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2015 EDITION II
ABRASIVE MATTERS
Torsten Ketelsen wins 2015 Western Australian
EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards
Congratulations to Mr Torsten Ketelsen who was honoured as
one of the top Western Australian entrepreneurs by winning
the prestigious EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015 (Industry)
business award.
The winners were announced at a Perth ceremony on 23rd July 2015.
Mr Ketelsen has previously won the Ernst & Young 2008 Australian
Entrepreneur of the Year (Technology & New Industries) in 2008.
According to the judges, Mr Ketelsen has “delivered a fantastically
profitable business that is totally integrated from mine to customer”, having
“taken what has traditionally been considered an industrial commodity and
created a series of different products with clever branding”.
Thirty years ago, the garnet mineral was relatively an unknown resource
with little demand in Australia and overseas. Mr Ketelsen came to know
about garnet when he moved to Western Australia in 1986.
“Very few people knew about it. The garnet mine in the Mid West of
Western Australia operated on a very small scale and was looking for
markets to sell its product,” Mr Ketelsen said.
However, Mr Ketelsen was convinced of the potential of this attractive
pink mineral sand due to its superior abrasive quality and high productivity
compared to the current abrasives available in the market.
“One important factor was the environment, health and safety aspect of
GMA Garnet™ abrasive over silica sand which is now mostly banned.The
dust causes silicosis, a fatal disease and the toxic residues from slags may
be an environmental hazard,” Mr Ketelsen added.
The Western Australian EY award ceremony was held in Perth in July.
Mr Ketelsen has previously won the Ernst & Young Australian Entrepreneur
of the Year (Technology & New Industries) in 2008.
Over the years, Mr Ketelsen has successfully developed and built demand
for GMA Garnet across the globe with over 7,000 end-users from
sandblasting, waterjet cutting and niche markets.
Under his leadership, GMA has flourished into a leading integrated mining
and processing garnet organisation with a wholly owned global sales,
marketing and distribution network. GMA has captured and maintained a
position as the leader in the garnet abrasive market worldwide.
Mr Ketelsen has also pioneered large-scale the garnet reprocessing
technology where used garnet are re-processed to be re-used.Today, GMA
re-processing facilities are available at strategic locations around the world.
By Stephen Gobby, Perth
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
JetTalk: Tapers that matter [03] | Packaging system upgrades [04 - 05] | GMA partner feature news [08]
PRINTED IN AUSTRALIA
In the past, Mr Ketelsen has also received the 2007 Australian Export
Award, 2006 International Business Council Award, 1990 West Australian
Export Award and 1989 West Australian Export Award.
CORPORATE
Amanda Gundry heads GMA’s mid west
operations in Australia
Dean Schwarz takes on a new role as General Manager Global Production while Michael Gray returns as
Production Manager Midwest Operations
GMA is pleased to announce the
promotion of Ms Amanda Gundry as
General Manager Midwest Operations
in Geraldton, Australia effective 30th
March 2015.
Amanda Gundry
“Ms Gundry’s extensive operational
experience and strong leadership qualities
makes her an ideal candidate for this
role,” said Group CEO Stephen Gobby.
Ms Gundry has been working with GMA for nine years with her
most recent role being Production Manager Midwest Operations.
Her predecessor, Mr Dean Schwarz
takes on a new role as General Manager
Global Production and has been seconded
to USA for 12 months.
Based at the Group’s mining and processing
facility in Montana, Mr Schwarz’s immediate
focus is to lead the expansion of GMA’s
mining and processing capacity in the
United States.
As for Ms Gundry's former position, GMA
is pleased to have Mr Michael Gray
return as Production Manager Midwest
Operations on 20th April 2015.
Mr Gray has previously worked for GMA
as the Company Accountant from 2002
to 2009. Leaving GMA, Mr Gray joined
a marine vessel operator as Accountant
Michael Gray
and has successfully implemented financial
systems that facilitated a fivefold financial
growth for the company. In 2013, Mr Gray moved on to an
engineering company as their first Financial Officer.
