Security and technology company Site Sentry has won Small Business of the Year at the WA Business Awards 2024 (formerly RISE) and plans to continue on its significant growth trajectory.
Launched to meet the need for greater security on building sites a decade ago, Site Sentry has grown to service the largest event in Australia: Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks.
The Bibra Lake business emerged when directors Jason Nuttman and Paul McKiernan combined their expertise.
“Paul’s family had a roofing business and he said one of the issues on site is they were seeing damage and theft, and there wasn’t a resource people could go to,” Mr Nuttman said.
“That’s where we came in.”
Mr Nuttman had experience working in the renewable energy sector while Mr McKiernan had worked at Stratco, before they teamed up to form Site Sentry.
The business designs, manufactures and hires out solar-powered security towers.
The towers use a CCTV system that includes a fully automated alarm system, detecting intruders and deploying LED lights, sirens, strobes and a voice challenge.
Site Sentry’s directors launched the business using their own money and it took at least two years before either of them could work in the business full time.
“When we started we didn’t have any money, so we were still working our jobs full time and doing this on nights and weekends,” Mr Nuttman said.
“No banks would back us because we were essentially making our own product; we weren’t buying something off the shelf they could finance.”
The business has grown to 13 staff and is expanding into the eastern states, as well as doubling the size of its Perth factory.
Site Sentry’s customers include major commercial builders Multiplex, Laing O’Rourke, John Holland and Built.
It also services resources companies Chevron, Mineral Resources and Roy Hill.
Site Sentry’s first NSW client is the Sydney Opera House, which has contracted the company to secure the New Year’s Eve fireworks this year.
Mr Nuttman and Mr McKiernan also founded Fortawall, which won Startup Business of the Year
