National Industry Person of the Year

Paarhammer had a great week at the Australian Glass and Window Association’s (AGWA) Ausfenex 25, listening and catching up with peers in the window industry. We are honored to come home with two National Highly Commended awards. However, the main highlight was Director Tony Paarhammer coming home with AGWA’s 2025 Industry Person of the Year Award out of 1200 AGWA members for his dedication and work in furthering the window industry.

From left to right: Tony Paarhammer, Edith Paarhammer, Thomas Paarhammer

After moving to Australia in 1990, Tony together with Edith started a business in a small shed in rural Victoria after noticing the energy efficient windows and doors they were used to in Austria were far less common in Australia. Thus, European style tilt and turn windows turned into a 4500m2 manufacturing business established in Ballan Victoria, training over 60 apprenticeships and the shipment of their 5 Ranges all over Australia. 

Tony has been a member of AGWA for many years and is proudly serving his second term on the board representing window makers specifically in the southern region of Victoria and is also the acting treasure. He has also been a member on the board of the Australian Fenestration Rating Council (AFRC) for 8 years and is currently acting as treasure. Whilst he is the co-founder of the AGWA timber window subcommittee and helps drive the timber window system project to improve the Australian Standard. He is instrumental in securing support not only from the industry but also from government.

The CEO of AGWA, Clinton Skeotch, spoke at the recent conference: “Tony’s journey is a testament to innovation, perseverance, partnership and teamwork. The business Tony built with Edith is a testament to customer orientation, resilience, and vision. Paarhammer Windows is not just a business, it’s the result of two people who believed in each other, who worked side by side and built something extraordinary, to guide us and our industry. Tony shaped the industry, ultimately won far too many design awards, and leaves a legacy that will endure for years. Congratulations.”

Paarhammer Windows is built on quality, excellence and customer focus. This is only possible with a dedicated workforce, and Tony thanks all employees for their tireless commitment. This includes not only staff from the window manufacturing company but also from his second business ‘Siegware’ which is a supplier of window hardware and construction items.

Highlights are the innovation and development of bushfire safe windows after the devastating Victorian bushfires of 2009, being the first company with successful testing of BAL-FZ Flame Zone in 2011. Paarhammer was also one of the first Australian timber joineries to undertake AS2047 testing, and had products accredited to International Passive House.

Over the years, the company received many design awards, was named ‘Victorian Manufacturer of the Year – Small Business 2017’, has featured on SBS 'Small Business Secrets’, and was interviewed by Alan Kohler for 'Talking Business' an inflight entertainment radio program on Qantas.

Design Awards 2025 were ‘National Highly Commended’ for Natural Haven Project 465 in the Residential Window/Glass Retrofit Project category. Another ‘National Highly Commended’ was received for Iglu Apartments – Bondi Junction for the Commercial Window/Glass Project between $250,000 to $750,000.

But the ‘Industry Person of the Year 2025’ award was a real surprise.

Tony Paarhammer is extremely humbled by receiving this extraordinary award, and thanks Australia, and especially the Australian Glass and Windows Association for the opportunities provided to him since he and his wife migrated to this wonderful country.