Mr Gray will be responsible for the dry plant production at GMA’s
midwest operations, focusing on delivering a consistently high
quality production of garnet abrasives that reflects the GMA brand.
Congratulations to Ms Gundry, Mr Schwarz and welcome back,
Mr Gray. GMA wishes you every success as you continue to grow
with the Group.
Dean Schwarz
By Stephanie Cheong, Perth
“Mr Schwarz’s extensive experience in GMA’s mid west operations
will be invaluable as we significantly expand our USA production
capacity,” Mr Gobby said.
Grant Cox comes on board as Group Chief
Financial Officer
Mr Grant Cox came on board as Group
Chief Financial Officer on 23rd March 2015.
Mr Cox is based at the Group’s head office in
Perth and will be responsible for the ongoing
stewardship of GMA’s financial performance
and position as well as managing the day-to-day
operation of the finance division. He will also
be responsible for the overall management of
the Group’s treasury function, management
reporting & business systems and to improve
decision support systems and analytics to assist
various business initiatives.
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After working in the education field both
in London and in Moscow, Mr Cox made a
successful transition to the business world,
where he has been successful working as
an Executive in the Corporate Finance and
Restructuring divisions for one of the largest
accounting and professional services firms in
the world.
Mr Cox has a Masters degree in Professional
Accounting with High Distinction and two
Graduate Diplomas for Applied Finance and
Chartered Accounting. He is also a member of the
Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
(ICAA) and Financial
Services Institute of
Australia (FINSIA).
Mr Cox’s analytical,
commercial
and
financial experience
gained during his
time in corporate
advisory dealing with
Grant Cox
Oil & Gas, energy
and private equity firms will be valuable for
GMA as the Group pursues its growth strategy
over the coming years. By Stephen Gobby, Perth
CORPORATE
JetTalk: Taper that matters
FEATURE SERIES
How do you achieve high quality waterjet cutting results every time?
It is possible by looking into several parameters, such as:
Speed
Setting the optimum
cutting speed.
Distance
Setting a suitable distance between
the nozzle and work piece.
Size
Selecting the right abrasive size and
using the right nozzle & orifice sizes.
Material
Determining the type and hardness
of the material.
The Abrasive Matters brings you JetTalk
- a series on waterjet cutting tips &
solutions contributed by our
experienced waterjet solutions team.
Got a waterjet cutting related question
or looking for a solution?
Write to : abrasivematters@garnetsales.com
However, as the high velocity water jet stream cuts the material, the biggest challenge in this process
is to minimise the taper effect on the material. Taper is the difference or the uneven edges between
the top profile of the cut, and the bottom profile.
Four Common Taper Effects
Four common types of taper:
Cutting speed : Too Fast
Cutting speed : Too Slow
Cutting speed : Optimum
Very thick material
The taper effect can be minimised by applying the following steps:
Use the smallest possible size (bore diameter) of the nozzle & orifice to enable a smooth cutting operation.
Keep a minimum distance between the nozzle and work piece.
Cut slowly. In general, the slower the speed, the less tapered you will get. However, if you go too slow, you may
experience a “reverse taper”.
Use quality garnet abrasive, GMA of course! And select the largest grit size that could pass through the nozzle
without plugging it.
Where possible, select a material with better hardness and less thickness to minimise taper.
Other options
There are machines designed with a tilted cutting head to minimise the taper effect. It is an expensive option
but found to be very useful in cutting soft material with a considerable thickness such as marble. By Ajay Thanki, Dubai
The Taper Advantage
Under unique circumstances, the taper effect can actually be put to good use.
When cutting gears, cut every other gear upside down. When the gears are
paired together, the tapered gears will cancel each other out. Another example
would be the cutting of marble and piecing the two parts together into one.
*Note: These recommendations are to be implemented
at the user’s discretion and deemed fit for their operating
environment. In no event will GMA be responsible for expected
performance or damages of any nature whatsoever resulting
from the use of or reliance upon information presented here.
