Shamic Sheetmetal (Aust) Pty Ltd was established in 1978 as a fully Australian-owned and managed family business, manufacturing sheet metal products.
Under the direction of Managing Director Eric Woodgate, Shamic rapidly gained the excellent reputation it has today for providing high-quality sheet metal units and parts for a wide range of customers – from small producers to large multinational companies including motor vehicles, electrical and electronic products and industrial components and parts.
In 1985, the sheet metal specialists began manufacturing wood heaters, acquiring the rights to an array of well-known heater brands between 1998 and 2001, with gas heaters added to their impressive portfolio in 2001. Having grown extensively over the years, in 1998 Shamic moved to a larger manufacturing and warehousing facility in Croydon, Victoria.
Today, Shamic manufactures and sells the full range of HeatCharm, Arrow and Coonara wood and gas heaters across Australia through a huge network of more than 150 distributors. With strong relationships with distributors across the country, Shamic prides itself on staying true to Australian suppliers and the industry, employing expert staff to support the local market.
Remaining competitive
Shamic provides a vast service offering for its customers, manufacturing sheet metal products as well as heating products, which gives them a competitive advantage. Luke Crosthwaite, General Manager, explains that building quality partnerships with customers is a further factor to Shamic’s success.
“We ensure that we take the time to understand the needs of each individual customer and cater for those needs,” says Crosthwaite. “When we secure a customer, we keep them for life.”
Crosthwaite adds that the company also places high importance on using new technology to ensure that their processes are as efficient as possible.
“We keep up to date with new technology and new machinery that can help us deliver the highest quality products to our customers in the most efficient way,” he explains. “Automation is crucial for us – our employees run a single shift but lights-out manufacturing means our machines run multiple shifts. Using the latest technology keeps us competitive; our machines are quicker and faster.”
With four Trumpf machines already in its workshop, Shamic purchased the Trumpf 3030 fibre laser because it knew the reliability and quality of cut that the machinery provides. The sheet metal specialists wanted to update the latest technology to improve business efficiency, speed and output. Shamic moved from a CO2 laser to a fiber laser, favouring the newer technology.
“We have a variety of Trumpf machinery in our warehouse, including four press brakes,” says Crosthwaite. “Our warehouse is fully automated and we rarely have issues with any of our Trumpf machinery, which is down to the fact that they’re German-made and therefore the highest quality possible.”
Crosthwaite also acknowledged the support of Headland Machinery in supplying the new machine: “Headland has taken the time to get to know us and our business. We have machinery in our warehouse manufactured by other companies who don’t give anywhere near the level of support that Headland do. The technicians are knowledgeable, trained well, and clearly understand the machinery inside out – and the service team are responsive.
“We have a longstanding relationship with Headland and it’s incredibly important to us. Their sales team know our business well, making the process quick and easy for us. If we’re looking to invest in new machinery, Headland is the top of our list.”
Crosthwaite believes that conditions across the industry in general are steady. While the demise of the automotive industry hasn’t affected the sheet metal manufacturers, it means that smaller players have disappeared, leaving only the bigger companies who have invested in technology.
With competition increasing with overseas markets, the team at Shamic are finding themselves competing with China on their products – with many customers returning to Aussie manufacturers due to further issues they’re experiencing with overseas manufacturers.
“Import issues and lack of response mean that customers are more interested in Aussie businesses,” says Crosthwaite. “Expectations are high, so pressure on manufacturers is significant. We have to be responsive to local requirements, and in doing so, we rely heavily on our machinery, so investment in technology really is key if you want to remain competitive nowadays.”