BCME - Winter 2008

HOMES GO GREEN

PURPLE PIG
HOGS AUSTRALIAN
MARKET

Purple Pig reports that it has become the largest privately-owned industrial rubber hose and fittings supplier in Australia, servicing the key industries of mining, construction, agriculture and general industrial.

The position as market leader is the result of incorporating the Queensland-based Harvey Hose operations into the Purple Pig business from 1 May 2008.

“The addition of Harvey Hose has enabled us to have a presence in all the key manufacturing states of Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania,” Nick Preston, Managing Director, Purple Pig said.

“As a very strong privately-owned Queensland based hose and fitting distribution company, Harvey Hose presented a viable opportunity for Purple Pig to become a wholly-owned distribution network within Australia.

“With our Melbourne manufacturing facility and 12 branches across Australia, we are now primed to more aggressively approach overseas markets as well as strengthen our position domestically through an ongoing strategic expansion plan.”

Purple Pig now employs 90 experienced sales staff and representatives and stocks more than 13,000 quality product line items.

The addition of the Harvey hose operations will ensure all its customers continue to receive reliable quality products on time and at competitive pricing levels.

New developments at Masonic Homes’ retirement villages in Adelaide have given the premier aged care provider a timely opportunity to “green” its properties – making life easier for its residents and easier on the environment.

Water use is a particular concern for the managers and architects of Masonic’s expanding Somerton Park, Ridgehaven Rise and Hillside Seniors Living Communities (SLC’s), the organisation said in announcing a series of new environmental initiatives.

“Our ongoing plans at these developments are not just about bricks and mortar, but are equally focused on issues of responsible living and long-term sustainability,” Masonic Homes’ General Manager of Retirement Living, Bryan Moulds, said today.

“With ground broken on new developments at all three communities in recent months, we have seized the opportunity to draw up long-term Master Plans that incorporate a strong focus on environmental issues, including measures to reduce mains water use and improve energy efficiency,” Moulds said.

At Somerton, Masonic has installed a major stormwater harvesting system to redirect rainwater from roofs, drains and carports into a large underground tank. The captured water will then be used to feed the residents’ vegetable gardens, with any excess diverted to the wider stormwater drainage system operated by Holdfast Bay Council.

Once storage capacity is reached in the underground tank, mains water will become a subsidiary supply for the whole development. To help achieve this objective, Masonic has installed removable tap heads to deter use of the mains supply.

Similarly, at Ridgehaven Rise, Masonic has rehabilitated existing stormwater tanks to provide water for landscaping, and has drawn up plans to ensure that all future developments incorporate water re-use. The latest Ridgehaven units have been designed to minimise energy use through natural orientation benefits and flow-through ventilation.

At Hillside SLC, the new Hillside Gardens Apartments have also been designed to minimise energy use, from rigorous planning of the units’ orientation, to the incorporation of low-energy cooling systems and a water retention pond that also provides water for emergency services.

“At all three sites, we will conduct regular site reviews and environmental audits as construction progresses, in order to identify and exploit any available opportunities to introduce further green benefits,” Moulds said.