A SELF-confessed workaholic, Ray Keefe keeps a tight rein on the time he spends at his electronics factory in Berwick, a problem he finds easier to manage these days with 11 grandchildren making claims on his time.
"I'm wired for achievement, so I've had to be careful of working too much," he said.
Mr Keefe, of Endeavour Hills, has successfully operated an electronic engineering and software development business for the past 12 years, but the company's latest gong has him feeling especially proud.
Successful Endeavours, which he operates with his wife Junette, is a finalist in the 2009 EDN Innovation Awards, a national competition for
the electronics industry run by a respected electronics journal.
Although the company has been kicking goals in design and manufacture for some time, client confidences usually preclude publicising its work.
"We have done a lot of excellent work supporting Australian electronics manufacturers, but this is the first time one of our clients has permitted a project to be nominated," Mr Keefe said.
Mr Keefe's path to distinction in the electronics field somewhat resembles one of his circuit boards.
He began studying chemistry and physics at university.
"At the end of first year I wondered why I was doing it, so I took a year off and joined a pub band," he said.
While the band was short-lived, Mr Keefe found his meter in the intricacies of the mixing board and electrical jack.
He switched to studying electronic engineering and graduated with honours three years later.
For the awards, the firm's wireless device for detecting corrosion in pipes has been nominated in two categories.
The device was developed over 15 months for data logging company Borgtech and is used to maintain pipes carrying water or gas.
Mr Keefe is travelling to Sydney for the awards dinner on Thursday, September 17.
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