Plumbing Connection Autumn 2016

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PLUMBING CONNECTION AUTUMN 2016 67
Metal Manufactures Limited-now known in the tube and
fittings market simply as its division MM Kembla-was a
joint effort of government and the private sector to not only
solve that problem, but start to build the skills and technical
expertise Australia was going to need if it was to become a
world economy.
The rest, as they say, is history. The company boomed
right from the start and kept expanding in the 20s and 30s
to produce copper and brass locomotive tubes, copper
superheater flue tubes, copper and brass tubes for steam
heating or hot and cold water plumbing, as well as oil and
gas reticulation.
The company has also closely mirrored the changes going
on in Australia over the whole of the Twentieth Century.
From the 2nd World War where it faced the risk of Japanese
bombing and had one of its mills run entirely by women at
the time due to the wars impact on man power, to a rapidly
diversifying workforce as migration re-shaped the country.
TAPPING KNOWLEDGE & QUALITY
As Australia’s population grew post war, and industry and
infrastructure became far more sophisticated, MM Kembla
increasingly focused on expert knowledge by recruiting
metallurgists and other technical staff, and boosting
research and development with its own laboratory and
analytical facilities on site for investigation, testing and
analysis of copper tube.
Through its experience and close relations with a
number of overseas companies over time in the production
of copper products, MM Kembla has gathered together a
substantial bank of technical knowledge at its Port Kembla
plant. Today, MM Kembla continues to have a dedicated
department to quality and process improvement and its
technical support services available to all customers and
installers alike.
In the 1970s it also started its own onsite Apprentice
Training Centre where all new apprentices would spend their
first year under the supervision of an apprentice master and
foreman. After learning the basics they were positioned in
various departments on a six-month rotation to gain wide
experience across all aspects of the Port Kembla works.
A key to the company’s success has also been its ability to
remain relevant to the plumbing and building sectors in the
face of massive changes like rapidly rising copper prices,
LASERS . TRAFFIC
STEEL PLATES
PIPE TESTING
SHORING
PROPPING
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