Minister praises drive

MANUFACTURING Minister David Hodgett has praised Greater Dandenong businesses for keeping the industry strong.
Last Tuesday he visited IVECO Australia, Bombardier Transportation Australia and GlassCo Australia, which have all received state government grants to grow.
Mr Hodgett said they were all “essential to the retention of Victoria’s highly skilled manufacturing workforce”.
“Each company’s determination to boost productivity by accessing new markets demonstrates an approach that is essential to maintaining a secure future for Victoria’s manufacturing industry,” he said.
GlassCo Australia specialises in double and triple glazed units for the building and refrigeration industries and received a $250,000 Investing in Manufacturing Technology program grant in 2012.
It purchased a $1.5 million automatic insulating glass unit manufacturing line and ancillary plant and equipment.
“That has helped the company increase its full-time staff numbers from seven to 17,” Mr Hodgett said.
“The new machine will enable GlassCo to increase its productivity, grow market share and reduce its dependence on imported products.”
South Eastern Metropolitan Region MP Gordon Rich-Phillips said IVECO was the fifth largest seller of large commercial vehicles in Australia and manufactured 1000 trucks a year at its Dandenong South facility.
“It’s also one of only three local manufacturers of its kind in Australia and employs 240 staff at its Victorian sites,” he said.
He said the state government was helping IVECO develop a road train version of its Powerstar range of heavy trucks and update its range of ACCO medium duty trucks.
Bombardier employs more than 350 staff in Dandenong South, is building and maintaining V/Line’s two and three-car VLocity trains, and in 2010 won a $300 million contract to supply 50 new trams for Melbourne, with options for another 100.
He said the state government’s Business Office in Dandenong helped Bombardier complete its test track “which is essential for the company to be able to deliver new trams”.