Our History
The transit mixer in Australia is our family history.
From the ‘Tumblebug’ at Glebe Island to today’s Brisbane factory, Cesco’s lineage runs through every chapter of Australian premixed concrete, because our predecessors wrote most of them.
1909 to Today
A century of concrete, one Cesco line.
From horse-drawn mixers to today’s factory, the milestones that built Cesco.
- Cesco milestone
- Cesco lineage
- Industry
1909
Industry
Mixing on the move
Concrete is delivered by horse-drawn mixer, its paddles turned by the cart’s own wheels on the way to site.
1916
Industry
The first truck mixer
Stephen Stepanian of Columbus, Ohio applies for a patent on a self-discharging motorised transit mixer, forerunner of the modern ready-mix truck.
1920s
Industry
Motor trucks take over
Fleets like the Mack AC “Bulldog” haul concrete from central plants, though poor truck quality still limits drum sizes.
1930
Industry
The revolving drum
Three manufacturers introduce the horizontal-axis revolving drum mixer.
1939
Industry
Ready-mix arrives in Australia
Ready Mixed Concrete Ltd opens Australia’s first plant at Glebe Island, Sydney, using weigh batching and 3 cu yd “Tumblebug” mixers on White trucks.
1941
Cesco lineage
Rex inclines the drum
Rex introduces the inclined-axis mixer, giving a higher discharge point. Rex technology later flows into Fowler Rex.
1945–46
Industry
Readymix goes national
Plants open in Melbourne (1945) and Brisbane (1946), followed by Botany and Glanville.
1946
Cesco milestone
The first Australian-built mixer
Fowler Wood Engineering builds Australia’s first transit mixer, a 3 cu yd open-mouth discharge model. This is where the Cesco line begins.
1947
Industry
South Australia’s first plant
A concrete plant opens at Brompton, broadly based on the Glebe design.
1948–73
Industry
The Snowy Mountains Scheme
Australian mixers handle low-slump concrete, wider drum mouths speed charging, and transit mixers work as central mixers on major civil works.
1952
Cesco lineage
The Challenge mixer
Moorfield Engineering of Sydney builds the first Challenge 6 cu yd mixer.
1953–78
Industry
Marlak mixers
Matt Keating, father of Paul Keating, manufactures Marlak mixers.
1960s
Cesco lineage
Fowler Wood meets Rex
Ray Wood sells his share of Fowler Wood to Rex Chainbelt USA.
1972
Cesco lineage
The Wyong factory
Mrs Fowler sells her share to Rex Chainbelt, which builds a factory at Wyong NSW to produce J Series metric mixers.
1972
Industry
Lenmax in Melbourne
Lenmax manufactures mixers in Melbourne with a cog-and-pinion drive.
1973
Cesco lineage
Rheem enters mixers
Rheem buys the Moulang St Marys plant from Pioneer Concrete in Sydney, moving it to Brisbane in 1975.
1975
Cesco lineage
Fowlerex back in local hands
Mrs Fowler and Ron Harper buy Fowlerex back from Rex Chainbelt and begin building 2.0 m³ mini-mixers.
1978
Cesco lineage
Marlak and Forbes
Fowler Rex buys Marlak and closes its manufacturing, supplying parts only. Forbes Engineering is building Forbes Series mixers.
1983
Cesco lineage
Rheem buys Fowlerex
Rheem purchases Fowlerex and closes down Fowlerex mixer production.
1988
Cesco lineage
Southcorp takes over Rheem
Rheem is taken over by South Australia Breweries, later known as Southcorp.
1990
Cesco lineage
Howard Engineering joins
Rheem buys Howard Engineering from Boral Concrete.
1996
Cesco milestone
Cesco is born
Southcorp sells its mixer business to Zicom, and it becomes Cesco, carrying forward the Fowler Wood, Fowler Rex, Rheem and Howard lines.
2001
Cesco milestone
Cesco buys out Forbes Engineering
The Forbes line joins Cesco, bringing another long-running Australian mixer maker into the family.
2000s
Cesco lineage
Cesco on the road
Cesco mixers run in the fleets of major producers including Pioneer, Hanson and Allied, from 7.5 m³ to 10 m³ drums.
Today
Cesco milestone
Murarrie QLD and Hallam VIC
Cesco designs, builds and supports transit mixers from its Brisbane factory at Murarrie, with a second site at Hallam, Victoria.
The Story Continues
The next chapter is your fleet.
The same engineering team that carries this lineage designs and builds today’s range, and stands behind every machine in the field.
Talk to Cesco
Every way to reach us.
Mixer sales, barrels, parts or a breakdown: our Brisbane and Melbourne workshops and service partners across Australia and New Zealand have you covered.
(07) 3908 6088Service Partners
- Sydney NSW Johns Motors Services · 02 9790 3777
- Adelaide SA Marleston Engineering · 08 8443 6766
- Perth WA Precedence Engineering · 08 9328 4818
- Hobart TAS Briar Banks Engineering · 03 6268 1605
- Auckland NZ MIMICO · +64 9 640 0340