The Board of Wesbeam sadly announces the passing on Monday 5th September of its major shareholder and founding Chairman, Denis M Cullity AO CMG BSc FAIM FAICD, aged 94 years.
Denis M Cullity (Fmr Chairman of Wesbeam) with Mr David Gray (Fmr Chairman of Australian Made) at the presentation of Wesbeam’s Australian made certificate in 2012
The Cullity name and the timber industry has a long association.
In 1928 Thomas Cullity, the son of Irish immigrants, started Cullity Timbers in Perth Western Australia.
It was the beginning of an association between the Cullity name and the timber industry that endures to this day.
Denis completed school in 1945 at Aquinas College and was Head Prefect and Captain of the College in his graduating year.
He went on to the University of Western Australia and completed a Bachelor of Science (majoring in Chemistry) before commencing his first role at CSIRO in the forestry research section.
In October 1951, Denis married Ann Meagher and that union continued for the rest of his life.
Denis is survived by Ann, seven of their nine children, as well as many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
In the 1950’s after his marriage, Denis returned to Perth and commenced working in the family company Westralian Plywoods (which had built Australia’s largest plywood plant) and subsequently built in the late 1950’s, under Denis’ stewardship, Australia’s first particleboard manufacturing plant.
In 1971, Westralian Plywoods was listed on the ASX as WESFI Limited, and Denis was appointed WESFI’s Executive Chairman.
Denis was Executive Chairman of WESFI Limited from listing until 1996, a director from 1996 - 1999 and Chairman from 1999 – 2001.
During his time as Executive Chairman of WESFI he presided over a period of vigorous growth of the company and its building of three major greenfield softwood processing plants in Western Australia and a large wood panel resin manufacturing plant.
This included the construction and commissioning in 1976 at Dardanup in WA, of what was (until recently) Australia’s largest single line particleboard plant (WESBOARD), the building of a large pine sawmill at Dardanup in 1982 (which in 1992 became WESPINE in a joint venture between WESFI and Wesfarmers), the building of a resin manufacturing plant at Dardanup in 1985 (Dyno Industries WA) - a joint venture between WESFI and Dyno Norway and the construction of a medium density fibreboard plant in Kewdale in 1990 (WESWOOD).
In February 2001 WESFI merged with Laminex, a member of the Amatek group. Under the merger agreement Amatek acquired all the shares in WESFI from its then shareholders.
At the same time WESFI’s ownership of WESBEAM Pty Limited (a prospective greenfields laminated veneer lumber manufacturing company) was transferred to a new unlisted public company WESBEAM Holdings Limited.
Denis became the founding Chairman and major shareholder of Wesbeam Holdings Limited in 2001.
This change led to the successful completion of a feasibility study into the potential of building a world scale laminated veneer lumber plant at Neerabup in WA.
Denis signed a Wood Processing (WESBEAM) Agreement Act with the Premier of WA, the Hon Dr Geoff Gallop in 2002. The State Agreement with the government of Western Australia underpins WESBEAM’s wood security and was instrumental in ensuring Wesbeam’s commencement.
During the period 2005 – 2013, Wesbeam moved to continuous plant operations 24 hours per day and 7 days per week.
The plant was increased in capacity in 2008 and a large scale I Joist manufacturing plant was established at Neerabup.
During the GFC, Wesbeam expanded its operations to sell its high quality, innovative products directly to merchants and fabricators across Australia from its own company warehouses located in each mainland capital city.
Denis retired from WESBEAM’s Board in August 2013.
During his substantial business career Denis held a number of major national and international positions in the forestry industry and a number of directorships in other commercial and civic enterprises.
He was a co-founder and director of Swan Television (Channel 9 Perth) from 1962 – 1984, a Director of Bankwest (1988 – 1995) and was the Ernst & Young Champion Entrepreneur in 2006.
He was also founding Chair of the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation from 1994 – 2000 (now the Forest Wood Products Australia).
He was appointed a Companion of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1981 and an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1993 for his services to the forest industries and to the community.
Denis was appointed as Knight - Order of Malta in 1997 and Knight – Order of St Gregory the Great in 2008.
He received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from his alma mater, the University of Western Australia, in 2006.
Further to this he was awarded the Gold Medal of the WA Division of the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 1996 and the Distinguished Service Medal at the Washington State University Symposium on Wood Composite Materials in 1998.
Denis also held positions as a Governor of the University of Notre Dame Australia and as Vice President of the WA branch of the Scout Association of Australia.
Denis was a man of intelligence and ethics, a dedicated family man who believed in the importance of being a positive contributor to the community.
The tradition of innovation and growth led by Denis M Cullity continues to drive WESBEAM forward today.
Vale Denis Michael Cullity AO CMG.