210:
gauge to check the squareness and register of a printer's forme; trolleys; chutes; a duplicate book; interlocking frames to hold print in place inside the chase; and a compositor's chart. As a printer, he was also concerned about the lack of versatility of the wooden shelving often for storing paper and other consumables. He began to work on steel shelving which could readily be assembled, dismantled and then reassembled. By 1939 he had developed an angled section made of steel with slots cut down one side and a long groove cut down the other.
394:(Purpose-Alternatives-Criteria-Resources-Action); he then promoted what became the GRASP process (Getting Results And Solving Problems – also known as Getting Results and Seizing Potential). These ideas led him to establish the Comino Foundation educational charity in 1971, a step which was financially supported by the proceeds of some dividend income following the 1968 public flotation of Dexion.
432:(RSA), which established a Comino Fellowship Committee 'to change the cultural attitude to industry from one of lack of interest or dislike to one of concern and esteem'. This eventually led to a joint government/industry initiative to promote 1986 as "Industry Year", with the RSA and the Comino Foundation providing core funding of £250,000 – which persuaded the
33:
293:
prevented a generic patent so Dexion patents were restricted to slot and hole configurations, and other UK and
European companies began offering different hole patterns and metal strip thicknesses. But by 1956 Dexion's turnover exceeded £2m, and of the company's 700 employees, 200 were based outside
281:
in north-east London, staffed by nine factory workers and one sales person, but sales were initially disappointing, partly due to post-war cash payment requirements. However, sales and production increased to 50,000 feet per week in 1949, generating a business turnover of £500,000 that year. During
209:
The printing business grew quickly, but Comino never felt happy in printing and wanted further business challenges. In 1937, he established Dexion Ltd (from the Greek for 'right') to market products he had developed and patented to improve the efficiency of the printing process. These included: a
324:
In 1968, the company went public, buoyed by results showing a 40% increase in world sales to £14m and a new record profit of £1.133m. However, the early 1970s UK recession proved challenging, and following two poor trading years, Dexion came to the attention of
Chicago-based steel company
249:
Meanwhile, Comino continued to experiment with the angled steel lengths made before the war. Eventually, he worked out that by fitting one angled section into another and bolting them together through carefully positioned holes he could produce a very rigid joint, and, in addition to
237:
During the war, partly because of paper rationing, the
Krisson printing business shrank, but Comino's engineering background and problem-solving mentality helped him shift into new areas of machining. Having turned down a managerial position in an aircraft factory offered by the
268:
After the war, Krisson resumed as a printing business, but Comino left day-to-day management in the hands of senior staff so that he could devote himself to the Dexion slotted angle concept (though he did write a history of the printing business, published as
393:
Throughout his working life, Comino had looked to develop generic approaches to practical problem-solving. He devised a simple 'Problem-solving
Procedure' (PSP) in 1956; he then defined the essential ingredients for problem solving and achievement – PACRA
485:
Comino is also commemorated through an annual award by the Supply Chain & Logistics
Association of Australia, which since 1980 has presented an annual "Storage and Handling of Materials Award" trophy dedicated to the Dexion founder.
329:, and a £9.4m sale eventually took place in July 1974, valuing Dexion at £4m less than its 1968 flotation price. Comino, by this point Dexion's chairman, retired, though he retained a place on the company's board until 1978.
747:
Brooks, Val & Little, Vivienne (1997) 'GRASPing' for development, Teacher
Development: An international journal of teachers' professional development, volume 1, issue 2, pp.219–231. Original accessible via
361:
in Greece, Dexion donated 20,000 feet of its product for new housing (a prototype house was designed within three weeks). "Operation
Ulysses" attracted worldwide attention, including an article in
375:, providing Dexion building frame materials to enable 49 Royal Engineers to build 1560 dwellings, enough for two complete villages, one of which was nicknamed Dexiongrad. Comino was appointed
397:
The
Foundation's objectives included promotion of GRASP and also attempted to change attitudes to manufacturing in the UK. An early activity was a series of discussion dinners organised by
402:
273:
in 1953). Several prototypes were made, and in 1946, with £7000 savings and £7000 borrowed from
Krisson's bankers, he invested in a second-hand Henry & Wright standard
528:
428:
to study and identify the causes of such views, producing a report "Attitudes to
Industry in Britain" in 1979. The next Comino Fellowship was awarded through the
340:. UK manufacture ceased in 2003, but Dexion warehouse solutions are still marketed, generating a 2010 turnover of €100m from operations in 30 European countries.
