Among the wide variety of services and benefits that councils provide, creating high quality public spaces where communities can connect and socialise is one that is commonly overlooked.
Australian councils deliver public projects that improve liveability, foster connection and provide social spaces for communities – all while managing tight budgets and sustainability targets.
For local government, choosing the right supplier is a must. Timely turnarounds, low costs and responsibly sourced sustainable products are vital to ensure projects are completed on-budget and on-schedule while delivering best-possible outcomes for both council and community.
BAB Aluminium is an Australian manufacturer and supplier of aluminium seating products, with over 40 years of experience providing to the Australian market and beyond.
BAB provides high-quality aluminium seating and setting solutions to a wide range of customers, including schools, councils, clubs and government departments. A longstanding partnership with Capral Aluminium, coupled with extensive experience, ensures BAB can meet the needs of businesses from small operations to multi-national organisations.
Providing for Australia and beyond
BAB Aluminium CEO, Brian Blowes, said that he is fiercely proud of the work BAB does to provide customers with high-quality products.
“In 2023, we went through 140 tonnes of aluminium. That’s a lot of aluminium. That goes out as a grandstand, as a seat, as a buddy bench, as a table. We average two to three tonnes of seats every month,” Mr Blowes said.
“We go to a lot of trouble to make the best products for our customers.”
Mr Blowes explained that BAB is the parent company that delivers the majority of its projects, but under that umbrella are the more targeted providers, Buddy Bench and Grandstands Australia.
“They’re all doing their own job. BAB produces tables, seats and other products. Buddy Bench is exactly what it says, Grandstands is exactly what it says. It’s just a really clear message to the market saying, ‘this is what we do’.
“Our client base is everyone. We have people buy them for their backyards, or the local council, the local school, state government, federal government.”
Mr Blowes said that BAB’s reach even extends internationally.
“We’ve actually got seats on a boat on the Thames River in London, and the US Embassy in Singapore have got our tables and chairs on their grounds. Our reach is absolutely national, but also international.”
Durable public seating for all needs
BAB’s tables, which are offered as a range from T1 to T5, are designed with subtle variations to meet the aesthetic and functional needs of parks, schools and outdoor spaces.
Grandstands Australia offers larger seating solutions that range from compact, portable models, to large, modular setups which can hold up to 500 people. These grandstands have become staples in sports venues and community events across Australia.
“There is no one else in the market that’s got something that will sit 500 people.”
The Buddy Bench represents the company’s most meaningful offering. These vibrant and colourful seats are intended to combat bullying and loneliness in schools. By providing a welcoming space for students, these benches help foster connection and inclusivity.
Trusted suppliers, sustainable practices
BAB produces its products from aluminium supplied by Capral Aluminium, in a partnership that has lasted more than 40 years.
“Capral’s been my supplier since 1980, since back in the old Alcan days. It’s family,” Mr Blowes said.
My Blowes explained that the manufacture of BAB’s product range is streamlined by producing them using a limited number of aluminium feedstocks.
“I’ve designed our products around about five feedstocks, to keep it simple. We’ve got a couple of flat bars, tube, seating section, a couple of different boxes and some angles, and we basically make almost all our range out of that.
“Of the 130-150 tonnes of aluminium that we use every year, about three tonnes of it becomes off-cut. It gets recycled and turned back into an aluminium coke can or beer can or whatever.
“On top of that we basically reuse everything else here, all the timber and the plastic, we reuse all of that in our packaging back out to our customers.”
In additional to its sustainable practices, BAB utilises only Capral’s LocAL Super Green Low Carbon Aluminium, which is produced using hydroelectricity during the electrolysis process, achieving significantly lower CO₂ emissions per kilo of Aluminium produced compared to traditional energy sources.
“Mary-Anne from Capral approached me with the idea of LocAL Super Green and left it with me for a week, dropped back in and I said ‘look, we’d be crazy if we didn’t do this, it’s a no-brainer’.
“Given that we already recycle everything we can here, it just made sense – from a corporate responsibility perspective if nothing else – to save 75 per cent carbon. I don’t think that’s a very hard equation to get your head around.”
To learn more, visit babaluminium.com.au