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CORPORATE | EUROPE
BlastTalk: Simple tricks to save you money!
FEATURE SERIES
GMA technicians assist a variety of clients in the field, where they experience
the varying challenges and working conditions, first hand.
To most clients, reducing cost is always the priority, but rather than looking at cheaper, less
efficient abrasives or expensive equipment, GMA personnel have identified several simple
measures to increase productivity and reduce wastage.
The Abrasive Matters now includes
BlastTalk - a series on blast cleaning tips &
solutions to help you achieve maximum
value and results in your blasting projects.
1. Visibility – regularly change your outer lens. The better your blaster sees the object
and his work, the less he will over-blast and waste abrasive.
2. Check your nozzle – a worn nozzle will use exponentially more air and abrasive.
Check weekly and replace when nozzle has worn more than 2mm to reduce consumption
and maintain cleaning rates.
3. Check your blast hose – hose, seals and couplings should be airtight to eliminate pressure loss.
Avoid excessive length as this will increase dust, friction and pressure at the nozzle.
Blast hose ID should be 3X the nozzle ID.
4. Check the pressure – regularly check the pressure. Not at the compressor, but at
the nozzle. Each psi below 100 psi equals a 1.5% drop in blasting efficiency.
5. Save time and labour costs - use a vacuum loader to collect spent abrasive for disposal,
on-site recycling or re-processing at one of many dedicated GMA Garnet Group
re-processing facilities. By Marc Putzier, Perth
For more information and technical assistance, contact your nearest GMA representative,
or visit www.garnetsales.com
Packaging system upgrades increase productivity
in GMA’s Dutch bulk handling facility
The packaging system at GMA’s bulk handling facility in Moerdijk, Netherlands
has been significantly enhanced with the installation of a new dust extraction
unit in March, this year.
Whilst increasing packaging volume capabilities, the new extraction unit comes with
more air washers, magnetic separators and automated bucket conveyors for improved
and seamless processing of loose bulk before the bagging stages.
With 10 dust extraction points in place, consistent, high quality output is achieved
effortlessly. Parallel processing lines have increased bagging efficiency up to 30 tonnes
of GMA Garnet™ in bulk bags and 10 tonnes of 25kg bags, simultaneously every hour.
By Steffen Glade, Hamburg
ê The enhancements enabled improved and seamless
processing of loose bulk before the bagging stages.
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MIDDLE EAST
Plant upgrade doubles packaging capacity
in Jebel Ali
GMA’s packaging facility in Jebel Ali – Dubai, UAE has been
upgraded to cater for the increasing demand for GMA
Garnet™ abrasives in the Middle East.
To increase packaging capacity, the existing system is being enhanced
with advanced equipment such as heavy duty dust extraction, air
wash, magnet, high capacity bucket elevators and vibrating screens.
In addition, the new automatic packing unit enables a simultaneous
packing of 25kg bags and bulk bags.
“Since the upgrade, our packaging capacity has almost doubled. We can
now package 200MT of bulk bags and 100MT of 25kg bags in one day,”
said GMA Middle East General Manager Giresh Ragoowanshi.
“This has also helped in arranging and managing special deliveries for
our clients who have urgent or tight delivery schedules.”
By Ajay Thanki, Dubai
The new automatic packing unit enables a simultaneous packing
of 25kg bags & bulk bags.
Dubai Municipality approves GMA Middle East as
Garnet Waste Processing and Recycling Premise
GMA Middle East in Jebel Ali, Dubai has been recognised as
one of the authorised Garnet Waste Processing and Recycling
Premises by the Dubai Municipality in the UAE.
The Municipality recognises GMA’s efforts in creating a sustainable
environment by reducing a significant amount of garnet waste generated
by surface preparation projects, mainly from metal fabricators, Oil &
Gas contractors and shipyards over the years.
