Bridon-Bekaert The Ropes Group (BBRG) wire ropes are operating in some of the most challenging applications around the globe. BBRG have been manufacturing steel wire in Newcastle for 98 years and the team members behind the brand are introduced in this article.
Michelle Hurley
Internal Sales Manager
Michelle started with Bridon-Bekaert in 2018, managing the Customer Service Department for the various segments such as mining, cranes, roadside barrier, electrical and structures. Prior to accepting the position at BBRG working with wire ropes, Michelle was a Product Manager for a global equipment manufacture supplying the Petrochemical industry.
Michelle manages the key accounts here in Australia which cover the large Crane, Port and Oil & Gas operators and producers in the country.
“With BBRG having a strong focus on the Bridon High Performance Crane ropes, we are stocking the bulk ropes for our new Service Centre to cut, terminate and test all in house which provides the fast turnaround and requirements which our customers have come to expect,” she said.
One of the major projects Michelle has successfully completed involved working with the BBRG team both globally and locally to implement the new Service Centre, this was a large undertaking but very rewarding challenge which has come to fruition. Michelle is continuing to manage the integration of the business offering into the well-established Newcastle manufacturing facility.
With the addition of new people at Bridon-Bekaert, Michelle and the team look forward to assisting you with any rope enquiries you may have.
Jordan Donkin
Internal Sales Officer
Jordan joined Bridon-Bekaert as Internal Sales in July 2021 and although new to the world of wire ropes, she has 10 years of combined customer service and sales experience in various industries.
“My role here at BBRG has seen me establish relationships with key partners in the crane and industrial space. I manage the import and export orders for the business and work closely with our account managers to grow the Service Center,” said Jordan.
Mick Rethus
Technical Account Manager
Mick started with Bridon-Bekaert in October 2006 as a Field Service Manager servicing the mining industry in the northern region of the Queensland Bowen Basin. This involved performing weekly inspections and reporting on the dragline and shovel ropes across various large open cut mine sites.
“As part of my role I conducted machine audits and developed maintenance plans for maximizing rope life for the various large critical plant and machinery. Looking for a new challenge I have returned to my home state of Victoria full-time and I am now strategically positioned to assist our large customer base within the Crane and Industrial, Oil & Gas and Port markets. I’m looking forward to being able to offer technical expertise to customers across the country,” he said.
Stuart Coxon
Technical Account Manager
Stuart started with Bridon-Bekaert as a Technical Account Manager in 2020.
“I jumped at the opportunity to get back into the High Performance rope industry. With over 20 years’ experience in the Lifting and Rigging supply industry, and managing several businesses in that space, wire rope and its applications have always been of great interest. To come to BBRG is a great fit for me,” said Stuart.
“My role involves managing a number of critical key accounts, technically supporting the internal sales team and our customer base. I’m also heavily involved with the day to day running of our new service center. This includes staff training, manufacturing, testing, inspections, other services and compliance to relevant BBRG International and Australian standards.
“It’s a very exciting time for BBRG Australia and we are looking forward to providing our market sectors with a high-quality performance product backed by technical knowledge with a combined 300 years’ experience,” he said.
James Mackie
Product Applications and Testing Engineer
James started with BBRG in 2012 and has over 25 years’ experience in steel wire and rope manufacturing. As part of the BBRG Australian technical team James is responsible for supporting the local Crane & Industrial, Oil & Gas, Marine, Structural and Underground Mining sectors.
“I work closely with our sales team and customers around rope specifications for each application and installation. As BBRG’s NATA Representative, I also have technical responsibility for our Newcastle testing laboratory and regularly undertake post-life forensic reporting as part of the BBRG MORE program.
“Working with our Service Centre team led by Stuart Coxon, we have recently added Proof Testing to our NATA Scope of Accreditation and are in the process of adding NDT services to provide a market-leading suite of product specification, supply and support for our customers,” said James.
Andrew Morgan
Technical Manager
Andrew is in charge of the BBRG Technical Engineering Team.
“I’m a mechanical engineer and have been working with BBRG for the past 18 years. Previously my career was in underground coal mining. I am also the global lead for BBRG in Surface Mining.
“I am passionate about manufacturing in Australia. At BBRG, we strive to ensure our customers receive the best rope product and solution for their application. We are active within our customers sites to continually ensure the application of our ropes and the equipment they operate on, provide the best opportunity to achieve optimum rope performance,” said Andrew.
Rhys Hughes
Technical Sales Manager
Rhys is the Technical Sales Manager for BBRG.
“I focus on support for Underground mining, cranes, industrial, Oil & Gas market sectors. I worked with Bridon prior to the merge with Bekaert and have been in the industry for over 20 years.
“My role is based around technical solutions for our customers. Typically, I get involved at the specification level to support the customers from the start of their project. We are proudly world leaders in many market sectors from a technology and performance perspective. We are the OEM for some of the largest crane manufacturers in the world and we are targeting the Australian Crane Sector with these new services, something never seen in Australia from Bridon-Bekaert in the past,” said Rhys.