Case Studies
Issue No. 7 - October/November 2002
Seeley International
Running Cool
Last summer was one of the coolest on record in South Australia, but air conditioning firm Seeley International didn’t notice—a huge increase in overseas demand for its product kept sales running hot.
Entrepreneur Frank Seeley has not had it easy while building up the firm that began in his garage in Seaton in 1972. Today Seeley lays claim to the title of Australia’s largest air conditioning manufacturer. A pioneer of the all-plastic evaporative cooling technology which is driving the overseas expansion, Seeley International couldn’t ask for a better way to celebrate 30 years in business.
The company’s domestic and industrial evaporative air conditioners – sold under the Breezair, Braemar and Coolair brands – have doubled in sales to about $85 million during the past five years. Within that total, exports are on target to overtake Australian sales by 2006.
Seeley employs more than 400 people worldwide, at three manufacturing plants — Adelaide and Albury NSW — and at sales offices in the US, UK and several sites in Europe.
Once a primary schoolteacher, Frank Seeley got to know evaporative cooling technology while selling airconditioners on a commission basis.
“I moved into manufacturing when my principal withdrew from the deal and I found myself without an income,” Frank says.
“Having sold evaporative coolers, I was well aware of their major problem–corrosion. I figured that if I could build an all-plastic cooler, I’d have a vastly superior product. The engineers and suppliers informed me it couldn’t be done, but because I didn’t have a background in engineering or plastics, I wasn’t constrained by conventional thinking.”
Frank maintained his aim despite the doubters and a serious attack on his business in 1976, when arsonists destroyed his original factory and then a replacement facility within five weeks.
Two years later, Seeley produced its first porta...
