Geofabrics Australasia, Australia’s largest manufacturer of geosynthetics, has secured a $322,000 co-investment from the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) to increase its product range and contribution to the regional economy of Albury.
The funding boost allowed Geofabrics to team up with RMIT and two local engineering firms to develop a new automated line that would manufacture thermally bonded laminated geocomposite products, which are currently imported.
Geofabrics Director Dennis Grech said adding a thermally bonded geocomposite offering to the company’s product range would open up more opportunities both at home and abroad.
“The co-funded project with AMGC gives us the ability to manufacture bonded products with vastly superior strength and drainage properties, and produce to specific project requirements, like bespoke lengths and bespoke widths, as well as at a more competitive cost than currently available,” Mr Dennis Grech noted.
“We do see opportunities for growth as a result of this product. But we also, and most importantly, see this as being another opportunity to cement our manufacturing presence in our Albury plant.”
AMCG’s Managing Director, Dr Jens Goennemann, said the joint project would allow Geofabrics to fully transform its operations by introducing automation and robotics, and to seize the opportunity from increased global demand for geocomposites technology.
“Importantly, Geofabrics is showing that other regional manufacturers can grow their revenues and employment by focussing on value-added activities in areas of R&D, advanced processes and collaboration, rather than trying to compete on cost,” he concluded.
