RM Williams to reshore some production

Bootmaker RM Williams will reshore those parts of its manufacturing operations currently overseas, according to media reports.

The AFR reported iron ore billionaire Andrew Forrest as saying he would spend ‘whatever it takes’ to return 35 per cent of production currently overseas to our shores.

RM Williams makes its iconic bushman’s boots and belts at a factory in Salisbury in northern Adelaide which employs more than 700 but sources clothing from Portugal and Bangladesh and Hong Kong.

Forrest said it will take some time to return all production to Australia as skills and facilities need to be built up.

He said: “To fix the problem we’ve got to increase our scale.”

Forrest and wife Nicola visited the Adelaide factory on Wednesday for the first time since his private company Tattarang bought the business in October.

Last week Forrest pledged to build green hydrogen and green steel production capacity in Australia.

Picture: Tattarang and Hugh Brown/Andrew and Nicola Forrest

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