Open-door policy helps window-maker innovate

Today we publish the fourth profile of a nominee for our Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers list. We hear from co-founder and Director at Safetyline Jalousie, Leigh Rust, who tells us why it’s useful to admit you don’t know what you don’t know. By Brent Balinski.

The National Construction Code 2022 – outlining the minimum requirements for designing and creating new buildings in Australia – brings with it increased R&D demands, according to Leigh Rust.

The NCC, which will be adopted by states and territories next month, includes higher standards for thermal performance, explains the co-founder and Director of window manufacturer Safetyline Jalousie.

“We’re trying to improve thermal numbers, finding better ways to make these window systems not just compliant but to future-proof the compliance, so that when the codes change again in five years, we’re already ahead of that curve,” Rust tells us.

Rust sees two parts to innovating at his company, which he began with his brother Nathan in 2009.

One is you have to continue to keep up with industry changes such as the stricter demands for energy efficiency in the NCC. And then creating change “that doesn’t exist for future things that you can possibly see [arriving].”

An example of the latter is monitoring carbon dioxide levels within buildings and the effects of this – such as drowsiness and inattention – on inhabitants. Rust believes Australia is lagging other nations such as the UK on that front.

The Rust brothers began their company after working at their father’s roofing system manufacturer, Vergola. Safetyline manufactures louvre windows and ventilation solutions, making products to specifications by French company Technal and adapted for the local market.

© Lyndon Marceau / marceauphotography

They began assembling louvres in a two-car garage in Terrey Hills, and now employ between 40 and 50 at three sites in Australia and one in Malaysia.

Recent years have seen the use of automated solutions, such as the SmartAir product, which monitors and responds to changes in air quality in a room. The company partnered with Blue Squared Window Automation to develop SmartAir, which tracks temperature, carbon dioxide and humidity levels.

The product was awarded an Australian Good Design Award (Product Design category) last year.

Rust says being a smaller, family-owned company makes Safetyline both nimbler and more open to collaborating with outside experts, whether these are an automation company with a wealth of UK connections, Technal and its parent company, aluminium giant Hydro Group, or – of course – its customers, which are predominantly architects.

“So I think collaboration for us is just quite an open-door conversation, of being around a table or even over lunch having some beers. It’s like ‘what can we do? Can we do that? Let’s pool our resources together,’” says Rust. 

“It’s how I feel we innovate: we reach out to networks, we’re not shy to say we don’t know if we don’t know. And that’s pretty much just an open-door policy and listening to our clients. I think that’s how innovation works” 

In this episode of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, Rust tells us the story of Safetyline, and their recent focus on fresh air. 

Episode guide
1:15 – An introduction to Leigh Rust and Safetyline Jalousie

3:07 – The company’s size and operations.

3:50 – French designs from Technal for Australian customers.

4:58 – The two parts to innovation, plus why so much of it is to do with sustainability at SJ.

7:02 – What R&D involves, and keeping ahead of the curve with performance requirements.

8:03 – The SmartAir project and the problem of classroom ventilation. “We can actually thank Covid for that, if we can thank Covid for anything.”

9:58 – Automated window systems and the construction industry’s demand for building management system (BMS) solutions.

11:38 – Australia is quite behind in CO2 monitoring for buildings, plus building a local set of data around SmartAir.

13:16 – The importance of collaboration for a smaller businesses.

14:40 – Three new products to be released this year.

16:30 – Government needs to do a better job by manufacturers, and can start by sourcing more Australian content in projects.

Further reading

ELECTION 22 THE REAL ISSUES – MORE SUPPORT FOR MANUFACTURING

WE ARE TRYING TO IDENTIFY AUSTRALIA’S 50 MOST INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURERS. NOMINATE NOW

MIGHTY WHITE: FINDING THE RIGHT MARKET FOR A SUPERMATERIAL

Is your company one of Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers? We want to hear from you.

PUT YOURSELF FORWARD AT THIS LINK. NOMINATIONS CLOSE AT 5 PM (AEST) ON MAY 26. 

WATCH OUR LAUNCH WEBINAR HERE.

Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers is a new campaign by @AuManufacturing. It has been made possible by the generous support of  MYOB, SMC Corporation Australia, and Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions. Be sure to check back at this website for regular updates  including profiles of nominees and other information.

Picture: supplied