01 May WHAT A NIGHT! RPC WINS TWO MAJOR HONOURS AT THE 2025 COMPOSITES AUSTRALIA INDUSTRY AWARDS -1/5/2025
We’re proud to share some great news from last night’s Composites Australia Industry Awards on the Sunshine Coast – RPC Technologies took home not one, but two major awards:
Engineer of the Year – Simon Karpeles
Engineering Excellence for large Scale GRP Infrastructure Manufacturing of the Year –
Central Interceptor project (NZ) for the design, supply and installation of large diameter cascade shafts/maintenance shafts
Simon Karpeles – Engineer of the Year
A huge congratulations to our very own Simon Karpeles, Principal Engineer, who was recognised for his outstanding contribution to the Australian composites industry with the Engineer of the Year award.
With more than 30-years of experience in FRP and GRP engineering, Simon has led groundbreaking work across the water and wastewater, mining, power generation, and civil infrastructure sectors. His expertise in design, fabrication, project management, and quality systems has shaped many of the industry’s landmark projects.
Simon is not only a technical leader but a mentor and valued member of the RPC family. This award is a fitting tribute to a remarkable career and the ongoing impact Simon continues to make.
Central Interceptor (NZ) – Engineering Excellence for large Scale GRP Infrastructure Manufacturing of the Year
RPC was also honoured with the Engineering Excellence for large Scale GRP Infrastructure Manufacturing award of the Year for our work on the Central Interceptor project in New Zealand – one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest wastewater infrastructure upgrades.
Over four years, we delivered eight large-scale GRP Cascade Shafts, working in partnership with the Ghella Abergeldie Joint Venture (GAJV) for Watercare Services Ltd. Designed in Seven Hills, R&D works at Broadmeadow and manufactured in Batam, Indonesia and Corio, Victoria, this project showcased our ability to engineer and deliver complex, high-performance composite solutions on a massive scale. A true example of our One RPC team approach.
A Milestone in our 50th Year
Tony Caristo, RPC MD said, ”As RPC celebrates 50-years in the composites industry in 2025, these awards reflect the dedication, technical depth, and innovation that continue to define who we are.
A big thank-you to Kerryn Caufield and Composites Australia for all you do for the Composites industry and for these awards, and congratulations to everyone across our RPC family who contributed to these achievements. This is a moment for all of us to be proud.”
L to R: Kerryn Caufield, CEO Composites Australia with Simon Karpeles; Gavin Engelsman, Tony Caristo and Simon Karpeles; Central Interceptor project – May Road Final Installation.