Three FNQ manufacturers awarded $930,000 in Manufacturing Hubs grants

Three far north Queensland businesses have been awarded a total of $930,000 in grants through the state government’s Manufacturing Hubs Grant Program.

The funding will help create a claimed 142 new jobs at the three companies, which produce cleaning chemicals, high-tech signage, and steel products.

Northern Chemicals was awarded $127,590 for a new 2000-litre ribbon blender, which would help to automate and increase production.

“Northern Chemicals produces a well-respected brand of chemical products. During COVID-19 times, the company provided an essential service to many industries and the local community with the manufacture of hand sanitiser gel,” said Cairns MP Michael Healy.

Status Signs was awarded $134,461 to assist the purchase of new equipment, including “a CNC routing machine with camera eye registration, CNC Cutting table and Laser Cutter, a UV Printer,” and software.  

“This latest automated technology will help to maximise our current and future client requirements, employ five additional staff, and provide upskilling opportunities to our current workforce,” said managing director Rhys Carmody. 

“Furthermore, precision, quality and output will be increased through this new automated system that will link our production line.” 

Atherton Metaland — a manufacturer of mall and large commercial and industrial structures — was the third grant recipient, earning $673,978 “to purchase and install state-of-the-art machinery, specifically an all-in-one multitasking CNC beam line, said the Queensland manufacturing minister Glenn Butcher.

“The grant will help us to transform our current work practice into an advanced manufacturing enterprise, service a greater area and increase staff numbers by up to 15 whilst also protecting the jobs of our current skilled staff,” said the company’s director Murray Lammert.

Picture: Northern Chemicals

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