Logging Off After 35 Years: Celebrating the Remarkable Career of Bernard Kennelly

It's not every day a company has the privilege of celebrating an employee whose dedication spans more than three decades. After 35 years with Pryda ANZ, Bernard Kennelly has officially logged off for the last time and is setting sail into a well-earned retirement. 

For those who have had the pleasure of working alongside Bernard, they'll know he is a man of immense wisdom, quiet humility and an extraordinary depth of knowledge. His calm nature and practical approach have been shaped by a career that has witnessed one of the most significant periods of transformation in our industry. 

As Bernard reflected with a smile, "I joined Pryda last century." 

The year was 1974. 

His journey into engineering began long before Pryda. As a teenager, Bernard spent countless hours building lightweight, high-performance sailing skiffs with his uncle, a shipwright who lived with the family between voyages. Those early experiences sparked a fascination with structures that needed to be both incredibly light and exceptionally strong. 

That passion eventually led him to study structural engineering. 

"When I finished my degree, I needed a job," Bernard recalled. "I had the choice of concrete, steel, timber or sailing. Sailing was a hard no from my parents." 

Fortunately for Pryda, timber won. 

He still remembers arriving for his first day with shoulder-length hair, a beard, a Wrangler shirt, cords and desert boots. Little did he know he was embarking on a career that would help shape the future of timber engineering. 

When Bernard first joined the business, truss design was a painstaking manual process. Engineers worked at drawing boards, calculating loads by hand and sketching vectors across large sheets of paper. A single truss analysis could take hours to complete. Today, entire projects can be designed, costed, detailed and prepared for manufacture within minutes, with cutting schedules and production updates 
automatically flowing through factory systems. 

Bernard wasn't simply a witness to that evolution. He helped drive it. 
 

Among the innovations he is most proud of was Pryda's Internal Wall Screw. By eliminating the potential for installation errors common with traditional slotted brackets, it improved both safety and ease of installation on site. 
Then came SpeedTruss, a solution that ensured the right fixing ended up in the right place every time. By integrating tie-down information directly into the design and manufacturing process, it simplified installation and reduced the chance of costly mistakes. 

These innovations may sound technical, but they all share a common thread: Bernard's desire to make things simpler, safer and more effective for the people using them every day. 

Now, as retirement begins, Bernard has no shortage of plans. 
First on the list is family. Later this year, he and his wife Louise will travel to the UK to spend precious time with their three children, their partners and seven grandchildren, with a few adventures along the way. 

Next is a project that has been waiting patiently for its turn. Fifteen years ago, Bernard purchased a dilapidated former Sydney to Hobart yacht. Between raising a family, completing three home renovations and building a house, the restoration has remained on hold. Retirement finally offers the opportunity to bring the old yacht back to life and enjoy more time on Pittwater. 

His curiosity for innovation continues too. Bernard has embraced 3D modelling and printing, applying the same problem-solving mindset that defined his career. Already, he has completed dozens of practical projects and is eager to continue learning and creating. 

And finally, there is surfing. Rather than driving 30 minutes to the beaches he has frequented for years, Bernard is looking forward to discovering the waves much closer to home. 

As Bernard embarks on this exciting new chapter, we celebrate not only his 35 years of service, but the lasting impact he has had on Pryda, our customers and the wider industry. His ideas have improved the way we work, his knowledge has helped shape generations of colleagues, and his humility has earned the respect and admiration of everyone fortunate enough to know him. 

Thank you, Bernard, for your dedication, your innovation and your unwavering 
commitment over the years. 

May retirement bring you fair winds, perfect waves and every opportunity to enjoy 
the adventures that lie ahead. 

Watch Pryda's tribute video to Bernard Kennelly.