Grant, new press brake help Macs Engineering put on five extra staff

Mackay-based tray and truck bodies manufacturer Macs Engineering was recently awarded $200,000 as part of the Queensland government’s Manufacturing Hubs Grant Program, which has led to five new hires by the company.

According to a statement on Monday from the state’s assistant Minister for train manufacturing, Bruce Saunders, Macs purchased and installed a Bystronic Xpert Pro 150/3100 press brake and accessories, assisted by the grant.

The press brake had been “pivotal to helping the business reduce lead times and increase production capacity”.

Macs Engineering General Manager, Ross Fredrickson said, “We now only program a job in once, rather than having to program it into the laser cutter and then into the brake press, reducing time and increasing efficiency.

“Our customers responded quickly and we’ve added five new permanent positions as we’ve taken on a greater volume of work.”

The MHGP offers funding worth between $10,000 and $500,000 to assist manufacturers based in Cairns, Central Queensland, Gold Coast, Mackay and Townsville SA4 regions.

Round 3 of the Program closed on June 30, with guidelines for Round 4 to be “available soon” according to the Queensland Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water website.

According to Saunders, $5.2 million has been awarded across 20 projects in Mackay through the MHGP, Made in Queensland (MIQ) program and Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Grants.

“This funding helps manufacturers take advantage of contemporary technologies to level up their operations and create new jobs – and Macs Engineering is no different,” said Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert.

Picture: credit Macs Engineering