Seeley said.

“We need to remember the basics of what has made our nation great. We need to embrace the notion of being a bush mechanic that has to think outside the square to get lasting results. We need to be less risk adverse and more willing to have a crack at something, and learn more from failure rather than success,” he said.

“Seeley International has been in business for a long time, and we certainly haven’t always seen everything go our way, but we haven’t stopped pushing the limits or resting on our achievements because we know that as quickly as we bring a new product to market our competitors will be looking to see if they know they can copy our hard work. That’s why we are always working on over-the-horizon technologies so as always to stay ahead of the pack.”

Mr Seeley said Seeley International’s win in the 2016 Australian Business Award for its super energy-efficient Braemar SuperStealth cooler demonstrates that achieving the impossible needs a mindset that embraces challenge and change.

“If I had listened to those who told me that a great idea could never become a reality then I probably would never have started in business. Instead, I have surrounded myself with people who also embrace innovation and are the best in the business – and our Australian Business Awards win reinforces that great things can be achieved when an Australian company is committed to innovation as a base standard,” Mr Seeley said.

“In reality, this isn’t just a win for Seeley International. It’s a win for Australian manufacturers. It’s a win for every entrepreneur and innovator who starts the day wanting to make a difference and refusing to accept the status quo,” he said.

“We might have higher production costs in Australia, but we live in a great country. To compensate we have to innovate like there is no tomorrow, use world class technology and have the highest levels of automation in our production processes. Seeley International is living proof that there can be a bright future for the Australian manufacturing industry – and I challenge Australian businesses to consider whether they could be doing more across these critical areas instead of waiting for better economic conditions.”

The prestigious award win for the Braemar SuperStealth follows its recent victory in the 2016 Good Design Awards, where it was announced as a Good Design® Selection winner in the Product Design category (Domestic appliances) in recognition of its reduced energy usage and noise, and impact on the environment.

With a patented super-quiet axial fan and a high efficiency inverter motor, the Braemar SuperStealth is the first of its kind in the world and is up to 50% more efficient than the previous state-of-the-art Braemar evaporative cooler.

Braemar has been the product of choice of Australian families for more than 50 years, and the SuperStealth further strengthens the brand’s reputation as one of the most tried, trusted and altogether innovative choice available in both Australian and International markets.

The Australian Business Awards is a comprehensive national awards program recognising organisations across all industries and sectors via an established set of business and product award categories. The awards aim to identify Australia’s business, innovation and technology leaders over a broad spectrum of industries.

Interview opportunities with Mr Frank Seeley AM are available, and can be arranged by calling Adam Thomson from Leverage PR on 0430 420 120.

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