Garnet recycling provides garnet users a cost effective and
environmentally responsible option to dispose of their used garnet.
Moreover, the lifespan of used garnet can be extended via garnet
re-processing for further reuse, saving it from being dumped as
industrial waste in landfills.
In September last year, the GMA team hosted a plant visit for a group
of officers from the Dubai Municipality at the garnet re-processing
facility in Jebel Ali Free Zone. The visitors from various departments
comprised of Head of Waste Treatment Unit, Environmental Studies &
Researches Specialist and Hazardous Waste Processing Officer.
During the plant tour, the visitors were shown the functions and operations
of the re-processing facility and were given a detailed presentation of the
processes and the positive impacts on the environment. By Ajay Thanki, Dubai
Like to dispose your used garnet responsibly?
Contact the GMA Middle East Team today :
+971 4 88 375 77 / gma@emirates.net.ae
ê The GMA team with visitors from the
Dubai Municipality. The visitors were shown
the functions and operations of the re-processing
facility and were given a detailed presentation
of the processes and the positive impacts on
the environment.
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AUSTRALIA
New auto bagging packing machine increases
production output
A new auto bagging packing machine has recently been
installed at GMA’s dry plant in Geraldton, Australia.
The installation comprised of a new control bin to feed material to
forced flow air packers while the bin’s material level is maintained
within a specified range. This produces a constant head pressure
above the air packers for consistent material density and cleaner,
more accurate filling.
According to General Manager Midwest Operations Amanda Gundry,
the old Stonepak automatic two-spout machine has been replaced with
a new three-spout model. This has helped increase production rates.
In addition, there are no moving parts within the flow path – an essential
requirement due to the abrasive nature of the product being packaged.
This will help minimise maintenance and maximise the life span of
the machine.
“The air ram empty bag applicator has also been replaced with a new
robotic applicator that enables better control, better scales reliability
and less maintenance,” Ms Gundry said.
“The installation is part of our ongoing efforts in improving our
operations to achieve a seamless and efficient production environment.”
By Stephanie Cheong, Perth
The air ram empty bag applicator has also been replaced with a new
robotic applicator that enables better control, better scales reliability
and less maintenance.
Thomas takes on new role as
Resource Manager
Mr Thomas Southwell is the new Resource Manager for the GMA Garnet
Group, effective 30th March 2015.
Thomas has been with GMA for two years as a Technical Supervisor within the mid
west operations in Geraldton. In this new role, he will be responsible for assessing and
managing the Group's garnet resources globally.
He is an experienced geologist who will be completing his postgraduate studies in
Groundwater Hydrology soon.
Thomas' understanding across both the geology and the groundwater makes him the ideal
person for this role.
By Amanda Gundry, Geraldton
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Thomas Southwell
EVENTS
STEELFAB & IPCC
Jignesh Bhatt (left) with Ajay Thanki at the IPCC (left photo) and SteelFab held in UAE.
GMA Middle East joined SteelFab 2015 held at the Expo
Center Sharjah, UAE from 26th to 29th January this year.
The GMA team was also present at the 2nd Annual International
Pipeline Coating Conference (IPCC) from 22nd to 23rd April, 2015.
Known as the region’s best trade platform, the event brought together
cutting-edge technology for steel fabrication and metal working
industries from across the world on a single platform.
Held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dubai, IPCC is designed to attract
attendees worldwide, especially from the Middle East region - home
to several major pipelines in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Iraq.
By Stephanie Cheong, Perth
PHILMARINE
GMA Australia and GMA’s Distributor Winblast in the Philippines
jointly participated in the Philmarine Exhibition 2015 in Manila.
The international Maritime, Shipbuilding and Offshore exhibition was held at
SMX Convention Centre in Manila from 17th to 19th June 2015.
The exhibition is the only specialised Shipbuilding and Maritime event
in the Philippines that brings together an international congregation of
shipbuilders, local shipyards, paint companies, offshore contractors and
supporting industries.
