History
K E Brown is a privately-owned family company that was founded in 1948 by Ken Brown, together with two colleagues. Ken Brown did service with the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War and prior to that had learnt boiler making skills at the Eveleigh Railway Workshops before going overseas. Upon returning home he worked for a company making Ice Moulds, and was then presented with the opportunity to acquire that business.
Ken Brown and his two colleagues commenced operations with the manufacture of gates and railings, and subsequently moved onto the manufacture of a metal enclosure for a simple type of switchboard. At that time there was a big demand for anything to do with houses given the frantic pace of their construction to accommodate returning servicemen and women plus the growing intake of migrants.
Subsequently, Ken Brown moved to acquire the interests of his colleagues and the company moved into the manufacture of bigger and more complex units.
This growth saw K E Brown move from a backyard operation to one employing some 70 people across two manufacturing sites in Sydney's Northern and Western suburbs.
Today, the company manufacturer's both custom-built and modular electrical main and distribution switchboards -
Ken Brown, FounderK E Brown Electrical Switchboards
for light and power and motor control applications as well as providing both a maintenance and modifications service.
Ken Brown still comes to the factory each day and enjoys the opportunity of walking the factory floor stopping and speaking to the company's employees. As Ken Brown says "people were always the key - they still are. Without good people you have nothing".