824:
332:
Under its new management, Dexion flourished for 20 years with sales reaching £200m by 1995. Interlake then sold Dexion, with ownership eventually passing to the
277:, and began manufacture, adapting the press so that the steel strip could be continuously fed into it and painted. In May 1947, he established a factory in
888:
424:
In parallel, Comino was also involved with discussions about 'anti-industrial' attitudes, and the Comino Foundation funded a fellowship which enabled
898:
321:'s independence celebrations in 1957 involved grandstands for 10,000 people, six miles of crush barriers and 500 bunting poles – all made of Dexion.
893:
425:
326:
282:
1950, the Dexion strips began to be used for exhibitions, and production reached 125,000 feet per week, and a new Dexion factory was opened in
868:
878:
873:
559:
118:
651:
804:
535:
410:
883:
243:
463:
Comino's association with Dexion in the UK was marketed until December 2011 with Constructor Group's UK sales office in
821:
433:
409:; the Foundation then part-funded Jackson for several years as a Professor at the Centre for Education Management at
479:
788:
239:
418:
684:
186:. After graduating with a first class honours degree in 1924, Comino served a three-year apprenticeship with
475:
775:
218:
manufactured an initial batch which was delivered in late August, a week before the declaration of the
283:
183:
471:
738:
M. Williams, (1993) "The achieving school", Managing Service Quality, Vol. 3 Iss: 1, pp.395 – 398
187:
701:
697:
406:
372:
354:
227:
179:
635:
429:
175:
863:
858:
337:
314:
310:
667:
e.g.: Rigid Angle Joint patent 2746780, Filing date 27 November 1951; issued 22 May 1956.
648:
8:
274:
254:, he began to develop ideas of what other structures could be created using the product.
251:
215:
191:
820:
Finalists announced for prestigious 2011 Australian Supply Chain & Logistics Awards
414:
801:
553:
444:
In September 1935, Comino married Katina Georgiadi, the daughter of a well-respected
388:
151:
222:
on 3 September 1939, and Comino sold most of this angled section to local stores of
162:
Demetrius (always known as 'Dimitri') Comino (Greek: Δημήτριος Κομηνός) was born in
822:
http://sclaa.com.au/News/NationalNews/AustralianSupplyChainLogisticsAwards2011.aspx
219:
828:
808:
787:
Dexion Comino Ltd change of name notified to Companies House, 23 December 2011 –
655:
363:
135:
610:
166:, the eldest son of a Greek oyster merchant who had migrated from the island of
398:
358:
203:
789:
http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/937eb7bbc761d9c1d99b223eb5015b7d/compdetails
668:
32:
852:
368:
199:
127:
126:, entrepreneur and philanthropist during the 20th century. He invented the
685:
http://www.kythera-family.net/index.php?nav=5-56&hits=20&did=11001
578:
Profile: Demetrius Comino "The secret is: think about first principles",
223:
451:
Comino died of a heart attack on 27 September 1988 while on holiday in
231:
211:
170:
in 1884. He demonstrated his creativity aged 12 when he invented a toy
143:
436:
to raise £1 million and government departments to provide £3 million.
303:
278:
246:
allocating lathes, drills, milling machines and other machine tools.
171:
139:
843:
776:
http://www.dexion.co.uk/About-us/News--Events/New-UK-Sales-Director/
470:
The Comino Foundation continues, and supports Comino Centres at the
195:
147:
123:
122:(4 September 1902 – 27 September 1988) was an Australian engineer,
622:
464:
295:
290:
167:
455:. A memorial tribute dinner was held on 5 June 1989 at the RSA.
452:
445:
417:, pioneering work on applying the GRASP approach in schools in
333:
263:
163:
131:
749:
702:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/new-homes-for-quake-victims
318:
299:
698:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/dexion-houses/query/dexion
609:
US patent 23138293, Gauge Device, Demetrius Comino, 1938 –
636:
http://www.patentmaps.com/assignee/Demetrius_Comino_1.html
242:, he installed equipment to make aircraft parts, with the
134:, which became widely used internationally for commercial
376:
289:
Dexion quickly faced competition. The prior existence of
101:
371:
newsreels. Dexion made a similar gesture following the
727:
Disasters: the international journal of disaster relief
649:
http://www.geca.org.au/company---dexion-commercial.html
298:
and Canada, with licensees in other countries (France,
761:
1989 also saw the publication of Keith Jackson's book
150:, and for domestic purposes. In 1971 he founded the
647:Dexion Commercial Pty Ltd; background to company –
309:The main scoreboard and television platform at the
16:
Engineer, inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist
802:http://www.cominofoundation.org.uk/F2_Contact.html
524:Demetrius Comino: A life and legacy of achievement
763:Getting Results and Solving Problems in Education
522:Darbyshire, Anthony, and Duckworth, Eric (2011),
294:its three UK plants – in factories in Australia,
850:
405:who was researching problem-solving at the then
401:between 1976 and 1980. Comino also worked with
448:family. Together they had one daughter, Anna.
