When Less Space Means More Growth - Andave Kitchens

28 Feb 2019

With a vision of unparalleled quality and customer service, Andave Cabinets was created by brothers Andrew and Dave Byrnes in 1994. Starting as a two man business operating from a single roomed factory, Andrew and Dave have used their 24 years in business to grow into one of the most reputable cabinetry and shopfitting names in Melbourne, now employing more than 20 people from an 11,500 square foot facility in Braeside.

With a focus on predominantly high end residential joinery and some commercial fitouts, Andave typically focus on bespoke items that demand a high level of attention to detail. “When your customers expect the highest quality available, it’s important to invest in the right machinery to ensure that we can deliver the right result,” states Andrew.

“Although quality is our number one focus within the confines of a client’s budget, we are constantly looking for ways to be more efficient in our production methods,” says Dave. “This is what led us to SCM products when we were building up our factory.”

During a trip to SCM Group headquarters in Rimini, Italy, Andrew and Dave were given a demonstration of the newest machinery. After seeing the precision and efficiency they could bring into their business, the decision was made on the spot. With an increasing workload and layout limitations in the workshop, Andrew and Dave chose to upgrade their current router with an SCM Pratix S and to invest in an SCM Panel Saw.

“The safety bumpers in the Pratix S allowed us to totally redesign the layout of our machine shop to allow greater flexibility and increased efficiency,” said Andrew. “The increase in sheet size means we are machining a far greater number of pieces within the same shop and with the same resources – and we still have capacity to manage further growth.”

Andave were able to turn the large footprint of the Pratix S into a positive, and used it to further the growth of their factory space. “By making some infrastructure improvements we would have done in the future regardless, we’ve been able to significantly improve material flow and handling as well as quality and safety,” states Andrew.

The addition of the SCM Pratix S led to the installation of a pneumatic sheet lifter into the Andave factory, resulting in safer materials handling practices that can be managed by one operator as opposed to multiple workers physical y moving the sheets by hand. This in turn has provided the workshop with better yields and less wastage.

“With our increased capacity and improved production flow, we’re now even better placed for further growth into new markets,” says Dave. “The Pratix S takes care of 98% of our machining. We often wonder how we ever lived without it.”