Jamestrong Packaging has officially opened its new $8 million aluminium casting line at Taree, NSW – a milestone investment that reshapes Australia’s aerosol packaging supply chain by bringing aluminium slug production back onshore.
Launched at a community event on 16 October, attended by staff, families and dignitaries, the new facility marks the culmination of a three-year project. The casting line will allow Jamestrong to produce aluminium slugs on-site using ingots from Tomago Aluminium, replacing imported material from Thailand and cutting thousands of kilometres in transport emissions.
“This $8 million investment brings manufacturing of aluminium slugs home – from Thailand to Taree – and ensures that the next generation of aluminium aerosol packaging is proudly Australian-made,” said Jamestrong CEO Alex Commins. “It’s a tangible demonstration of our long-term commitment to regional jobs, sustainable manufacturing, and a stronger local economy.”
Strengthening regional manufacturing
The new facility reinforces Taree’s place on the manufacturing map, creating local employment and strengthening supply chain resilience. It supported 30 jobs during construction and has grown Jamestrong’s Taree workforce by more than 15 per cent, adding to the site’s 85 existing staff.
The company, which produces over 100 million aerosol cans annually, is one of the MidCoast region’s largest employers. Since opening in 1991, the plant has processed more than 92,000 tonnes of aluminium, produced 3.5 billion cans, paid $298 million in wages and spent $240 million locally.
Commins told attendees that reshoring slug production was a logical move after the supply disruptions of the pandemic. “Your shortest supply chain is your best supply chain,” he said, noting that previously, aluminium ingots made just 150 kilometres away were being sent offshore for conversion before returning as slugs. “That made no sense.”
Strong backing
The NSW Government supported the project through a $240,000 grant from the Regional Job Creation Fund. Local MP Tanya Thompson said, “This investment has not only contributed to local jobs but also supported regional innovation and sustainability – ensuring that world-class manufacturing remains part of Taree’s future.”
The project also partners with the UNSW Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre, led by Professor Veena Sahajwalla, to integrate Green Aluminium MICROfactorie™ technology for recycled content. “Jamestrong’s investment in aluminium recycling and reshoring is helping to redefine how we think about circular manufacturing in Australia,” said Professor Sahajwalla.
Building a circular future
Once fully integrated, the MICROfactorie process will enable the use of post-consumer recycled aluminium waste as feedstock, advancing circular economy outcomes and reducing carbon emissions.
Commins emphasised that rising energy costs are a challenge. Electricity expenses at Taree have increased by nearly 70 per cent since 2021, from $1.18 million to an estimated $2 million in 2025. “Jamestrong is always looking for commercially sound ways to achieve sustainability goals,” he said
Local legacy, national impact
From its origins as Containers Packaging in 1991 to its present-day role as a key regional employer under Jamestrong, the Taree plant has been a pillar of Australian aerosol can production.
“Taree may not be the manufacturing powerhouse it once was,” Commins told the crowd, “but if the pandemic taught us anything, it’s how vital and valuable local manufacturing and supply truly are. We remain passionate about the preservation and growth of manufacturing in our great country and in great regional towns like Taree.”
The new casting line positions Jamestrong at the forefront of Australia’s drive toward localised, sustainable manufacturing – turning waste into value and ensuring that Australian-made packaging continues to shine on the global stage.
