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| Barry Smith
| 12 Apr 1932 - 21 Oct 2006
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| | | Barry Edward Smith, age 74, former Chief Executive Officer, Business Owner and Chairman of AE Smith & Son Pty Ltd, died on Saturday 21st October 2006 following a courageous battle with mesothelioma.
Barry was born on 12th April 1932 in Melbourne to the late Albert Edward Smith Junior and Marjorie Mitchell. Barry was educated at Wesley College and completed his schooling in 1949. He joined the business in January 1953 after completing an apprenticeship with AE Vickery mechanical engineers. He became a Director of the company in 1959 and was appointed Managing Director in 1966 after the death of his father. He went on to become Chairman of the company in March 2001, a position he held until his resignation in early 2006.
Under Barry’s guidance, he took AE Smith & Son from a single location in Richmond, Melbourne, to nine offices, employing more than 600 people, spread right across Australia and in New Zealand. Today AE Smith & Son is a BRW Top 500 Private Company and one of the largest privately owned mechanical services companies in the country.
Barry served as both the State and National President for the Air conditioning & Mechanical Contractors’ Association (AMCA) during his working years. The company was founded by Barry’s grandfather the late Albert Edward Smith in 1898. It has remained in the family ever since with AE Smith Junior taking over the helm after his father’s death in 1923.
Barry’s father had a thirst for knowledge and became an instructor at Swinburne Institute at the age of 18, not long after being awarded the Apprentice’s Gold Medal Award. He was appointed to the position of President of the Master Plumbers Association in 1934 and was awarded life membership of the association in 1960.
Barry was highly respected within AE Smith & Son and the mechanical services industry in which he worked. He was a friend and mentor to many people and will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
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| AE Smith proud inaugural AIRAH Corporate Supporter
| Jun 2006
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| | | Our vision is to be the partner of first choice in everything we do.
This includes our commitment to professional development and our choice to become a Corporate Supporter of the Australian Institue of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH).
| As a 2006 AIRAH Corporate Supporter, 200 registered AE Smith employees will receive:
| - The official industry journal EcoLibrium.
- A weekly e-mail update service advising of changes to legislation and code of practice.
- Free entry to monthly AIRAH technical meetings.
- Discounted training and education programs across a vast array of technical topics.
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| AIRAH promotes the science and practice of refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, ventilation and associated building services for the advancement of industry and subsequent benefit of the community.
AIRAH believes that if industry is well informed and well trained, the community will benefit from higher quality indoor environments, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, lower peak electrical demand and a more secure and reliable food chain.
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| AE Smith welcomes its first female apprentice
| Jan 2006, Mackay
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| AE Smith Mackay has employed its first female apprentice, Danielle Kerrigan.
Dannielle attended school at the Christian College – Mackay and came to us for a 2 week work experience block, as an electrician, during last year. During this time Dannielle worked on a number of our sites. Her willingness and ability to carry out tasks set for her was immediately recognised by those working with her.
Her supervisor at the time recommended her for an industry award through School Industry Links (which is an organization which places 2,000 pupils from Mackay for work experience), resulting in Dannielle being awarded the Engineering placement for the entire district.
Dannielle then applied for a position as an apprentice electrician at the end of her year 12. She sat for our internal aptitude test and her knowledge was then easily recognised.
AE Smith offered her an apprenticeship in the electrical trade and she commenced work in January this year. She is presently working on the City Mark Shopping Centre.
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