B&B Rodwell Wireworkers, Inglewood, expands into party decorations

Mark Rodwell’s family business was built on lampshade frames. But Inglewood’s own Man of Steel also makes creations Instagram fans would adore.

Diversify: Mark Rodwell in the factory at his family business at Inglewood. Picture: Dannika Bonser

MARK Rodwell will happily have a go at making anything.

While the family’s business, B&B Rodwell Wireworkers, started out making lampshade frames, its remit has now expanded to include many custom steel products.

“I always tell people, I can only say no … I will give a lot of stuff a try,” the 43-year-old says.

Peruse the business’s Facebook page and you quickly get an idea of the scope of the creations Mark and his dad, Brian, make — custom gates, basket holders in a bakery, shed doors, fence frames, tree guards, shelves, table bases, handrails … the list goes on.

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There is also, of course, the lampshades: they remain a key part of the business. But another speciality has emerged — special creations for big events. Think giant letters, food or flower carts, ornamental swings. Mark says he has even made a big, wire guitar, which was used at a Buddy Holly show.

Mark says their clients now include events companies, one of them being Port Melbourne-based Place Settings.

“We probably would’ve gone out of business a long time ago if we only did lampshades. Sometimes lampshades (orders) are still really strong and it’s been really good, but we’ve had some pretty quiet times too,” Mark says.

“There is always someone around town that needs a job done, and Place Settings, they’ve kept us going. You just have to find other things you can do.”

Seniority: Brian Rodwell. Picture: Dannika Bonser

B&B Rodwell Wireworkers was founded by Mark’s grandfather, Percival, in Melbourne. It was Brian, Percival’s son, who moved the factory to Inglewood in 1981 (Mark’s mum, Barbara, was originally from Inglewood).

At its peak the business was pumping out 300,000 lampshades each year, but Mark says competition from China made diversification important. These days the business might deliver anywhere from 100 to 500 frames per fortnight to Melbourne.

Mark and his sister, Susan, who does the administration and finances, now own the business. But Brian is still working — Mark laughs that Brian lives only 150m from the factory, and he is even closer.

“A lot of the time Dad still takes charge of the lampshade part of it. Sometimes I might not touch a lampshade for two weeks because I am busy doing other stuff, and he will be plodding away on the lampshades.

“He thinks it’s good that we do all sorts of stuff.”

Alphabet: Mark Rodwell's creations, the giant letters, made for Place Settings. Picture: Miss N & Co

When Place Settings first approached him, Mark says they wanted some lampshade frames just to put on tables at functions. Then came the idea of the giant letters.

“They realised we can do a lot more than just stuff out of wire, and then they just keep coming to us and we keep making all different sorts of things for them.

“In the beginning they wanted
L-O-V-E so I did that for them, then they needed another one in case there were two weddings at the same time. And then people started wanting their initials, and so I just had to start making all letters.

“It just kept going and going, which is great for us.”

Sarah MacLeod, general manager at Place Settings, said they quickly realised the potential of what the Rodwells’ business could create for their events. She says the letters have been “really popular”.

Creative flare: Mark Rodwell. Picture: Dannika Bonser

“We come up with design props and things that will help stylise different events,” she explains.

“We’ve done things like flower carts, food carts, big pergolas and arbours — all different installation-type stuff for different events.

“I think that is the way the industry is going, trying to make your installation or product stand out.”

She says sometimes they have had a photo for Mark to work off for a commission, and sometimes they have produced “a rough drawing and he will go away and make it happen”. “He is pretty amazing with what he can do.”

Mark says he is happy to work to a client’s plan, but also enjoys “nutting out” design solutions himself (that has included figuring out how to construct a hashtag symbol to go with the other letters and numbers).

“I don’t do any computer work, I don’t have any programs where I can design things from a computer. I mostly draw them out … to get a rough idea,” he says.

“When it comes to the letters, I went on the computer and printed out the alphabet on A4 sheets of paper, then I enlarged them with chalk on the floor and copied the shape, then you stand it up and see if it looks right and reshape it.”

But, it seems it is not only Instagram-worthy party decorations that prove difficult to design and construct. Mark has recently been working on a creation that includes 32 lampshades.

“They all eventually go together, and everyone of them is a different shape. So far I’ve spent three days on them and I’m not quite halfway through them!”