Thirty Eight Years of Service to the Sector

Dean Ashton, Structural Engineer, Multinail

 

 

This year, the frame and truss sector is farewelling a number of its long-serving legends, and now another familiar name is joining the list: Multinail’s Structural Engineer, Dean Ashton, is retiring at the end of 2025.

With nearly 40 years of experience under his belt, Dean has shaped teams, inspired colleagues, and contributed to the industry in countless ways. 

Once we heard he was retiring, we knew we had to honour his story and reflect on the journey that has defined his career.

 

Q. How did you start in the industry, and how did you get to be where you are now?

A.

I started as a state engineer with MiTek, but it was Gang-Nail back then, back in 1987. It was one of my first jobs out of university. After 4 years as a state engineer in Brisbane, I then moved up to Townsville for 8 years as a fabricator support manager. I was a one man show up there. I moved back to Brisbane for about 12 months, then MiTek asked me to go to Melbourne for 3 months because they were short staffed in their engineering department, and 20 years later, I was still in Melbourne. I helped out the engineering department, I helped out fabricator support, and then I took on a role as training and development manager, and then I moved back into engineering as the Victorian state engineering manager. After I'd been with MiTek for 30 years, I decided it was time to move on. I moved across to Simpson's Strong-Tie for a couple of years. From there, I joined the WoodSolutions mid-rise advisory team, for about 3 years, I think it was, until the funding dried up on that. Then I had about 12 months with wood research and development, away from trusses. I was still in timber, but more designing timber bridges. For the last 2 and a half years, I've been back in the truss industry with Multinail.

 

 

Q. What is your greatest achievement in the industry?

A.

Probably my role as the training development manager when I was at MiTek. I've trained a lot of people over the years Both people new to the industry and people updating their skills. So not only on software, but on just basic truss knowledge as well. I gave Kersten a bit of a quick overview of the truss industry before she started with the FTMA many years ago. I'd say that's probably been my greatest achievement, the training and developing people, and even my current role, I'm sort of mentoring the younger engineers. I've really enjoyed that. 

 

 

 

Q. What do you love most about it?

A.

I'd have to say the people. A lot of the industry is still family-based businesses, you've got that sort of culture of family. But even the larger corporate type businesses, there's still fantastic people involved, and they come from such a wide variety of backgrounds as well. When I first started in the industry, it seemed to be sawmillers were starting up truss plants as a way of selling timber, but now it's evolved from there, it's become a high-tech industry in its own and it's just a fantastic industry to be in. 

 

 

Q. What is the biggest change you have noticed, throughout your career for the frame and truss sector?

A.

I'd have to say technology for that. When I first started, the truss design software was quite basic, it was really at its infancy. It's quite surprising thinking back, what the software couldn't do. As an engineer, the type of jobs that we were getting on a day-to-day basis, these days you wouldn't even think about, it just goes automatically through the software. Back then it was prior to email, so we were getting jobs via mail or via facsimile. The turnaround time where people want a job within hours, back then it might have been a week before we got a job back to them. So the technology has been incredible. But not just on the software side of it, also the machinery. The computerised saws and the robotics involved now. It's quite amazing how far it's evolved. It’s certainly improved a lot of the safety issues as well.

 

 

Q. What do you feel is the greatest challenge it faces for the future?

A.

I said technology for the last one [question]. I'd say technology again. Leading on from what I’ve basically just said. With the technology in software and in manufacturing, the skill sets have changed. You still need to have skilled truss designers or truss assemblers, but in a different way. They've got to understand the technology and it probably stems back from when I was doing the training. I used to always encourage people, not just believe what the computer tells you. I try to instil a bit of a gut feeling as to what's going on, because there could be a better way of doing things, don’t just accept what the computer tells you.

 

 

Q. What advice, or what would you want people to know about the value of working in this sector?

A.

I’d encourage people to embrace the industry as much as possible. I've found over the 38 years it's been a fantastic industry to be in, and the opportunities are incredible. And those opportunities are changing as well due to technology, I think designers in the near future will be doing things that we haven't even thought of yet. Basically, embrace it. 
I've been very lucky that I've worked right across Australia, I've worked in every state of Australia, and I've also worked overseas a couple of times as well. The opportunities are endless for the younger generation coming in. Even within Australia, the way we design things in Queensland are different in Victoria, different to South Australia. If you can get the chance to gain the experience throughout Australia and overseas, we'll have that broader knowledge and just have a different way of looking at things.

 

 

Q. What are you most looking forward to about where life is leading you, post working?

A.

Mainly travel. I have just come back from 2 weeks in China, and my wife and I have got a few local trips planned for next year. We're starting to think about what our next overseas trip will be as well.

 

 

As Dean looks forward to the travels ahead, we pause to acknowledge a career that has meaningfully shaped this industry. His mentorship, technical insight, and passion for people have left an imprint far beyond any single role or workplace.

Thank you, Dean, for everything you’ve given - and for the legacy that will continue to guide and inspire the sector for years to come. 

Thank you also for taking the time to collaborate over this article.