Going global

By Nicole Williams
UNDER threat from a weak Australian market, a local manufacturer has launched its way onto the global market.
Dandenong’s AW Bell has been growing its export activities after changing the casting process to supply parts to the United States’ aerospace and defence sectors.
“Coming out of the global financial crisis, we realised there was not a great future for us if we focused purely on the Australian market, and to prosper and protect jobs for our workers we’d have to grow our exports business,” CEO Andrew Meek said.
The business entered into a partnership with the CSIRO to create the parts, and export activities are growing as a result.
“We would have been threatened if we hadn’t done it,” Mr Meek said.
“It has been a big investment and we are expecting the benefits will come in the future.”
AW Bell has secured a $1.5 million grant from the Australian Government’s Commercialisation Australia program, which will help streamline exporting activities and secure jobs in the meantime.
Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation and Isaacs MP Mark Dreyfus congratulated the team on the grant and their step into the international market.
“I congratulate CEO Andrew Meek and the team at AW Bell on their achievements so far and look forward to their progress,” he said.
“AW Bell is a prime example of an innovative Australian manufacturer right here in Dandenong, which is developing a new product and working hard to access new markets.”
Mr Dreyfus said it was important for manufacturers to invest in the long term.
“Embracing innovation is good for individual businesses and good for the Australian economy,” he said.
“Innovation modernises production processes, leads to up-skilling workers, improves international competitiveness, and is putting us on the path to an energy smart, low-pollution economy.”