GMC marks 25 years, notes early signs of “Geelong manufacturing renaissance”

One thousand jobs added between censuses might not sound huge, concedes Jennifer Conley, CEO of the Geelong Manufacturing Council, but they’re better than a mere hunch that things are on the up.

Last decade, Geelong saw a few high-profile industrial difficulties – the closures of Alcoa’s Point Henry smelter in 2014 and the Ford engine plant in 2016 among them – but manufacturing employment actually rose between 2016 and 2021.

“It’s the first time in recent memory that we’ve seen anything like that,” Conley tells us. 

“The numbers are reflective of some growth in food manufacturing, processing, as well as some of the high-tech companies.”  

Last week the city celebrated the importance of manufacturing and the 25-year anniversary of the GMC.

An eight-page supplement in the Geelong Advertiser carried stories of the successful evolution of older companies such as IXL, the importance of skills in the exciting new era, and the potential in newer industries, such as clean energy. Recharge Industries says an upcoming gigafactory will employ between 1,500 and 2,000 when it reaches full capacity.

Among current manufacturing stats in the newspaper’s wraparound on Tuesday were 9,330 jobs, a $6.75 billion contribution to gross regional product, and $3.4 billion in exports.

Conley wrote that this decade the region was witnessing “early signs of a… Geelong manufacturing renaissance,” and is bullish about her region’s future.

“…As you know there’s been some major investment in Geelong from Hanwha Defense Australia,” she says of the $170 million site under construction, where self-propelled howitzers will initially be built.

“We’ve got really strong investment coming from Recharge Industries, which is building a battery gigafactory near Avalon Airport… We’ve got lots of really bright, positive future signs.”

In this episode of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, recorded the day of Geelong Manufacturing Council’s 25th anniversary celebration and awards dinner (pictured), Conley tells us about the region’s reinvention.

Episode guide

0:30 – Introduction, career path etc.

2:20 – The Geelong Manufacturing Council’s heritage and its 25-year anniversary.

4:40 – The census data support the feeling that manufacturing is on the up in Geelong. 

5:50 – Major projects underway or upcoming.

7:30 – The adaptability of manufacturers, such as Geelong’s IXL.

9:30 – The opportunities in defence for the region.

11:20 – The place of Deakin University in advancing SME manufacturers in Geelong.

12:50 – Gentrification and the shrinking industrial habitat problem in regions.

Further reading

EMPLOYMENT ON THE RISE IN REGIONAL GEELONG
COMPOSITES’ BIG FUTURE IN DEFENCE PRODUCTS
FIBRES AND COMPOSITES TRANSFORMING INDUSTRY – WHY CLUSTERS MATTER
$15.9 MILLION AWARDED IN WOMEN IN STEM AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (WISE) GRANTS

Picture: credit www.linkedin.com/company/geelongmanufacturingcouncil/