T-air just one success story Precinct will have back-up for start-ups

A BUSINESS designing environmentally friendly bathroom accessories is among a bevy of start-ups being fostered under a Smart Precinct launched in Townsville yesterday.

Judging by Claire Lawson’s designs, which includes a shelf rail that dries towels in half the time of counterparts, her business, T-air, is set to clean up in international markets.

The metallurgist built a new home in Townsville and refused to install rails and hooks in her bathroom because they didn’t dry towels properly.

“Under no circumstances were damp, smelly towels going to exist in my new home,” Ms Lawson said.

“After many unsuccessful google searches my engineering brain took over.”

She designed a towel rail on the same principle as a washing line with garments pegged wide, hanging full length and away from walls to maximise exposure to the air.

When her rails were installed, judges in the Master Builders awards encouraged her to patent them and launch a business.

Ms Lawson told the Smart Precinct NQ launch her towel rails and other designs in shower shelves and toilet roll holders opened her to a whole new world of business development. She formed an Inventors North Queensland group and under Smart Precinct has been introduced to Australian manufacturers and taken courses in marketing.

“Watch this space. I’m so excited that the Townsville

Metallurgist Claire Lawson has launched bathroom accessories business T-air and is one of a group of entrepreneurs in the Smart Precinct NQ hub in Townsville.

community has a Smart Precinct that can connect people. It’s connections that create opportunities,” Ms Lawson said.

The precinct, based in offices in Walker Street, has been funded with $1.5m in cash and in-kind support from Townsville City Council and $500,000 in grant funding from the Queensland Department of State Development, Innovation and Tourism.

Mayor Jenny Hill said the idea flowed from policy development with the aim of driving

innovation. “This precinct will play a crucial role in supporting entrepreneurship and innovation within the region and will encourage economic growth as we recover from COVID-19 and at a time when businesses most need it,” Ms Hill said.

The precinct offices will be open through the week providing connections, education and mentoring, including courses for students and entrepreneurs.