Western Australian manufacturer Austin Engineering has successfully delivered 1,000 iron ore truck bodies to Rio Tinto as part of a partnership between the two companies stretching back to 1988.
WA Premier Mark McGowan welcomed Austin Engineering’s milestone achievement, noting that the company’s truck bodies feature 100% local content and support hundreds of Western Australian jobs.
“Congratulations to Austin Engineering and Rio Tinto for their 30 year partnership, which has now seen 1,000 WA-made truck bodies roll off the production line,” the Premier stated.
“It is fantastic to see our major resources companies investing heavily in our local manufacturing businesses, which is incredibly important for local jobs.
State Development, Jobs and Trade Minister Roger Cook said Rio Tinto has purchased approximately $300 million worth of equipment from Austin Engineering during their long-standing partnership.
“Our local manufacturing sector is going from strength to strength, and today’s milestone is just another indication of what WA is capable of,” the Minister added.
“Austin Engineering has forged a relationship with Rio Tinto that should be the envy of the industry, and we’re encouraging other key players to strike while the iron is hot and choose WA manufacturers and invest locally.”
Austin manufactures the truck bodies at the Kewdale facility – one of two of the company’s major manufacturing sites in the Asia-Pacific region.
The facility is currently receiving its first manufacturing upgrade, with Austin investing $6.5 million to implement new advanced manufacturing processes.
