The opening of Visy's new beverage can manufacturing facility at Stapylton, in Queensland's south, is a statement of confidence in the future of manufacturing in Australia, company chief Anthony Pratt says.
The plant, established at a cost of $86 million, is described by the company as one of the most modern in the world, using state-of-the-art production equipment to produce light weight aluminium cans for Visy customers including Schweppes, Lion and Diageo among others.
The Stapylton site – halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast – is adjacent to a corrugated box manufacturing plant established several years ago. Following the new can plant commissioning, Visy's combined investment in the various Stapylton facilities has been approximately $150 million.
At the recent official plant opening, Visy's chairman and chief executive, Anthony Pratt, said the investment was a demonstration of the company's faith in the future of Australian manufacturing.
“This new factory is further proof that competitive manufacturing can have a bright future in Australia – provided manufacturers are prepared to invest,” he said.
“We’ve built it here in response to growing demand. But it’s also the latest example of how we intend to keep investing to remain competitive and therefore help our customers remain competitive.
“More than 70 per cent of Visy’s customers are in the food and beverage industry, so by continuing to invest we’re not only supporting our customers, we’re helping secure our own future as well.”
Building the plant created 44 new jobs as well as 150 jobs during the construction and commissioning phases. Its completion now means the company employs more than 600 people in Queensland across all its packaging, recycling and paper making activities.
The new plant will boost the company's Australian can production capacity by a further 750 million cans annually.
It was built with investment assistance from both the Queensland Government and the Gold Coast City Council.
Packaging giant Visy says its new Queensland can plant shows there is a future for manufacturing in Australia.
