Analysis by Peter Roberts. Since the fall of the dollar from its resources-boom highs manufacturing has been on the up with the small and medium size business (SMEs) sector now emerging as a star performer in the economy. Tentatively at first SMEs used up spare capacity, but now leaders such as Adelaide-based REDARC Electronics are…
Packaging maker Orora (ASX: ORA) has become the second company in a week to expand in the United States, citing a better business environment. Orora, which was split off from the giant AMCOR packaging group, will spend $110 million to buy Texas-based Pollock Packaging, beefing up its US operations. The company has 28 packaging plants…
Analysis by Peter Roberts. There is a bit of a myth in Australian high technology circles that local manufacturing is too hard, but you have got to feel for those commercialising IoT enabled agriculture product, Ceres Tag. Ceres Tag is a smart ear tag for the livestock industry that uses technologies such as GPS and…
Mildura manufacturer, Integrated Recycling has won approval from Metro Trains Melbourne to trial its Duratrack composite recycled plastic sleeper on the Melbourne rail system. “This follows hot on the heals of Queensland Rail Type Approval for mainline trials,” the company said. At this stage, MTM will trial Duratrack at at last two sites in Melbourne…
Leading Australian building products group, Brickworks (ASX:BKW) is to spend $151 million buying one of the US’s largest brick makers, Glen-Gery. The company announced it would buy America’s fourth largest brick maker to take it into new markets and as a basis for growth. Brickworks Managing Director, Lindsay Partridge said: “The acquisition of Glen-Gery represents…
Australia’s food and grocery sectors’ increasing importance to manufacturing industry is reflected in a report released today which finds it accounts for just over a third of the sector’s turnover. The Australian Food and Grocery Council’s State of the industry 2018 report shows fresh and processed food, beverages and groceries account for 36 per cent…
The blurring of construction and manufacturing that is the growing trend towards off-site pre-fabrication is fast becoming a reality in Australia. From residential homes to skyscrapers, buildings are increasingly being made on production lines that resemble factory operations before transport to a site and assembly. The latest paradigm shifting building to open its doors, 25…
Listed retailer AuMake International (ASX:Au8) is gaining traction in the giant Chinese online and home shopping markets with its range of Australian and New Zealand manufactured products. The company’s latest China market update reports rising sales in its retail shops and in Chinese so-called daigou markets. AuMake reports a significant price differential between China on-shelf…
Multi-national steel and steel products group, BlueScope Steel (ASX: BSL) today reported robust sales and margins in all market segments. Chairman John Bevan told the company’s annual general meeting that earnings before interest and tax in the current year would be around 10 per cent higher than in the corresponding period last year, when they…
Manufacturers and suppliers are bracing for the fallout from the collapse of engineering firm RCR Tomlinson which has gone into administration. The company went under unable to complete nine solar farms in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, despite raising $100 million from investors only three months ago. Tomlinson operates under the brands O’Donnell Griffin, Haden…