Here’s a picture of me hard at work in my bollard making factory. Back in the day I used to make all sorts of things from metal; artwork, gates, golf and fitness products. Even used to weld for a local business around the corner.
But not any more. These days my focus is 100% on bollards. My mates even call me the Bollard Man.
My factory/showroom is located at 167 Manchester Road, Mooroolbark but I sell bollards all over the country. My biggest customer base is in Melbourne and there probably isn’t a suburb I haven’t installed one of my hand made beauties.
People often ask me what makes my bollard different from the others. If you don’t live and breath these things I suppose all bollards look the same. But they’re not. Here’s the difference…
… my bollards are all made from locally produced steel. I have a great relationship with a steel wholesaler in Dandenong, and Brian knows I like to deal with only quality product. In a past life I used to hunt around for the cheapest material, often purchasing the very lowest priced material that came out of China.
To be honest, the cheaper steel is more trouble than it’s worth. The quality is unreliable and the metal harder to work with. And because a bollard needs to be super strong, it’s not worth the risk.
So I only use premium grade steel with all my bollards.
I’m also pretty anal about manufacturing. Over the years I’ve refined my systems so each bollard comes to life to be the strongest and most reliable unit possible. I do all the welding myself (I’m a qualified welder) and don’t compromise at all here. A poor welding job will lead to weak spots and unnecessary wear and tear. There’s no point using the best steel if the integrity of the bollard is going to be let down by poor joins.
It makes me sick when I see a poor welding attempt. It’s almost criminal and I just can’t be bothered with those people that insist on using the cheapest welding labor. It’s not right.
The next step in the process is the powder coating. I use Brendon from Kaymar 4×4 and these guys are the best in the business. I’ve worked in the manufacturing sector my entire life and seen dozens of powder coaters. With Brendon I can be confident that the bollard is protected from the elements and will look great too. I like them because they never stuff me around and are happy to work to my deadlines.
The bottom line is I take pride and care with my work. My bollards are made properly first go, every time. They are the strongest and most reliable bollard on the Australian market. It’s for this reason I can confidently offer a lifetime guarantee on them. My bollards are not going to break – they are going to outlive you, me and probably our grandchildren.
I have put together a great team of staff and local suppliers to ensure my bollards are manufactured properly and will protect people and property from the first day they are installed.
That’s about it for today, I better get back to my shop.
James Strachan
The Bollard Man
