A father and son team from an Australian family-run business win the T.C. Graham Prize.

2019-2020 AIST president Ronald O'Malley, 2019 T.C. Graham Prize winners Bruce Mullaney and Logan Mullaney, and AIST executive director Ron Ashburn.

A father and son team from an Australian family-run business has been named the recipient of the Association for Iron & Steel Technology’s (AIST) 2019 T.C. Graham Prize, an international award meant to encourage development of new and innovative uses for steel.
 
Bruce and his son, Logan Mullaney, of InQuik Bridging Systems received the US$20,000 prize for their entry titled "Steel Semi-Modular Solution to Bridge Building," which is comprised of pre-fabricated molds made from sheet steel with reinforcing rebar matrix. The units are transported to a build site and concrete is poured once they are in place. The system reduces the amount of time, cost and manpower needed to install short-span bridges.
 
The Mullaneys received the T.C. Graham Prize during AIST’s 2019 Leadership Conference in Memphis, Tenn., USA, on 18 November 2019.
 
Upon hearing the news of their selection, Bruce shared, "We’ve been developing our product for a number of years; refining the design, expanding and standardizing our product range, focusing our sales and marketing efforts, and investing in the right people to help propel the business forward both locally and internationally. Bridges are essential in connecting communities, and initially our focus for this technology was on emerging economies and remote communities. We could provide these communities with a bridging system solution which was fast, easy to install and transport, and could be installed by low-skilled local labor and with locally resourced concrete. The extensive economical and environmental advantages of our system have pushed our gaze outward, as we’ve seen rapid adoption in various market sectors."
 
While reflecting on their success, Bruce continued, “The recognition from this award is just fantastic, and is testament to our product’s broad appeal and innovation. It particularly sets us in good stead for introducing the InQuik system to the USA, as this award will give us credibility and visibility to businesses over there. The prize money will allow us to better invest in business development in the USA, and the next step will be reaching out to potential U.S. partners who will share our vision!”
 
The Contest Selection Committee consisted of Tom Ferrence, retired, former general manager, USX Engineers & Consultants Inc.; Fred Harnack, retired, former general manager — environmental affairs, United States Steel Corporation; Shoun Kerbaugh, retired, former Managing Director, PiTTek; Lydia Stromei, president, DeAmicis & Associates LLC; and Dave Werner, president and chief operating officer, Berry Metal Co.