Family-owned Caloundra marine fabrication company First Light Fabrication will be inducted into the Sunshine Coast Business Awards Hall of Fame next year after winning the Small Manufacturer category for three consecutive years.
First Light business manager Nicole Roberts founded the company with her husband during COVID lockdown while heavily pregnant.
“Angus was working FIFO, I was pregnant with our second child, and he had a side hustle making bait boards for boats,” Ms Roberts said.
“When lockdown came, he realised he had enough work for three months without having to go back to FIFO and then four months later we got a lease on a shed, and now we have eight staff.”
Angus, a plumber by trade, finished school early with undiagnosed dyslexia and is a self-taught fitter and turner, CAD designer and 3D printing specialist.
“He is completely self-made and the definition of an innovator,” Ms Roberts said.
“At work, we have a sign up on his door calling him the risk taker, idiot and genius and he really is all three.
“We worked well together because he is the risk taker and my background in HR meant I came in as Miss Conservative with a business plan and plotted out our stability.”
The couple run the business around caring for their two children, Toby, aged six, and Molly, aged four.
“Really all of this came about because the borders shut and I was too scared for him to leave for FIFO work and leave me home pregnant and alone,” Ms Roberts said.
“When we got our first award in 2022, we thought, okay this is cool, but we had the biggest imposter syndrome ever at the awards night.
“By the time we won in 2023, we couldn’t believe it and the hat trick was truly a pinch yourself moment this year.”
But the stressors of running a small business weigh heavy, with Ms Roberts admitting her husband’s mental load was “huge”.
“It can still be 12-hour days for Angus, and while he has a huge work mental load I have the home mental load.
“I am always juggling work with the kids and trying to remember whether or not I ordered the dog’s flea stuff.”
Visit firstlightfabrication.com.au.
