CMTP evolves from pallets to modular housing

Colac, Victoria manufacturer CMTP is expanding its successful pallet and crate business to embrace the growing modular housing sector.

Founded in 1976, CMTP employs around 270 staff across eleven manufacturing sites, also making produce bins, cases, specialty air freight crates for live animals, and supplies cardboard and general packaging.

Managing Director Travis Meade said a new foray into modular housing is underway.

Meade said: “We’ve just started on a venture to expand into the modular housing space, and intend on building high end modular prefab homes, starting in our Colac site.

“We’re already in the business of mass manufacture and we thought why not optimise some of our equipment and look at mass manufacturing housing.”

CMTP is recruiting carpenters and says there is opportunity for existing staff to further develop their careers, with apprenticeship opportunities also possible in the future.

Almost five decades ago, the business began when Mr Meade’s builder father Chris was asked to make some pallets.

“They started in the backyard and it really grew from there – he made a couple and then ran a few costings and thought this sounded like a bit of a business opportunity.

“It grew pretty quickly from there, he eventually gave away the building and concentrated on the pallet supply. You grab an opportunity when they arise.”

Today, the pallet manufacturing is largely automated.

“There is barely an industry we don’t supply. Any manufacturer generally has to have a pallet to move their product.”

CMTP will build housing modules that are transportable, taken to site and connected to form the finished building, built from a number of different materials with a focus on sustainable, energy efficient housing.

A lot of CMTP automated equipment on site in Colac — timber docking lines and timber processing equipment– can be utilised to produce the modules.

Construction is expected to start shortly, and there are already several customers in the pipeline – architectural plans are being developed for a number of different designs.

“It is a trend that we see starting to take off in Australia, factory-built homes that are more efficient to build and quicker to get to site.

“You’re not held up with weather delays and site access, and they are just quicker to manufacture in a factory rather than on site.”

CMTP is a member of the Geelong Manufacturing Council.

Picture: Travis Meade