The first year of running an engineering business is largely about proving that the work you said you’d do is the work you actually deliver. By that measure, year one went well.
Here’s an honest account of what Beetle Engineering got done.
The work
Across sugar mills, mining operations, and industrial plants throughout Central Queensland, the past year covered more ground than expected for a firm that’s been operating less than twelve months.
Sugar mill control systems: PCS hardware audits, cooling tower PLC and SCADA upgrades, AEMO power pricing integration, licensing troubleshooting. Mining and heavy industry: 24/7 PCS support across multi-site operations, PLC and HMI programming for surface fans and underground auxiliary equipment, operational technology audits. Electrical engineering: PLC programming and HMI development for power equipment destined for mining sites, ROM upgrade support, and shotcrete machine control systems.
Every project was delivered RPEQ-signed where required, with documentation that the next engineer on site can actually use.
The partners
None of this happens without the right suppliers and support businesses behind you. A specific thank-you to:
- Inspire Accounting and Business Services for keeping the numbers straight while we kept the PLCs running
- Clear Asset Finance for making equipment financing straightforward
- Rockwell Automation, IPD, Remtron, and Madison Technologies for the technical support, product access, and the fact that someone picks up the phone
Good vendor relationships matter more in regional Queensland than in the cities. When you’re working to a site deadline and need a part or a licence sorted quickly, who you know determines whether you make the deadline.
Community
Beetle Engineering sponsored the F1 in Schools Competition, supporting Mackay Christian College’s Fusion team. Encouraging young people in the region to think about engineering and technology is something we’ll keep doing.
We also joined the Resource Industry Network, which connects businesses that support the mining and resources sector in Central Queensland. Worth being part of.
Year two
More of the same, scaled up. If you’ve got a project in mind, let’s talk.