As the only Australian-owned manufacturer of pipeline spacers, and with just four full-time employees, Bunbury-based Kwik-Zip is the embodiment of a small business punching above its weight.
kwik-ZIP has carved a niche in the international drilling and pipeline construction industry through the development of its patented centralisation system, which ensures pipes function as intended and have structural integrity.
Historically, centralising solutions for pipeline and civil contractors, water and gas utilities, drilling companies and international engineering firms were made from wood or metal, which were prone to degradation or corrosion.
The kwik-ZIP range of spacers is made from high-grade thermoplastic and the system can be used for different sizes of pipes, helping reduce costs and the time it takes to install a pipe.
But it’s not just the materials kwik-ZIP uses that sets it apart from its competitors; from the time the business was established in 2000, founder Jason Linaker has been looking at new applications of the technology.
“While the product and solution was initially developed to focus on vertical drilling applications, an inquiry out of the blue from an organisation in another industry sector about the product application in a horizontal solution created the realisation that there was significant opportunity to apply the products to a wider range of applications in many other business sectors,” Mr Linaker said.
kwik-ZIP now supplies clients across Australia, the US, the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Central and South America, clients which Mr Linaker said the company had worked with closely to add to its range of products.
“As additional applications and market sectors were identified, the product range has been expanded into a multiple industry series of models,” he said.
“This growth has provided significant market sector diversification and highlighted the importance of talking to existing and potential customers about their challenges, as these opportunities for growth are often seeded in those discussions.”
