By CASEY NEILL
MORE than 550 people heard that “manufacturing will be the next big thing in the Victorian economy” at the Victorian Manufacturing Showcase.
Department of State Development and Business and Innovation (DSDBI) and Industry Capability Network (ICN) ran the event at Chisholm TAFE in Dandenong last Tuesday, 21 October.
It was divided into three themes – inspiration, education and opportunities – with industry speakers, interactive panel sessions and networking time.
Committee for Dandenong member and law firm M and K’s Victorian managing director James Sturgess was thrilled to see it held in Dandenong.
“It’s showcasing manufacturing for the whole of the state,” he said.
“This is the manufacturing heartland.”
Mr Sturgess said Hickory Group co-founder and managing director George Argyrou highlighted that anyone could be a manufacturer.
“He’s in construction, but what he’s done is through outside the square, taken an innovative approach to building apartment blocks, so does it on a modular basis now,” he said.
“He builds the bathroom in his factory where he employs 400 people.
“It was a really good example of how manufacturing is everywhere and that’s why we need it and why we should continue to support it.”
Mr Sturgess said manufacturing brought in 17 per cent of M and K’s fees.
“Manufacturing is vitally important for service providers, too,” he said.
“Whether that’s accountants or lawyers or IT people or repairers of machinery – manufacturers are just the heart and soul,” he said.
He was impressed with the event’s attendance, in terms of numbers and passion.
“The only criticism for the day would be that I didn’t walk away going ‘I’m really clear what the outcomes from the day will be’,” he said.
Showcase ambassador and Jayco managing director Gerry Ryan said the nation’s manufacturing sector “continues – in footy talk – to kick against a pretty stiff breeze”.
He said the most important lesson he’d learnt in 40 years at the Jayco helm was to value people – employees, suppliers and dealers.
Relay Monitoring Systems (RMS) managing director Alan Fancke said it was very important that manufacturers believed in the future.
“It’s my very strong believe that manufacturing will be the next big thing in the Victorian economy,” he said.
Mr Fancke said the company built to order, to fill gaps its major competitors had left and turned to students to inject vibrancy into the workplace.
“They make plenty of mistakes but they know more than we ever have,” he said.
“The change in our organisation has just been incredible.”
SRXGlobal Australian general manager Jeff Malone was unemployed and living in Indonesia with his family when he contacted a Melbourne father he’d met through girl scouts in China.
“You have to look out for new opportunities,” he said.
Under his leadership, SRX opened a factory in Malaysia that’s been a key driver for growth in its Dandenong operations.
“Instead of fighting the trend to ship offshore… we turned adversity into opportunity,” Mr Malone said.
SRX invested in a prototyping line a year ago after learning its competitors could deliver the service cheaper and faster.
“If someone else can be doing it, why can’t we?” Mr Malone said.
He hoped the initiative would bring in $100,000. It delivered $1 million.
“Embrace adversity and stare it right in the eye,” he said.
“Don’t let it blind you to the opportunities it presents.”
Chisholm tourism and hospitality students assisted with guest registration and provided morning tea and lunch.
