‘Such a loss’: Industry icon remembered two years on

Yesterday marked two years since the passing of a Gladstone industry supply chain stalwart who built his business on teamwork.

Steven Beale has been immortalised by the Gladstone Engineering Alliance who named an annual award after the industry custodian. Pictured: Susan Beale.

TWO years since the passing of a Gladstone industry custodian, his wife has remembered him as one to focus on the success of others.

Steven Beale's wife Susan said her husband always focused on the success of the people around him, rather than his own.

The Beale's involvement in the Gladstone industry supply chain is one of the most significant in the region and started with Rodd's Bay Maritime in 1995.

Susan Beale said her late husband was a big man with an even bigger heart who loved the Gladstone region and the people in it.

In the year 2000 the business expanded to a 24 hour operation and began fixing ships in the Gladstone Harbour, which led to the purchase of the slipway.

In 2004 Steve, along with his brother and right-hand man Kyle, established MIPEC on the basis that Gladstone had a shortage in marine vessel repair and fabrication services.

Since its inception, MIPEC has continued to grow, expanding its breadth of interest to cover several areas including fabrication and construction, general contracting, marine operations, technical services, industrial blast and painting, the MIPEC slipway and project services.

Growing substantially during 2010 to 2012, MIPEC now employs more than 150 staff, and continues to use Gladstone companies as suppliers where possible.

Steve was also the long time president of the Australian Institute of Maritime Science, serving for eight years from 2006 to 2014.

Current AIMS CEO Susan Hull, who Steven acted as mentor for, said he was responsible for much of the success that the AIMS enjoyed today.

Mr Beale's wife Susan said her husband was a team player who rarely dwelled on his own success, instead focusing on his family and businesses' triumphs.

Ms Beale said her late husband's parents would be thrilled when they learned the Gladstone Engineering Alliance named the Beale Culture Award after their son.

"Bob Beale used to work at QAL as a marine engineer and take ships up to Weipa and back, so he would be really chuffed and quite moved that their son has an award named after him," she said.

Ms Beale believes her husband's legacy lives on in Gladstone because the workers Steve employed were like family to her.

"A lot of them are my friends on Facebook and we all have the same feeling on Steve's passing, it was such a loss and that will be around for a long time," she said.

Susan and Steven Beale.

"That is the thing, he had so much maritime knowledge and Gladstone has such a huge maritime culture."

Mr Beale was so instrumental in the establishment of MIPEC that after Ms Beale made the decision to sell the business following his passing, the company that bought it kept the MIPEC name.