Cochlear maintains profit growth and massive dividend payout ratio.

Hearing implant maker Cochlear (ASX:COH) is demonstrating the benefits of technology leadership by maintaining an annual profit growth rate of around 10% into the future. Chairman Rick Holliday-Smith told the company’s annual general meeting that the company’s profits would rise next year in the 8-12% range. Cochlear’s profit of $246 million last year was up…

EPE develops hand held navy-use device to scan for explosives and narcotics.

EPE has developed an innovative hand held scanner designed to be used by the Royal Australian Navy in the Gulf region. The Maritime Portable Raman Improvised Explosive Detector (PRIED) prototype, tested recently aboard HMAS Coonawarra, was developed with a $1 million federal grant. The devices’s spectrometer remotely scans using deep-ultraviolet (DUV) illumination without detonating explosive…

Rio’s HiSmelt and WA’s iron ore – the value adding opportunity that silpped through our grasp.

This is a rare photograph of Rio Tinto’s HiSmelt direct reduction steel making plant in ShanDong province, China. But really it should be in Australia. Rio’s Roy Luo Yuhua posted the picture to celebrate 157 days continual running of the plant with an average hot metal production of more than 55,000 tons per month Direct…

Hyne Timber grows manufacturing capacity for glue laminated timber.

Maryborough manufacturer Hyne Timber has invested $20 million building a new facility to manufacture glue laminated structural timber for the construction sector. The company, which also received Queensland Government support, will employ 42 new staff including engineers and designers to enhance its services offerings. Hyne currently employs 300. “Hyne Timber is now set to become…