By CASEY NEILL
A PARTNERSHIP spanning Berwick, Dandenong South and the US is helping to keep Australian soldiers safe.
Defence Minister Kevin Andrews and La Trobe MP Jason Wood visited Aquaterro in Dandenong South on 30 July.
With Australian Precision Technologies (APT) in Berwick, Aquaterro is producing new lines for the Australia Defence Force.
CEO Graeme Bulte said the company started in the commercial marine industry in Tasmania, looking for a better way to protect people whose jobs took them into harm’s way.
Today it’s a leading law enforcement and defence equipment supplier and is joining with US-based Wilcox Industries, which manufactures tactical equipment and has set up a new $10 million plant across the road from Aquaterro.
Wilcox CEO Jim Teetzel said Aquaterro had distributed Wilcox products for the past seven years.
“Basically we’ve been very conscientious as a company not to reach out into a new area – especially on the opposite side of the world – without having the support of someone else who has a lot of trust and integrity,” he said.
“Working with Graeme the last seven years we’ve developed a good relationship of trust.
“Because of that we started talking about being able to manufacture our products here in Australia.
“We’re going to start putting equipment in, making high-tech jobs, and start manufacturing the products that will not only be consumed here in Australia but also in this region.”