611:http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2138293.html
518:
774:New UK Sales Director for Dexion Comino Ltd
516:
514:
512:
510:
508:
506:
504:
502:
500:
498:
669:https://patents.google.com/patent/US2746780
889:Members of the Order of the British Empire
621:Duplicate book patent, dated April 1936 –
31:
592:
590:
588:
495:
899:People educated at Sydney Grammar School
574:
572:
570:
382:
725:Davis Ian (1977) "Emergency Shelters",
178:, travelled to London in 1921 to study
894:20th-century Australian businesspeople
851:
585:
558:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
567:
411:Bulmershe College of Higher Education
198:business, Krisson Printing Ltd, near
869:Alumni of University College London
683:, 23 November 1953 – reproduced at
407:Henley Administrative Staff College
202:in central London ("Krisson" being
13:
879:Australian people of Greek descent
379:in 1963 for services to industry.
348:
14:
910:
874:20th-century Australian inventors
837:
704:(both accessed: 17 February 2012)
434:Confederation of British Industry
317:was constructed from Dexion, and
480:Liverpool John Moores University
439:
421:that continued through to 1989.
814:
794:
781:
768:
755:
741:
732:
719:
707:
690:
634:Demetrius Comino – 8 patents –
343:
240:Ministry of Aircraft Production
157:
673:
661:
641:
628:
623:http://ip.com/patent/CA357121A
615:
603:
467:trading as Dexion Comino Ltd.
194:before leaving to establish a
1:
489:
831:(accessed: 14 February 2012)
811:(accessed: 14 February 2012)
791:(accessed: 24 February 2012)
778:(accessed: 24 February 2012)
687:(accessed: 14 February 2012)
658:(accessed: 14 February 2012)
564:(accessed: 22 February 2012)
7:
750:http://www.informaworld.com
638:(accessed 14 February 2012)
625:(accessed 14 February 2012)
596:Eiloari, Tim "Right Angle"
476:Sheffield Hallam University
130:steel construction system,
10:
915:
884:Greek emigrants to England
600:, 13 December 1973, p.798.
386:
261:
154:, an educational charity.
582:, 25 July 1957, pp.20–21.
458:
257:
184:University College London
108:
97:
90:
82:
74:
58:
39:
30:
23:
472:University of Winchester
807:11 January 2012 at the
526:, Comino Foundation. –
188:British Thomson-Houston
373:1963 Skopje earthquake
180:electrical engineering
174:, and after attending
827:21 March 2012 at the
654:22 March 2012 at the
430:Royal Society of Arts
383:The Comino Foundation
176:Sydney Grammar School
800:Comino Foundation –
696:Operation Ulysses –
679:The Great Frame-Up.
338:Constructor Group AS
311:1956 Winter Olympics
216:Accles & Pollock
729:, vol 1, no 1, p.27
252:adjustable shelving
244:Ministry of Labour
92:Engineering career
844:Constructor Group
716:, 17 October 1964
389:Comino Foundation
353:After the August
315:Cortina d'Ampezzo
313:' ski stadium at
271:The Krisson Story
152:Comino Foundation
112:
111:
62:27 September 1988
53:Sydney, Australia
906:
832:
818:
812:
798:
792:
785:
779:
772:
766:
759:
753:
745:
739:
736:
730:
723:
717:
711:
705:
694:
688:
677:
671:
665:
659:
645:
639:
632:
626:
619:
613:
607:
601:
594:
583:
576:
565:
563:
557:
549:
547:
546:
540:
534:. Archived from
533:
520:
220:Second World War
121:
115:Demetrius Comino
65:
49:
47:
35:
25:Demetrius Comino
21:
20:
914:
913:
909:
908:
907:
905:
904:
903:
849:
848:
840:
835:
829:Wayback Machine
819:
815:
809:Wayback Machine
799:
795:
786:
782:
773:
769:
760:
756:
746:
742:
737:
733:
724:
720:
712:
708:
695:
691:
678:
674:
666:
662:
656:Wayback Machine
646:
642:
633:
629:
620:
616:
608:
604:
595:
586:
577:
568:
551:
550:
544:
542:
538:
531:
529:"Archived copy"
527:
521:
496:
492:
461:
442:
391:
385:
355:1953 earthquake
351:
349:Disaster relief
346:
266:
260:
206:for 'better').