The Philippines is ranked fifth globally and first in South East Asia in the
shipbuilding industry. The country has the potential to be the centre of
repair for ocean-going merchant and fishing vessels due to the country’s
strategic location to the region’s shipping routes. By Stephanie Cheong, Perth
GMA International Sales Manager Marc Putzier (far left) with the
Winblast team at the PHILMARINE 2015 exhibition.
INTERMACH
GMA Garnet™ abrasives were featured by Arkco Thailand at the Intermach
2015 exhibition in Bangkok,Thailand.
The event was held at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre from 13th
to 15th May 2015 and attracted over 40,000 trade visitors from over 40 countries.
Intermach is ASEAN's largest international industrial machinery exhibition, presenting
the latest high-tech machinery & cutting edge technology.
Arkco Thailand is a stockist and agent of GMA since 2010.
By Clare Chong, Parmadar & Mary Fay, GMA Perth
ê The Intermach exhibition at Bitec, Bangkok.
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PARTNER NEWS
GMA Partners
GMA values its distribution partners for their ongoing support in promoting GMA Garnet™ as the preferred industry surface
preparation and waterjet cutting abrasive. We are pleased to introduce two of our partners in Asia and commend them for their loyalty
and contribution and we look forward to many years of partnership wtih Parmadar & J.D Hawke.
Parmadar
GMA is celebrating its 10th year of partnering with our Singaporebased distributor and established abrasive blasting supplier - Parmadar.
The Group is highly appreciative of Parmadar’s relentless hard work and
dedication in promoting GMA abrasives, which have seen exponential
growth due to the efforts of the Parmadar team - Mr Darren Chew and
Ms Clare Chong.
"We would like to take the opportunity to express our appreciation
for the good support from GMA over the past 10 years. GMA has given
us superb service in both product & technical aspects,” Mr Chew said
and added, “We are honoured to represent GMA Garnet’s renowned
products, which have given our customers assurance and confidence.”
GMA Garnet Group CEO, Mr Gobby said, “They have been
instrumental in promoting GMA Garnet™ abrasives to the wellknown marine fabrication and maintenance as well as the Oil & Gas
industries, in Singapore and beyond”.
Everyone at GMA is looking forward to many more years of successful
partnership with the Parmadar team and wishes to extend best wishes
and congratulations to Mr Chew and Ms Chong.
Ms Chong (left) and Mr Chew from Parmadar.
J.D Hawke
GMA is very proud to announce the ongoing and highly
successful cooperation with J.D Hawke in the Republic
of Korea.
In 2012, J.D Hawke Director Dohoon Kim visited GMA’s
headquarters and production facilities in the Australian Mid
west; after which the distribution agreement was finalised
and an impressive partnership began to flourish.
J.D Hawke has fast become one of GMA’s most successful and
rapidly expanding distribution, marketing and customer support
partners in the greater Asian region. A common emphasis on
the highest quality of service, product and support ensured a
suitable partnership between the two companies.
Mr Dohoon Kim, Director of J.D Hawke in Korea.
By Marc Putzier & Mary Fay, Perth
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Regular clientele includes some of the largest fabrication
yards in the world, servicing the global marine, construction
and petroleum industries. J.D Hawke and Mr Kim provide
an array of technical services, support and equipment to
complement the GMA Garnet™ range of abrasives, which
has formed a significant ingredient to the recipe for success,
over the last three years.
GMA looks forward to building on previous accomplishments
and many more years of partnership and growth in the
Korean market alongside Mr Kim and the team at J.D Hawke.
PARTNER NEWS | STAFF NEWS
A dusty problem solved!
In July 2015, the Blast-One technical support line received an enquiry from a Facility
Owner of a major Manufacturing and Processing facility in New Zealand.
The company was struggling with dust generated from abrasive blasting. In addition,
the undesirable windy, wet and cold weather coupled with underperforming coating
life have resulted in a strained relationship between the client and the contractor.
A trial was arranged by the BlastQuip / Blast-One team from New Zealand and
Australia to identify possibilities of improving the current situation. The results
were inconclusive.
In order to effectively demonstrate the many benefits of GMA Garnet™ over
the currently applied abrasive, the team identified several issues with the existing
blasting parameters such as:
Air compressors without nameplate air capacity
Dangerously modified safety devices
Worn out nozzles
Vital pieces of equipment missing
Low operator knowledge on how to operate the equipment
Blasting practices in ambient conditions that will compromise the end results.
Low dust, high productivity blasting – the perfect combination for achieving
optimum steel surfaces for high quality protective coatings project.
The BlastQuip/Blast-One team proceeded to repair and replace essential items as well
as reconfigure the equipment to set the scene for a proper assessment.The contractor
site crew were also given training on efficient blasting and technical trouble-shooting.
With all the issues addressed, another trial was arranged with high anticipation from the Maintenance Manager, the Foreman who couldn’t
wait to see the performance and the Coatings Inspector who was pacing around asking detailed questions about this new, clean and pink
abrasive – GMA PremiumBlast™.
Thirty minutes later, the results were impressive with 40% increased in cleaning speed with low dust emission.
Low dust, high productivity blasting – the perfect combination for achieving optimum steel surfaces for high quality protective coatings project.
A dusty problem solved by GMA and the Blastquip/Blast-One team.
By Jim Gooden, Blast-One International
Appointments in Frankfurt
GMA welcomes Mr Ivano Asaro & Mr Giovanni
Colaprico to our Frankfurt office in Germany.
Ivano came on board as Customer Service
Representative on 1st May 2015 with a focus on
promoting GMA Garnet™ abrasive in Italy as
well as managing the delivery of used garnet to
the reprocessing plant in Aulla – Pallerone, Italy.
Prior to GMA, Ivano has worked as Sales &
Product Manager for companies based in
Italy and Germany. In addition to his native
Ianguage - Italian, Ivano speaks English, German
and basic Spanish.
Ivano holds a Master of Business Economics
in Banking & Finance from the University of
Siena in Italy.
Giovanni joined the Group as Sales Assistant
on 1st June 2015. He is mainly responsible for
the daily operations at the office including sales,
order processing and customer service for Italy,
France and North-Africa. His appointment is
timely in meeting the increasing business volume
from these countries as well as from Turkey.
Giovanni has also worked for several
companies in Berlin and Hamburg as a Sales
Engineer. He holds a Master of Engineering
in Environmental Engineering from the
University of Turin in Italy.
Like Ivano, Giovanni speaks German, English
and French fluently on top of his native
language – Italian.
Ivano Asaro (left) and Giovanni Colaprico are the
newest addition to the GMA team in Frankfurt.
The Group wishes Ivano and Giovanni a great
start with the GMA family and a successful
expansion of sales activities in Europe.
By Tiziano Cher, Frankfurt
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STAFF NEWS
Appointments in Australia & America
Australia
Cath has previously worked for GMA for 10
years from 1992 to 2002. She rejoins GMA
as Bookkeeper and will also be assisting in
accounting and payroll functions when required.
Effective 18th May 2015, Mr Luke Anderson
came on board as Manager – Group Planning
& Analysis for GMA Perth.
Cath Dawson
Luke Anderson
Ms Cath Dawson joined GMA Perth on 7th
April 2015.
Prior to this appointment, Cath has many
years of experience in finance and accounts
encompassing all facets of bookkeeping.
Reporting to the Group CFO, Luke will have
a key focus on the development of groupwide business intelligence tools, driving
optimisation in pricing methodologies,
management reporting and business systems,
improv the sophistication around decision
support systems and analytics to support
business initiatives.
Prior to this appointment, Luke was working
as Senior Business Analyst for a public listed
company providing mining equipment in
Australia and America. Working in various
roles in Accounting and Planning & Analysis
have developed his skills and knowledge
in Management & Board reporting, coordination and delivery of consolidated
group forecasting and budgeting and has also
developed advanced modelling, reporting,
organisation and communication skills.
