Sandra Barber, DockPro — Dream it, build it, export it: The DockPro story
Episode description (39 mins)
What does it take to turn a clever idea into a product used around the world? For Sandra Barber and the team at DockPro, it started with solving a problem: finding a better way to protect boats from barnacles without relying on toxic antifoul paints. Today, the Gold Coast company exports its SeaPen dry-docking system to more than 20 countries, helping cement the Gold Coast's reputation as a global innovation hub.
In this episode, Sandra shares the long and winding path from a prototype built in her engineer father-in-law Allan Barber's garage, to one of the Gold Coast's standout manufacturing and export success stories. Together with her husband Mark, she transformed Allan's idea into a globally recognised product that is helping boat owners reduce maintenance costs and protect marine environments.
Discover what it takes to grow a successful export business, why the region's marine industry is a powerful economic driver, and why Sandra believes every aspiring entrepreneur — especially young women — should find a mentor and back their ideas.
About Sandra
Sandra Barber is a co-founder and Sales Manager at DockPro, where she has played a key role in building the Queensland-based marine dry-docking business since its early days. Based in Nerang, she has helped grow DockPro into a specialist provider of dry-docking solutions for recreational and commercial vessels, including the SeaPen system. In 2025, she was named Gold Coast Woman in Business of the Year, recognizing her leadership and contribution to the marine industry.
