The Federal Government Review into manufacturing industry in South Australia was today told that there is a bright future for manufacturing industry – provided companies innovate and automate, and focus on domestic and export markets.
Mr Frank Seeley AM, Executive Chairman of Seeley International, told the Review chaired by the Federal Industry Minister, Hon. Ian Macfarlane MHR, that “Seeley International is living proof that there is a bright future for Australian manufacturing industry provided we innovate, automate and accelerate.”
Mr Seeley said that Seeley International had been able to compensate for the higher costs within Australia by focusing on innovation, world class technology and high levels of automation. The Company had achieved this by empowering and training its workforce and this had led to the implementation of more than 1200 continuous improvement projects by the Company’s workforce. As a result, the Company has been growing its exports of innovative products as well as growing its domestic market share.
“Seeley International is committed to high expenditure on research and development of new manufacturing techniques, and innovative products that are the most energy efficient in the world. For example, the Climate Wizard dew point cooler has the highest Coefficient of Performance (COP), of any air conditioner in the world, giving it an energy efficiency that is second to none,” Mr Seeley said.
“The Federal Government needs to assist the development of new technologies and to help accelerate the commercialisation of new innovative products by assisting with the rapid expansion of the production facilities for such new products,” he said.
“There is also the need for partnerships between manufacturing companies and universities, although the most effective R&D will be led by commercial companies that actually use the technology in the products being sold. For example, establishing a national centre at a university to monitor energy efficiency for air conditioning products would require on-going funding from the Federal Government.”