Pinjarra Engineering wins Alcoa job

PINJARRA Engineering has been awarded a $1 million contract to supply new and reconditioned valves for the expanded production process at the Pinjarra refinery.

The Pinjarra Engineering contract is one of the first to be allocated in the $440 million efficiency upgrade project and is expected to be the largest one given to a local company.

The company also won a $14,500 contract to fabricate safety barriers for the construction area while the efficiency upgrade is being completed.

Pinjarra Engineering is a company that has grown up around the Alcoa refinery.

It was started in 1987 to refurbish small specialist valves used in the alumina refining industry that its founder and managing director Brad Cooper noticed were being discarded.

"I saw huge potential to recycle and reduce landfill by refurbishing the old vales," he said.

The company employs 27 people in its 2,000 square metre workshop facility and reconditions more than 4,000 valves a year.

Mr Cooper said his apprenticeship in an isolated area had been a catalyst for his business.

He completed his apprenticeship and worked at Harvey Meat Works as a fitter and machinist for 11 years, before working in central maintenance at Alcoa’s Pinjarra refinery for 18 months.

Mr Cooper said working in an isolated area taught him to repair damaged goods rather than simply purchase new goods to replace them.

Alcoa procurement manager David Lunn said Alcoa was committed to implementing its local content policy.

The controversy surrounding Alcoa’s Kwinana refinery is not expected to cause too much trouble for the Pinjarra efficiency upgrade.