Luke holds a Masters degree in Accounting
and a Bachelor of Science degree and has
achieved his qualification as a Chartered
Accountant this year.
America
Ms Deena Reimer joined GMA USA as
Administrative Services Manager on 11th
March this year.
Deena who is based in Idaho brings
leadership as well as experience in Human
Resources will be a valuable addition to the
development and growth of the USA team.
She is also a member of the GMA USA
Management Team.
Prior to this appointment, Joseph was working
with GMA USA as a contractor, responsible
for the design and implementation of a cloud
based computer business software as well as
accounting systems.
Mr Joseph Lincoln was appointed as
Sr Systems Analyst for GMA USA effective
16th May 2015.
Joseph will also be supporting the
organisational initiative of process reengineering by involving all departments in
process flow analysis and work redesign,
with emphasis on the effective utilisation
of Information Technologies to improve
organisation performance.
Joseph will be managing and coordinating
the IT requirements, development and
system enhancements for the company.
He is the key technical liaison between
computer systems users, vendors and
Information Services.
A Bachelor of Computer Science graduate
with over 20 years of experience in the
IT industry, Joseph has worked with
several major companies in Energy,
Telecommunications and Oil & Gas.
As the information resource for users, Joseph
will look into the most appropriate data
source, providing or arranging applicationbased report writing.
GMA wishes Cath, Deena, Luke & Joseph a great start and looks forward
to your contribution to the Group.
By Grant Cox, Perth & Rod Liebeck, Houston
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Deena Reimer
Joseph Lincoln
STAFF NEWS
A decade of service with GMA
Congratulations to Jessica Gillespie & Kevin Charles Atkins from Geraldton, Australia and Siva Prasad Kunjuraman Nair from Jebel Ali, UAE
for achieving 10 years of service with GMA this year.
Jessica Gillespie
Mrs Jessica Gillespie joined GMA
as a casual Laboratory Assistant
after completing high school in
January, 2005.
Within a short a time with the
company, Jessica who is fondly
known as Jess was offered a full time
position as Quality Control Officer
at the processing plant in Geraldton.
She manages the product quality
control and ensures that it meets all
quality specifications.
Jessica Gillespic
Over the past six years, Jess
equipped herself with further studies in the area of Environmental &
Applied Science via flexible learning and this has helped expand her
skills in her current role. Jessica has also received an Outstanding
Achievement Award for her efforts.
“GMA is a great company to work for, I am lucky to be working with
such an awesome team of people,” Jess said.
In her free time, Jess likes yoga, photography and walking her dog.
She also enjoys adventure and travel; hiking is one of her favourite
things to do. One of the highlights from her last holiday to New Zealand
was hiking the Milford and Routeburn tracks.
Comments from her colleagues:
“Jess is always smiling and happy, she completes the GMA
Geraldton office.”
“Jess is an integral part of the GMA team. Her work ethic and
personality makes her a pleasure to work with.”
“Jess is our ‘Yoga Queen’, she is lovely to chat with and always has a
friendly word to say.”
“Jess is a wonderful person to have around and is an extremely
hard worker, she is always positive and cheerful.”
Kevin Charles Atkins
Siva Prasad Kunjuraman Nair
Mr Kevin Charles Atkins has dabbled in various
trades before joining GMA in January 2005.
Among his peers and supervisors, Mr Siva Prasad Kunjuraman Nair
or Kunju, appears a little shy but he is ever ready to perform his tasks
around the plant in Jebel Ali, UAE.
Kevin has worked in the sheepskin industry
for various companies in Fremantle from wool
classing to forklift operating.
An opportunity to move to Broome came
along and he was into meat works and later
moved on to become a road train driver.
Eventually, he brought over a small local
truck business and offered delivery services
around the area.
Everyday, he is often busy with the loading and unloading of material
and packing garnet abrasives into different types of packaging.
