When The Entourage Effect began planning the expansion of its distribution arm, it quickly ran into a significant obstacle.
With an eye on future growth, the business sought to install a large vault at its leased facility in the Sydney suburb of Greenacre.
The company already operated a vault with a capacity of 25,000 units at its Alexandria site, but the new ambition was of an entirely different scale. Management wanted a vault capable of holding more than three times that volume of medicinal cannabis products — 80,000 units to be exact.
A vault of that size would conventionally tip the scales at over 110 tonnes, given that standard construction relies on concrete and steel.
The company's landlord, understandably concerned about structural damage, was not willing to allow it.
"The floor loading was a really critical issue for us as we're not the owners of the property. That was something we had to be extremely mindful of," explained Declan Garufi, The Entourage Effect's head of quality assurance and compliance, who oversaw the Greenacre project. "Our landlord wasn't keen, so we had to find solutions."
That's where CMI Safe Company came in.
Working alongside Garufi and other senior leaders at The Entourage Effect, CMI tackled each hurdle in turn, ultimately resolving what had initially appeared to be an intractable problem.
At the heart of the project's success was the design, manufacture and installation of a purpose-built vault with a substantially reduced weight, custom-made by CMI to suit The Entourage Effect's specific requirements.
Produced in Australia using locally sourced recycled material, the vault goes by the name CMI SKY LightWeight.
Coming in at just under 50 tonnes, it weighs less than half as much as a conventional concrete and steel vault — a figure that satisfied both the client and a sceptical landlord.
The vault measures six by eight metres across the floor and stands eight metres high, with enough internal clearance to accommodate a forklift truck.
Garufi credited the CMI team for going "above and beyond" in their approach.
"CMI were terrific at problem-solving and providing us with various options, not just in relation to the weight, but with the layout of the vault, the design, how we wanted it arranged," he said.
"We also needed a fast turnaround. CMI delivered the vault in eight weeks which was faster than we could have hoped. That helped us enormously.
"From start to finish, CMI were responsive and gave us clarity. They presented lots of ideas and innovative solutions to overcome various hurdles."
The vault's modular construction also means it can be extended or taken apart if the company needs to move, ensuring The Entourage Effect would retain the asset in the event of a relocation.
"With the growth of the industry, we expect to reach capacity of the vault within 12 months," Garufi said. "We've got the option to basically tear down the side wall and essentially bolt on another vault. It gives us an expansion capability without the need to carry out much more structural work."
Although the vault was manufactured locally, the origins of its core material stretch some 11,000km across the Indian Ocean, to technology originally developed for vehicles built to survive explosions.
CMI identified the "barrier material" through its international business connections in South Africa. The company has not publicly disclosed its precise composition, though details are available to prospective clients.
What is known is that it is sourced from decommissioned mines, initially in southern Africa and now also in Australia.
CMI national business development manager Joe Davis explained: "The material was being used in South Africa for bomb-proofing cash-in-transit trucks, that's how we came across it and began using it in the construction of our vaults.
"It is remarkably strong barrier material and, critically in the case of The Entourage Effect, enabled us to build a vault that was half the weight of a traditional concrete and steel unit.
"It's an innovative product with a worldwide provisional patent. We're not only looking at the local market, we're aiming to export it. In terms of Australian innovation and design, it's something we should be proud of."
Independently tested to Australian and New Zealand Standards AS/NZS 3809:1998, the SKY LightWeight vault holds grade VII certification — the standard required for storing schedule 8 drugs, including medicinal cannabis.
During independent testing, in which contractors attempt to cut through a side panel, four angle grinders failed and 90 cutting discs were consumed before the material was finally breached. The time taken far exceeded the maximum threshold required to achieve Australian certification.
"When we started using this material we had to buy specialist cutting equipment from Germany which cost us A$150,000. The overall design and construction of the barrier material makes it more difficult to penetrate than concrete and steel, given the same set of available attack tools to choose from," Davis said.
Over the past 12 months, CMI has incorporated 12,000sqm of the recycled material into its SKY LightWeight vaults, and has committed to sourcing a further 98,000sqm — the equivalent of 70km.
The Entourage Effect vault alone contains — or has "locked away," in industry parlance — 1,000sqm of the material.
"This material can't be burned and can't even be put in landfill, so it's solving a big environmental problem and is of huge benefit to the Australian Government." Davis said.
Garufi said being part of such a project felt "special" for The Entourage Effect.
"Given the global push towards sustainable manufacturing practices, it feels pretty special to be involved in what for us was a very large infrastructure project," he said. "It's something both companies can be proud of."
Although CMI had worked with the material previously, The Entourage Effect project was its largest to date and its most demanding, given the constraints around size and weight.
As a final touch, CMI staff painted both the interior and exterior of the vault, lending it a neat, polished finish.
"Typically, a vault has a fairly rough appearance but I can honestly say I haven't seen a better-looking vault," Davis said.
- For more information contact Joe Davis on 0422 918 122 or email jo*@*********om.au.
