Blog
Stronghold is part of the Culpan Industries family, which also includes AMD commercial furniture. And it truly is a family affair! When you know our history, you’ll see why our Melbourne-made steel furniture and lockers are such high quality.
Culpan Industries was started in 1969 as R Culpan & Sons, a scrap metal merchant run by Reginald Culpan and his eldest son Lance in Hawker Street, Airport West.
Reg’s middle son David joined the business in the 1980s after finishing his time in the navy. Together, the Culpan men grew the business to include steel sales, and changed the name to Culpan New Steel.
Lance’s children, Amanda, Suzie and Adam, grew up around steel. They spent their school holidays sorting through scrap metal, ripping anything valuable out of old telephones, appliances and other equipment. As they got older, Adam and Suzie started showing an interest in the family business, and began helping out part-time – Adam in the factory, and Suzie up in the office with her mother Judy who ran accounts and administration.
As Reginald and David left the business, Lance and Adam helped to grow Culpan Industries (as it was now known) into its next phase. Adam completed his Bachelor of Engineering and Business in 2000 and joined the family business in a full time capacity. With Adam’s involvement, the business grew into structural steel and fabrication.
In 2001, Culpan Industries had an opportunity to expand into sheet metal manufacturing – and Stronghold was born. With Lance retiring, Nick Hollins joined the business, and Adam and Nick worked on developing Stronghold’s range of steel storage products that are still sold today.
By 2003 the structural steel, fabrication and scrap metal operations were all sold, and sheet metal manufacturing became the sole focus. Suzie (now Hollins) returned to the family business in 2008 to help with administration, finance and human resources.
In 2012, the opportunity arose to purchase AMD Commercial Furniture, and the Culpan Industries family grew again to include commercial joinery.
In 2015 we combined all factories into the large 4500m2 factory at Jesica Road, Campbellfield. By 2019 we had outgrown our home – so we extended it by another 2000m2.
Today, Stronghold and AMD work together under the Culpan Industries umbrella. We now service and deliver to customers right across Australia. You’ll find our products in train stations, museums, fast food restaurants, educational institutions and workplaces all over the country.
Our teams have significantly expanded and now include production managers, production coordinators, technical officers and administrative staff, all working under the guidance of Adam Culpan, our Managing Director.
We make all of Stronghold’s steel products and most of AMD’s furniture in our factory in Campbellfield, Melbourne, and we’re on track to be fully Australian-made by 2023. In 2020 we bought a new CNC edger, and in 2021 we invested in a new CNC laser and brake press, all of which help us give each customer the opportunity to customise their order to perfectly suit their needs.
It’s probably a far cry from what Reg had in mind when he was buying scrap back in 1969, but we’re immensely proud of what we’ve achieved since then. Steel is still in the Culpan family, and at each step along the way, we’ve picked up the knowledge and expertise that now enhances every Culpan Industries project.
Want to chat about your next project? Phone (03) 9357 0543 or get in touch with a Stronghold steel furniture expert here.