160:
117:
70:
67:
63:
54:
51:
50:4 December 1902
45:
43:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
912:
902:
901:
896:
891:
886:
881:
876:
871:
866:
861:
847:
846:
839:
838:External links
836:
834:
833:
813:
793:
780:
767:
754:
752:(fee required)
740:
731:
718:
714:The New Yorker
706:
689:
672:
660:
640:
627:
614:
602:
584:
566:
541:on 14 May 2013
493:
491:
488:
460:
457:
441:
438:
399:Edward de Bono
387:Main article:
384:
381:
359:Ionian Islands
350:
347:
345:
342:
262:Main article:
259:
256:
159:
156:
110:
109:
106:
105:
99:
95:
94:
88:
87:
84:
80:
79:
76:
72:
71:
69:Athens, Greece
68:
66:(aged 85)
60:
56:
55:
52:
41:
37:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
911:
900:
897:
895:
892:
890:
887:
885:
882:
880:
877:
875:
872:
870:
867:
865:
862:
860:
857:
856:
854:
845:
842:
841:
830:
826:
823:
817:
810:
806:
803:
797:
790:
784:
777:
771:
764:
758:
751:
744:
735:
728:
722:
715:
710:
703:
699:
693:
686:
682:
676:
670:
664:
657:
653:
650:
644:
637:
631:
624:
618:
612:
606:
599:
598:New Scientist
593:
591:
589:
581:
580:New Scientist
575:
573:
571:
561:
555:
537:
530:
525:
519:
517:
515:
513:
511:
509:
507:
505:
503:
501:
499:
494:
487:
483:
481:
477:
473:
468:
466:
456:
454:
449:
447:
440:Personal life
437:
435:
431:
427:
426:Kenneth Adams
422:
420:
416:
412:
408:
404:
403:Keith Jackson
400:
395:
390:
380:
378:
374:
370:
369:British Pathe
367:magazine and
366:
365:
360:
356:
341:
339:
335:
330:
328:
327:Interlake Inc
322:
320:
316:
312:
307:
306:and the US).
305:
301:
297:
292:
287:
285:
280:
276:
272:
265:
255:
253:
247:
245:
241:
235:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
213:
207:
205:
201:
200:Oxford Circus
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
173:
169:
165:
155:
153:
149:
148:accommodation
145:
141:
137:
133:
129:
128:slotted angle
125:
120:
116:
107:
103:
100:
96:
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
61:
57:
42:
38:
34:
29:
22:
19:
816:
796:
783:
770:
762:
757:
743:
734:
726:
721:
713:
709:
692:
680:
675:
663:
643:
630:
617:
605:
597:
579:
543:. Retrieved
536:the original
523:
484:
469:
462:
450:
443:
423:
396:
392:
362:
352:
344:Philanthropy
331:
323:
308:
288:
270:
267:
248:
236:
208:
161:
158:Early career
114:
113:
91:
64:(1988-09-27)
18:
864:1988 deaths
859:1902 births
357:rocked the
224:Lillywhites
75:Nationality
853:Categories
545:2012-02-22
490:References
232:Selfridges
228:John Lewis
212:Birmingham
144:exhibition
83:Occupation
78:Australian
46:1902-12-04
304:Argentina
302:, Spain,
279:Chingford
275:die press
172:submarine
142:racking,
825:Archived
805:Archived
652:Archived
554:cite web
196:printing
146:stands,
136:shelving
124:inventor
86:Engineer
465:Swindon
415:Reading
336:-based
296:Belgium
291:Meccano
284:Enfield
214:-based
168:Kythira
140:storage
459:Legacy
453:Athens
446:Rhodes
419:Dudley
334:Norway
264:Dexion
258:Dexion
164:Sydney
132:Dexion
104:(1963)
98:Awards
539:(PDF)
532:(PDF)
413:near
319:Ghana
300:Chile
204:Greek
192:Rugby
700:and
681:Time
560:link
478:and
364:Time
230:and
59:Died
40:Born
377:OBE
190:in
182:at
119:OBE
102:OBE
855::
587:^
569:^
556:}}
552:{{
497:^
482:.
474:,
286:.
234:.
226:,
138:,
765:.
562:)
548:.
48:)
44:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg)