Barlens take out event hire company of the year

Event hire company Barlens have taken out the gold Logie for the Hire and Rental Industry Association of Australia.

Barlens Structures Solutions chief operating officer Morris Mckeeman said the Hire and Rental Company of the Year award was a massive effort from everyone in the company.

 “I must say everyone is still pretty much on a high about this,” Mr Mckeeman said. 

“It’s no small feat when you know you’re going up against the best hire companies in the country but to take it out is another matter. When you get down to the last two companies the HRIA judges fly in and pull your business apart and make sure you are indeed worthy of such a title.

“Innovation to the industry, presentation to the market and of course performance are key factors the judges consider, then no one knows the outcome until the gala awards dinner night and this year was Sydney’s turn to host the event.”

Innovation to the industry sector is an area Barlens work on continuously to improve.

The business has recently finished engineering and building a chair washing machine.

“I know this doesn’t sound a big deal but when you need to clean 23,000 chairs used to service the music scene Australia-wide you need to clean them quickly, so the machine we have manufactured and installed from scratch has the capacity to clean 25 chairs a minute and that’s a big deal in rock and roll,” Mr Mckeeman said. 

“The new machines we have introduced to clean and dry marquee vinyls and the Albury showroom marquee that is built in glass all adds to the innovation category. Presentation and performance come down to your staff and area managers, they just make this part happen.

“The introduction of Barlens Structure Solutions (BSS) is another area we have reached new heights. 

“The installation of large permanent or semi-permanent structures is another area we have ventured into, and we now build larger marquees than ever in five states and territories of Australia.”

Barlens recently completed one of these structures measuring 30m wide and 50m long with a height of 6.2m at the port of Newcastle.

“The installation happens with cranes and large machinery, is an example of what can be done, and our solution was so successful the client now requires three more in other states,” Mr Mckeeman said.

“Another exciting thing that has happed recently was the invitation to build large quantities of marquee structures for the Avalon Air Show. Not many companies have the capacity to supply such large amounts of structure to one show, but it is exactly what Barlens did.

“What a great show, if you have never been to an Avalon Air Show I suggest you lock this one in on your to do list - a massive event with some of the biggest military planes in the world and if that’s not what you’re into then the pyrotechnics alone are well worth the trip.”

Mr Mckeeman said Barlens has never lost sight of where the business originated.

“I look back at the start of my involvement with the Henty Machinery Field Days some 19 years ago and to see where the HMFD has come in this time is massive.

“It’s still one of my most favourite builds of the year. It sounds strange to me to say 19 years as it does sound a long time but during this time, I have met some of the best people going around.

“The fact we are treated like family in Henty is just a testament to these people, I think some people wouldn’t understand the enormity of what goes on to run a field day of this magnitude.

“Pretty much when the first marquee comes down post event the entire Henty team start working and planning on the next show.

“It’s pretty much a year-round event for these guys, when you have been to your very first HMFD you then see how much does go on behind the scenes to pull a gig like this off. They are just an amazing team, and we are looking forward to HMFD ‘23.”