Ampcontrol
Ampcontrol is one of Australia's largest privately-owned electrical and electronic design, manufacturing and service companies. It employs over 700 staff and operates 15 sites Australia wide and three sites internationally in China, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Ampcontrol has invested just under half a million dollars into the establishment of a Professorial Position of Power Engineering at the University, an area previously unavailable to Engineering students. Power Engineering is a specialty within electrical engineering, dealing with power systems. The generous donation from Ampcontrol means the University of Newcastle is offering students more diversity than ever before, creating a pathway linking the educational institute with the specific field in engineering.
Ampcontrol was founded in 1968 by Peter Cockbain and Neville Sawyer and has since grown to be a leading international supplier of electrical and electronic products to the power and mining sector.
The current CEO and Managing Director of Ampcontrol, Dr Alan Broadfoot, said 'Power Engineering in Australia was not seen to be the popular choice. It was strategic that we interact with our local university and a way to achieve that was through creating a Chair of Power Engineering. A Chair of Power Engineering at the University allows Ampcontrol to source knowledge, achieving outcomes not only for the company or industry, but the students themselves.'
Under Alan's stewardship, the Ampcontrol business has experienced enormous growth with a tripling in turnover over the past five years.
This growth can be attributed to market diversification and new product innovations, company acquisitions which complement the Ampcontrol core product range and the vested interaction with educational institutions to foster the engineering profession and develop world class skills and resources locally. Recent acquisitions have seen the organisation launch into the international marketplace including China, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
A Newcastle University graduate himself, Alan obtained his Masters in Engineering in 1984. He was the first recipient of an International Travelling scholarship from the Institution of Mining Electrical and Mining Mechanical Engineers (IMEMME), exposing him to mines in the UK.
In 1991 Alan joined Ampcontrol as Chief Engineer. Four years later, he completed a Doctorate of Philosophy. He was promoted to General Manager, followed by Group General Manager, leading to the acquisition of six additional companies. By 2002, he was CEO of the company he had joined only 11 years prior. In 2005 Alan received the Engineers Australia Professional Engineer of the Year Award.
