Merry Australian made Christmas 2024

Merry Australian Made Christmas to readers, suppliers to and clients of @AuManufacturing, and to Australian Manufacturing Forum Linkedin group members.

As has become our custom, we are signing off for the year with a post acknowledging Tinsel Werks, the only Australian tinsel maker we’re aware of, and offering a few thoughts on the year.

Their website tells us: “The Tinsel Werks range of tinsel is made in Geelong (Victoria) and offers a thick, luscious, tinsel option for all your Christmas needs.”

If you’re late in putting up the tree and short on decorations for it, then give them a call.

Heading towards Christmas, we can reflect on what has been a trying year for many (us included.)

Measures of sentiment have consistently shown manufacturers doing it tough. The broader economy, meanwhile, is barely growing. 

Though there has been positive news in recent CPI results, an interest rate cut or two would be hugely welcomed. Many Australians – not least of all the government heading towards an election in 2025’s first half – are fervently hoping the Reserve Bank cuts ASAP.

Energy and other costs remain crushing, and as the Australian Food and Grocery Council said last month, “it remains tougher than ever for manufacturers in Australia”.

The largest segment within manufacturing has certainly seen difficulties this year, for example at Beston Global Food, Australian Plant Proteins, Fenn Foods, and King Island Dairy. 

Outside of food and beverage, there has been plenty of angst, for example with Qenos’s collapse, and at GFG Alliance, which is still trying to restart its blast furnace at Whyalla as we write this. 

The prospects for processing minerals like lithium and nickel have been re-evaluated in 2024, too.

One measure of Australia’s industrial prowess reflected through its ability to make sophisticated goods – the Harvard Growth Lab’s Economic Complexity Index – sees the nation continuing to plummet. This year Australia went from 93rd to 102nd among 145 countries tracked, falling behind Bangladesh and Senegal.

So we head towards 2025, cautiously optimistic that we’ve reached the very bottom of the trough and are about to climb out of it. 

It feels a lot like it did this time last year: we’re not exactly certain that things are about to pick up, but hopeful all the same.

For now, it’s time to take a bit of a breath before we get stuck into 2025.

At @AuManufacturing, we are saying goodbye to co-founder Peter Roberts, who is retiring after a 52-year career in journalism. At the end of that career has been a fantastic six years at this title.

We are very proud to have built @AuManufacturing into the best-read news outlet focussed on this nation’s manufacturers. 

Peter’s tireless work as a reporter and commentator, and his incredible set of connections within this industry, will be impossible to replace. We’ll do our best to plough on, while wishing him a happy, thoroughly well-deserved retirement.

@AuManufacturing will be back on January 20 with all the news and commentary you follow us for, as well as our annual Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers campaign (we urge you to check out the nomination info here) and plenty else to be excited about.

Until then, have an excellent Christmas and look after yourselves.

– Brent Balinski and Peter Roberts, founders, @AuManufacturing