Marand Precision Engineering wins the 2008 Manufacturer of the year Award at the 5th annual Manufacturers Endeavor Awards.
Marand Precision Engineering of Moorabbin, Victoria won the 2008 Manufacturer of the Year Award at the 5th annual Manufacturers’ Monthly Endeavour Awards, plus two other major awards all on the same night.
The Manufacturers’ Monthly Endeavour Awards (www.manmonthly.com.au/Awards.aspx) were held in conjunction with National Manufacturing Week in Sydney during the last week of May.
Marand took top honours at the ceremony and was also named Exporter of the Year and won the newly established Global Integration Award.
“For Marand these awards are all about recognition that our long terms plans are starting to be recognized. Our growth plans are heavily biased towards aerospace export – in particular the JSF Programme, and in automotive the Asia assembly tooling market. We are currently completing our second contract exporting an automated body assembly facility to the China National Heavy Truck Company.”
“Over the last five years Marand has invested heavily in technology with over $1m spent in CAD licences and workstations alone,” said Rohan Stocker, General Manager Marand Precision Engineering, who accepted all three awards on behalf of the company.
Such is the importance of these industry awards that Senator Kim Carr, Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research made a special trip from Canberra to speak at the awards night.
During his speech Senator Carr praised the talent and achievement displayed by the companies who had been nominated.
“The talent and achievement on display here this evening is proof enough of that,” he said. “The nine award categories read like a précis of the forward-looking agenda for manufacturing.”
Senator Carr berated the short-sighted approach often displayed towards Australian manufacturing.
“Unfortunately, this short-sighted and defeatist attitude is all too common. It overlooks the enormous importance of manufacturing to our economy, society, innovation capacity, trade balance, and national security.”
“Manufacturing contributes 10 per cent to GDP, employs 1.1 million people, accounts for two-fifths of business spending on R&D and generated more than $87 billion worth of exports last year,” Senator Carr said.
Rohan Stocker said Marand had recognized the need for injecting youth into its organization and has followed through by creating jobs for more than 25 apprentices and graduate engineers.
“We have been well supported over this period by the Federal Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research as well as the Department of Defence.”
“Two weeks ago I was in the Lockheed Martin factory in Fort Worth with Marand Managing Director, David Ellul. We viewed the JSF final assembly line and were proud to see the Marand Engine Installation and Removal Trailer performing its vital role in the development of this new generation fighter.”
Rohan Stocker General Manager Marand Precision Engineering & BlueScope Steel National Sales Manager – Automotive and Manufacturing, Steve Gregson (sponsor of the award). Photo credit Manufacturersʼ Monthly.
JSF Engine Installation & Removal Trailer
Media Enquiries
Alex Lyon
+61 417 384 223
alex_lyon@marand.com.au
