In episode 22 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, we hear from Daen Simmat, founder and CEO at Black Lab Design.
The episode was recorded during a visit to Black Lab's factory in Frenchs Forest in late-September.
In this broad-ranging chat, Simmat tells us about starting a company in 2013, its natural evolution from sheet metal solutions to much more, his view on what "advanced manufacturing" means, what automation can and can't replace, the critical but often-overlooked role of marketing in keeping a manufacturer relevant, and lots more.
0:32 – Professional background: CAD, packaging machinery.
4:50 – “The next bit is kind of where the history started.” Borrowing $2 million to buy a laser cutter, a brake press and begin a new business.
7:40 – How the company moved beyond sheet metal componentry and slowly acquiring new skill sets.
10:46 – Who their customers are. Point of sale, hand sanitiser dispensers, street furniture, displays, building facades and other jobs.
13:20 – “Smart ways to make dumb things” and why we can still make a big impact as a manufacturer by making everyday items.
16:20 – Additive manufacturing is just one tool and you can’t do everything with it. Plus why advanced manufacturing/automation create rather than remove jobs.
18:26 – Where additive manufacturing is useful for producing dumb products.
20:30 – One of the best things about automation and one of the worst, and the places where it can’t replace human workers.
22:10 – Thinking differently about materials for more sustainable results.
25:36 – Three reasons why it’s worth devoting time to marketing yourself.
27:40 – Why they run a weekly newsletter on their manufacturing industry observations.
28:10 – With marketing, there’s no magic formula, but you do need to be active, measure your results and find out what works.
30:40 – Most traditional small-sized manufacturers are stuck on the donkey wheel.
32:50 – “The reality is you’ve got to be growing your business by five, 10, 20 per cent every year just to stay relevant.”
33:40 – What’s the next big wave of change? It could be around AI, but we don’t know. Whatever happens, we should be focussing on the importance of people – and skilled tradespeople – in advanced manufacturing.
37:30 – Why the company is based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney – and not in Western Sydney – and why it’s staying put.
40:30 – We’re great at mining and agriculture, but we also need to do better at adding value.
42:40 – Have a go, and don’t neglect the very important “one third”.
Relevant links
BLD's website
https://blacklab.design/
Articles by Simmat published by @AuManufacturing
https://www.aumanufacturing.com.au/advanced-is-great-but-what-about-traditional-manufacturing-by-daen-simmat
https://www.aumanufacturing.com.au/no-women-in-manufacturing-think-again-by-daen-simmat
https://www.aumanufacturing.com.au/onshoring-australian-manufacturing-beyond-2021
Article on AMTIL's website about BLD and its investment in Amada machines
https://amtil.com.au/amada-blacklabdesign-sheetmetal-amtil/
Article in the Northern Beaches Advocate
https://www.northernbeachesadvocate.com.au/2021/05/29/local-manufacturing-comeback/
