riding the wave of success
Adam Wessel may have worked in surfboard factories since the age of 16, but it was a stint in the luxury yachting industry that sowed the seeds of game-changing surfboard manufacturing technology.
“I was painting and fairing yachts. I tried to pull a lot of that ethos and then implement it into the surfboard industry,” the owner of The Glass Lab in Tweed Heads says.
The 40-year-old saw a niche in safe, sustainable, high-end surfboard manufacturing that could compete with overseas production.
The Northern Rivers business takes the shaped core of the board and applies the fibreglass, resin and fins that give surfboards their structural stability and functionality.
But the process is not without dangers. Polluting volatile organic compounds and dust are released into the atmosphere, harming both people and the environment. Using equipment adapted from mining, Wessel created a system that captures 96 per cent of those fumes and 99.9 per cent of dust.
The technology, which he says is a first in the industry, has given The Glass Lab products a stamp of sustainability – and protection.
“We’re really vigilant,” says Wessel, speaking about the safety of his 20 staff.
Today the business is one of the largest surfboard manufacturers in Australia. 200 boards – including world-renowned Channel Islands designs – leave its premises each week.
At the heart of the company is the Tweed Coast. Wessel is in the enviable position of treating surfing as his research and development time.
“We not only get to enjoy what we do but we get to enjoy the product that we create,” he says. “Being close to the beach where we are is super important for us.”
It is also important for the pro riders who compete in the World Surfing Championship at nearby Snapper Rocks – many collect boards from The Glass Lab in person and can be on the waves in minutes.
Moving ahead, Wessel is constantly exploring new methods to make boards lighter and stronger and is working on expanding operations without sacrificing quality.
One non-negotiable, he says, is his location.
“I believe in the Tweed. I love our community, I love our local economy, I want to see it grow. It’s who I am”
Share this story
Read more stories
reinventing a special highway town
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/rod-n-reel-woodburn-northern-rivers-002.jpg 1920 1080 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/rod-n-reel-woodburn-northern-rivers-002.jpgRod n Reel Hotel
Woodburn NSW is a charming riverside town with which is about to embark on a transformation. When the Pacific Highway bypass is completed…
in for the long haul
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/7D2_1365.jpg 1024 682 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/7D2_1365.jpgHerb Blanchard Haulage
If you happen to be in the ‘jacaranda city’ of Grafton or its surrounds and you see a big blue truck out on the roads, the chances are its part of the…
local, seasonal, transformative gem hits town
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/jane.jpg 960 639 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/jane.jpgGateway Fine Foods and Catering
Debbie McQueen has three words of advice for anyone starting a business in Kyogle: flexibility, perseverance and patience. They’re three traits Debbie…
back to the future with new inspiration
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/bennett-construction-lismore-003-2.jpg 1920 781 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/bennett-construction-lismore-003-2.jpgBennett Construction
It would be fair to say that Bennett Construction and Ballina High School have come full circle with each other. It sounds like a back to the future…
sewing love for a lifetime
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/patches-kyogle-001.jpg 1232 816 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/patches-kyogle-001.jpgPatches of Kyogle
Jeannine Smith grew up under her mother’s sewing machine in Western Samoa. “My mother was a professional dressmaker,” says Jeannine…
making history, creating culture
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SPAR-Staff.jpg 1535 1025 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SPAR-Staff.jpgSpar Maclean
SPAR Maclean’s claim to fame is a doozy. Indeed, it’s something only one supermarket in the whole of Australia can say: that it is the longest…
spirit of the rainforest
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cape-byron-distellery-002.jpg 960 540 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cape-byron-distellery-002.jpgCape Byron Distillery
Let’s forget the beaches for a moment, as the true lifeblood of the Northern Rivers landscape is surely its rainforests, some of the most botanically…
simply better for you
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/simply-clean-lismore-001.jpg 1600 533 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/simply-clean-lismore-001.jpgSimply Clean
It’s probably no surprise that it was a cleaning company that was the most well organised of all the businesses Huw and Becky Jones found for sale…
eclectic food innovator shines
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Peter-at-the-Yamba-bus-stop.-July16.jpg 1030 1030 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Peter-at-the-Yamba-bus-stop.-July16.jpgNicholson Fine Foods
The small coastal town of Yamba is home to the one of the world’s best eating prawns, the Eastern King Prawn. It’s also home to the highest…
take me to the river
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/10986182_733888960072606_3561220566688304460_o.jpg 2048 1536 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/10986182_733888960072606_3561220566688304460_o.jpgGrafton to Yamba Houseboats
The Clarence River, at the southern end of the Northern Rivers, is known colloquially as the ‘Big River’, while its Aboriginal name is ‘Breimbah’ or…
effective creatives have all the fun
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/cumulus-vfx-byron-002.jpg 1000 750 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/cumulus-vfx-byron-002.jpgCumulus VFX
They’ve walked the Sydney Harbour Bridge with Hoges. Gone down the garden path with Peter Rabbit. Flown Katie Holmes over…
spellbinding growth for a home grown icon
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/spell_designs_byron_bay001.jpg 1000 667 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/spell_designs_byron_bay001.jpgSpell Designs
The scent, texture and aura of Byron Bay is famous, and well-loved. If that Byron Bay feeling was a fashion brand, it would surely be Spell & The Gypsy Collective….
all fired up for global attention
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Aurora-Suspended-Fires_Ballina-in-good-company-image-4.jpg 960 600 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Aurora-Suspended-Fires_Ballina-in-good-company-image-4.jpgAurora Suspended Fires
Aurora Suspended Fires arose from the perfect marriage of Chloe Allan’s creative talents with Neil’s engineering background. But building a successful…
beauty and the bottle
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/husk-distillers-tweed-001.jpg 1280 853 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/husk-distillers-tweed-001.jpgHusk Distillers
The Husk Distillers story starts in the tropical paradise of the Caribbean. Paul and his wife Mandaley Perkins were on holiday in 2009 and discovered…
home is where the heart is
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/edmonds-conveyancing-ballina-001.jpg 1920 847 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/edmonds-conveyancing-ballina-001.jpgEdmonds Conveyancing
The legal aspects of buying and selling a property are not normally associated with having a laugh and even singing, but the Edmonds Conveyancing…
not just a business, a community partner
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/stone-and-wood-001.jpg 960 761 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/stone-and-wood-001.jpgStone & Wood
“That’s like asking parents to name which of their children they prefer,” says Jamie Cook, Stone & Wood co-founder. He has been asked which of the…
organic, sustainable and a local legend
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mara_seeds_northern_rivers_business_feature_image_001.jpg 800 800 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mara_seeds_northern_rivers_business_feature_image_001.jpgMara Seeds
The farmer and owner of Mara Seeds knows what can happen when you don’t – his 8000-acre station 50km to the west of Casino has seen worse…
riding the wave of success
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/glass-lab-tweed-heads-002.jpg 1000 661 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/glass-lab-tweed-heads-002.jpgThe Glass Lab
Adam Wessel may have worked in surfboard factories since the age of 16, but it was a stint in the luxury yachting industry that sowed the…
let there be light
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/northern_lights-_ballina_northern_rivers_001.jpg 2000 1333 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/northern_lights-_ballina_northern_rivers_001.jpgNorthern Light
“I eat a pot of honey every day and I’ve been stung more than 70,000 times,” says Jeffrey Gibbs, founder of Northern Light, an organic beeswax…
‘can do’ marine
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/harwood-marine-clarence.jpg 1920 1182 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/harwood-marine-clarence.jpgHarwood Marine
About half way between Yamba and Maclean is the tiny village of Harwood, which sits on the peaceful banks of the Clarence River with its population…