25 Years of Service

2009 is an important year for Atlex Stockyards - it is the 25th birthday of this family-owned and operated Australian company. 25 years of hard work and the resultant success is a lot to be proud of.

Established in 1984, Atlex Stockyards grew from strength to strength under the guidance of its founders, Ian & Jeanette Crafter and is now Australia's foremost stockyard designers, manufactures and installers.

It is a privilege to be celebrating 25 years of working with our clients to achieve solutions to their stockhandling challenges. We wish to take this opportunity to thank our valued and loyal clients for their support over these years. We have had the honour of working with some wonderful families, all of whom have a story to tell or a success to share.

It is also the 20th Anniversary of attending our first Field Days at Sheepvention and Speed in 1989.

During this time we have endeavored to be continually innovative with products such as:

• The Atlex computerized on property design (OPD) service developed in 1989 which is now millimetre accurate due to upgrading to our robotic total station which surveys all aspects of your prospective yards site before we do our personalized design. We can upload the data to AutoCAD and then download the survey to mark out all the new holes with millimetre accuracy and without the need for tape measures. Our first computerized OPD was east of Sea Lake in 1989. All aspects of this design service are based on the well recognized Atlex animal psychology principles.
• Atlex adjustable tapered drafting race (ATDR) with the Atlex Hawker Gate (designed by Atlex staff member, Len Hawker) which allows sheep to come single file whether rams or lambs saving your knee and the frustration of two sheep jamming. We also incorporated the draft gate knobs on the front of the ATDR to create flexibility of movement between pens. Our first ATDR was delivered to Sea Lake in 1989.
• The Atlex 360 degree hinges which allow gates to fold back against both sides of the fence to save sheep getting caught behind three quarter open gate was first used between Wentworth and Broken Hill in 1990.
• Atlex smooth top working race to prevent jetting and drenching hoses snagging. We also developed the toe recess boxing using concrete which saves back aches. Toe recess first used at Darlington in1991
• Atlex safety draft gate handles with a fully curved grip which protects wrists against jumping sheep while being drafted.
• Atlex award winning prefabricated safety manways in both sheep and cattle yards which do not require chains or catches operating on a cam hinge. These easily accessible manways create ease of movement and a safety exit and with the sheep manway incorporate the dog flap for your trusty mate. Cattle manways were first installed at Henty in 1991 and sheep manways at Orange in 2004.
• Atlex rotary forces for sheep and cattle for safety to operators and livestock, operated with a safety brake, first installed at Colac and Glenthompson respectively in 1992
• Atlex have utilized the design principals of world animal psychology expert Dr Temple Grandin from Colorado University through one on one meetings since 1992
• Designing and building many woolsheds including the Award winning Deepwater woolshed at Matong which represented Australia at the International Design Exhibition in Italy, in 2003.
• Atlex permanent and mobile sheep and cattle ramps which are wide enough for ease of flow and incorporate all safety aspects such as safety racks with the adjustable ramps and legal walkways which in the case of sheep ramps load from trailer height to the 4th deck. With cattle ramps we have designed and built both permanent double deck loading ramps and height adjustable ramps using electric winches.
• Experience from designing and building five of Australia's largest sale yard projects plus the design of Australia's largest ever sale yard at Muchea, WA, valued at $54.5 million. Completely under a 5.8 hectare roof, to be completed in early 2010
• Designing and building innovative abattoir lairages all with the emphasis on ease of movement for livestock with no bruising.
• Designing a building a large range of both sheep and cattle feedlots working with a variety of budgets.

Ian Crafter Atlex Managing Director says "Over the last 25 years the motivation for all of this innovation has been my individual passion to create a yard design solution to make your sheep and cattle work quicker, easier and safer".

"My passion for innovation has not waivered and over the last two years we have undertaken a major research and development commitment to develop the Atlex AT3 Auto Sheep Management Handler. We believe this machine is clearly the best on the market whether being used as an auto drafter or being used in manual mode to drench, vaccinate, mouth, dag, crutch, draft on a large number of parameters such as micron, family groups, etc.

The Atlex AT3 is designed to be a one person sheep management handler with minimal effort, undertaking the most complex operations using the simplest machine. It is built to handle the rigours and, with our aging farming population, allows people to enjoy sheep work for another ten years due to the ease of operation.

Atlex are determined not to stand still and we will continue being innovative with your valued suggestions and continue setting the standard as we have done over the last 25 years.

Atlex Stockyards would like to thank all of its clients for their continued support and looks forward to a bright future.

for more infromation about Atlex Stockyards click on the link -  Read more: