HEAD OFFICE: 364 DAREBIN RD THORNBURY VIC. AUSTRALIA

PH: 61 3 9497 2500 FAX: 61 3 9497 1190

A BRIEF HISTORY

Founded by Fred Atherton in 1889 in Melbourne, the Company has been operated through four generations by the Atherton family. Initially set up as a plumbing firm, Atherton and Sons was expanded in the early 1900s to include such mechanical services as the provision of heating, ventilation, hot water systems and "boiling water" sterilizers. Its determination to keep abreast with the changing technology has fueled a continuous study of new ideas in related fields both in Australia and abroad. Atherton's search for new information has paid off.

In the mid-fifties, the Company went into stainless steel fabrication and combined this knowledge with its traditional plumbing and mechanical services capability. Atherton's developed the heating and ventilation activities into modern air-conditioning systems and expanded into commercial food service fit outs, laboratory and mortuary benching, autopsy tables, down draught benches and scrub sinks. By this time, the company had designed and manufactured an extensive range of hospital and institutional pressure steam sterilizers as well as a wide range of allied health care industry products such as drying/warming/storage cabinets, steam generators and allied products. Through the years, this distinct ability to build on traditional know-how and current expertise and employ state-of- the-art technology to improve its products and services is the key to Atherton's success.

Moreover, Atherton has also expanded its market coverage from Melbourne to the rest of Australia. To provide after-sales maintenance and technical support, it has opened branches in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. In the recent years, Atherton has crossed national boundaries and sold its products and services in Asia. It has established agents in New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines. For over a century, Atherton has maintained a standard of excellence, achieving ISO-9001 accreditation for quality. It is committed to remain a driving force in the development of its products and services, applying the latest latest technology in its field. Distinctly Australia's only manufacturer of medium to large infection control equipment and one of its largest producers of kitchen equipment, Atherton has earned a coveted reputation for quality and reliability.