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SECA aiming to be more than just a supplier

While today it’s recognised as an industry leader, offering a comprehensive range of products from a plumber’s drain cleaning rod, to the latest in CCTV inspection equipment and software, Sewer Equipment Company Aust, better known as SECA, came from humble beginnings.

The company as it’s known today was established in 1967 when George Rose, a Sydney-based plumber registered Nordkapp Investments and was appointed the sole Australian representative for Electric Eel.

George continued to scour the world for the most innovative products and as the business expanded SECA was born.

In the late 1980s SECA started importing and selling CCTV equipment, and then in the early 1990s, around the same time the Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology (ASTT) was being conceived and incorporated, the company started to develop and manufacture water jetting units. By 1994, the company had grown to have 10 employees.

In 1995, the company started importing and selling combination and recycler trucks out of Denmark. It was in this same year that the company employed a resident Sales Representative in Queensland.

By the end of the millennium, SECA had doubled again, with their team including a dedicated employee to sell and support pipeline inspection software in Australia. Soon after, the company added its own service workshop for CCTV equipment and hired its first in-house CCTV technician, which coincided with the company acquiring the rights to distribute several other leading CCTV inspection camera systems throughout not only Australia but also New Zealand.

In 2008, the company introduced another revolutionary product to the region, acting as the sole Australian distributor of a patented formula to remove pipeline roots. At the same time SECA updated its website to include its first online shop and introduced American-made high pressure jetting machines to its product line.

By 2009, SECA now employed four full time CCTV technicians and the company moved to its current headquarters in Chipping Norton in Sydney’s southwestern suburbs, at the same time acquiring a second factory and establishing a truck/jet service division.

In 2013, SECA opened a Queensland warehouse, meaning it could support service and supply clients along the entire eastern seaboard. By 2016, the company had almost 30 employees and celebrated the milestone of supporting its first apprentice to becoming fully qualified. In the same year, the company’s Victorian base moved to its current location in Carrum Downs, featuring its own dedicated CCTV service facility.

In the years that followed, SECA continued to support the industry by continuing to supply leading products and support to the industry.

In 2020 the company was able to navigate the challenges posed by COVID-19. As a supplier to an essential industry, it was largely business as usual, with SECA continuing to support its clients working out in the field.

Despite what were uncertain times, the company expanded even further, constructing SECA Academy,

its own Demonstration, Testing and Training Facility at its headquarters, as well as introducing nationally recognised CCTV courses. The Academy also provides a space for product demonstrations where customers can see any equipment in action on a fully functional pipe and drainage system complete with manholes.

More than 50 years on, SECA Managing Director Mark Quealy says these most recent diversifications represent George’s business acumen, based on growth and adaptation, but also to deliver the best for the company’s clients.

“Our mission is to provide quality sought after products from around the world and bring those products to the Australian market, as well as provide quality after sales service for the products we sell,” says Mark.

“By continuing to expand our in-house training, we can train technicians specifically to our product range.”

He says SECA has an evolving goal to ensure its customers have the best experience by providing a one-stop-shop where customers are provided with sales, support and service, plus training for the products they buy.

“We want to ensure customers get the most out of their equipment,” he says.

“By ensuring we hold enough spare parts in-house and a technician is readily available for a customer’s service needs, we want to reduce as much downtime as possible.”

Despite the current challenges that are facing nearly all businesses now, SECA is excited by the future, with several innovative and new products in the pipeline.

For more information visit

www.seca.com.au

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