Speedpanel technology was conceived in the late 1980s by a group of form workers who specialised in complex circular stairways and large suspended slabs for high-rise and commercial buildings.
During their time working on these projects, the workers identified the need for a lightweight, user-friendly wall system for fire and acoustic protection. Existing solutions were predominantly heavyweight concrete and masonry walls that were not required for the structure of the building, and as a consequence of their weight, required large and expensive foundations and structural supports.
Masonry walls are known to be slow to install and are considered a “wet” trade. These walls often monopolise large areas of a building site where no other trades can work alongside, and they bring time-consuming clean-ups upon completion.
In the mid 1990s our co-founder developed a modular wall system comprising of a steel outer shell filled with a lightweight, aerated concrete inner core. The Speedpanel system as it’s now known consists of individual panels that click together in a “tongue and groove” fashion.
In 1996 Nathan Scheuer joined the team. Having had many years of business experience principally in the property development industry, Nathan’s role was to provide seed capital and assist with the business startup and ongoing strategy.
The manufacturing and warehousing facilities continued to grow with Speedpanel moving from the original factory in Colchester Road, Bayswater to another nearby larger factory, before relocating again in 2004 to Kilsyth.
The Speedpanel system had begun to gain attention from notable tier one builders and projects within Australia, including The Eureka Tower built by Grocon, and John Cain Arena (originally known as Vodaphone Arena) built by Thiess.
Further investments into the research and development of the Speedpanel manufacturing processes and product range saw the creation of the 51mm and 64mm panels in 2012. Both offer different fire ratings to their older sibling, the original 78mm Speedpanel.
Today, these three different panels cover a wide range of building applications within the high-rise commercial, domestic and industrial markets.
The company quickly moved from strength to strength, with Speedpanel products used in many of Australia’s largest building projects. The years between 2012 and 2014 saw positive growth, and the 2015 financial year resulted in 40% growth within just 12 months.
In late 2015, Speedpanel began what would become a 16 month long building and relocation phase. The biggest facility yet was purchased in Dorset Road, Bayswater less than 5km from Speedpanel’s original factory in Colchester Road.
Procuring and building a property that could sustain the next decade of expected growth was important, as was ensuring that the now substantial employee base was retained. To this day several of the original employees are still with the company, having grown to take on new roles. We highly value their extensive knowledge which allows Speedpanel to offer such a personalised service.
The new facility was developed with refinement and automation in mind, but equally as important were socially responsible practices. The concrete batching plant now uses all of its own recycled water, and Speedpanel has installed photovoltaic solar panels and a rainwater catchment system with the viability to capture 600,000 litres of water per annum.
Priding itself on its ability to generate high-quality work in-house, Speedpanel has invested in building highly effective teams specialising in several areas of business.
Departments operating out of the Melbourne headquarters include: sales, marketing, customer support, manufacturing, tooling, maintenance, warehousing, distribution and product development. Further sales, customer support, warehousing and distribution teams operate out of Brisbane and Sydney.
Since its inception, Speedpanel systems have undergone continuous development including testing and certification for a wide range of fire and acoustic applications. This has resulted in Speedpanel being one the most certified products in these markets within Australia.
Speedpanel continues to excel throughout all aspects of manufacturing and product development with a focus on innovation and environmentally sustainable practices. This continued drive ensures Speedpanel plays an important role in enriching the built environment both throughout Australia and across the rest of the world.
We are built of a team who possess a passion for the industry and who strive to achieve success.
Current opportunities:
If any of these roles are of interest and you wish to know more, please contact human resources on human.resources@speedpanel.com.au or alternatively send through a cover letter and resume to the same email address.
Our Project Portfolio is as extensive as our knowledge.