Kevin Charles Atkins
In 2005, Kevin sold his trucking business and joined GMA as Plant
Hand. He was promoted to Leading Hand in 2013.
“Kunju joined GMA as a Labour in March 2005. We appreciate his
consistent hard work and dedication to his responsibilities for the past
10 years,” said General Manager Giresh Ragoowanshi.
“Working with the GMA team for a long time now has given me
strength to overcome the distance with my family in India,” said Kunju.
“I’m very happy here and have no reservations to continue my service
with GMA for another 10 years.”
During his free time, Kevin loves tinkering with his old cars and
motorbikes and spending time with his family.
At GMA, he is fondly known as Kevy A (now you see him now
you don’t) as he is always running around and ensuring the plant is
running smoothly. Kevin is an advocate of safety and maintaining high
productivity standards at the plant.
The Group wishes Jessica, Kevin & Siva the very best
for the future and looks forward to many more years of
service with GMA.
By Amanda Gundry & Sandy Stock-Standen, Geraldton
& Ajay Thanki, Dubai
Kunju (left) with General Manager Giresh Ragoowanshi at his 10th service
anniversary celebration.
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STAFF NEWS
John Halewood achieves 25 years of service
Despite a quarter century of dedicated
service to the GMA Group, Mr John
Halewood is showing no signs of slowing
down. John has seen the company grow
from an ambitious abrasive startup
enterprise to the leading global garnet
supplier that is now known as the GMA
GARNET GROUP.
With an extensive technical background
and practical experience in industrial
painting throughout Europe and the
Middle East, John was identified by
Mr Torsten Ketelsen as the perfect
candidate for developing GMA’s presence
in the significant Oil & Gas industry
around the North Sea during the 1990’s.
After introducing GMA abrasives to
the offshore and maritime industries
under the guidance of Mr Ketelsen, John
established GMA Garnet (UK) Ltd office,
in 1992, which eventually amalgamated
with GMA Garnet (Europe) GmbH.
In 2000, through his industrial painting
network and links to Aberdeen, John
began successfully developing the emerging
opportunities in the Caspian region, which
after another stint in the Middle East has
now become his full-time role.
Known as the GMA larrikin, it is easy
to see that his personality and sense of
humour have been as much a part of
his professional success as his abrasive
blasting and coating industry knowledge.
The Group would like to congratulate
and extend sincere thanks to John
for 25 years of excellent service and
look forward to continued successes,
wherever they may be found.
By Stephen Gobby & Marc Putzier, Perth
GMA Chief Operations Officer Rod Liebeck (left) presenting
the anniversary gift to John Halewood.
Anniversaries
The Group congratulates the following employees for achieving
five years and 15 years of service from January to July 2015.
GMA values your contribution and looks forward to your personal
and career growth with the Group for many years to come.
By Stephen Gobby, Perth
Perth Luisa Di-Renzo
Stephanie Cheong
Accounts/Payroll Officer
Communications Coordinator
Geraldton
Jamie Lee Hodder
Christopher Kenneth Box
Administration Officer
Plant Operator
GMA GARNET GROUP
when your abrasive matters!
Marketing Coordinator Mary Fay (left)
from Perth & International Product
Manager - Waterjet Parts Tiziano Cher
from Frankfurt achieved 15 years of
service this year.
Level 18, Exchange Tower, The Esplanade, Perth, Western Australia 6000
Tel: +61 8 9287 3200 Fax: +61 8 9287 3201 Email: sales@garnetsales.com
Website: www.garnetsales.com
The GMA Garnet Group (GMA) is an integrated garnet mining, processing, shipping, global marketing and distribution organisation providing the highest quality industrial garnet for the surface preparation
and waterjet cutting industries. GMA is headquartered in Perth with subsidiary distribution companies in Europe, Middle East and America. GMA is supported by a dedicated and professional global
distribution network offering professional solutions and extensive technical support to the industry for over 30 years.
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