By Aayushi Badhwar, RMIT University Today’s consumers are swimming in a sea of information. Products are marketed with big, bold words such as “sustainable”, “ethical” and “organic”. They sound good, they catch our attention, and they make us feel better about what we buy. The reality is, in today’s market, figuring out which claims are…
Brisbane-based Versatile Structures has pulled off a dramatic rescue mission, announcing on Monday the acquisition of Superior Coaters just weeks before the Dulux-accredited powder coating facility was set to close its doors forever. The last-minute buyout reads like a business thriller – when Versatile Structures learned in April that their key supplier was shutting down…
Electronics design-to-manufacture business REDARC Defence & Space has announced a strategic teaming agreement with Projects Unlimited Inc. (PUI), a USA-based aerospace and defence electronics manufacturing services provider, which the Australian company says “directly contribut[es] to the shared objectives of the AUKUS partnership”. In a statement on Thursday (Australian time), REDARC said the collaboration will extend…
Australian manufacturing faces a hidden crisis as the number of toolmakers and engineering pattern-makers has declined by 70 per cent between 2006 and 2021, according to the latest Census data. Only 2,220 practitioners remain in this vital trade, with just 411 of these under 40 years old. Toolmakers and engineering pattern-makers create and repair precision…
Australian manufacturing conditions improved at their fastest pace since late 2022 in March, according to S&P Global data released on Tuesday. The headline S&P Global Australia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) posted 52.1 in March, up from 50.4 in February, marking the third consecutive month above the 50.0 neutral threshold. New orders grew at their…
The federal government has said it will develop a new national food security strategy titled “Feeding Australia” if re-elected, aimed at increasing “the security and supply chain resilience” of both agriculture and food production. According to a statement from agriculture minister Julie Collins (pictured) on Tuesday, Australia produces enough food “to feed more than twice…
Funding of $827,000 has been awarded to 13 Victorian businesses to help them better compete for and win projects as part of the supply chain for Hanwha Defence Australia (HDA) and other major defence businesses. The grants, in rounds three and four of the Victorian government’s Supply Chain Uplift Program (SCUP), are designed to create…
Australia’s only manufacturer of solar PV panels is beginning to build its local supply chain through an agreement with aluminium extrusion company Capral Aluminium in preparation for embarking on a project to build a massive new factory. While Tindo’s plans to increase its output to 1GW per annum are in the development stage, it has…
The ANZ subsidiary of global personal care business Kimberly-Clark has named Jessica Renton (pictured) as its new Head of Supply Chain. According to a statement from Kimberly-Clark Australia (K-CA) on Tuesday, the appointment “signifies [a] strategic move… to enhance operations, drive growth and improve customer experience” and comes ahead of a transformation of its supply…
Procurement and supply chain intermediary Industry Capability Network is thrilled to announce the official launch of Gateway, marking a significant milestone within the organisation. Gateway by ICN is designed to support business networking, providing a pivotal connection between major projects and the regions’ best-suited suppliers. CEO of ICN National Office Warren Jansen said: “We are…