THE wheels are turning at Carbon Revolution, with the advanced manufacturer to make major inroads to the overseas market with a $100 million expansion of its Waurn Ponds premises.<\/p>\n
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll visited the factory at Deakin University\u2019s Waurn Ponds campus last week to announce their government\u2019s support of the expansion.<\/p>\n
It will see a new 7,000 square-metre factory built (already under construction) that will almost triple the existing workforce and increase annual production capacity from 10,000 one-piece carbon fibre wheels to more than 150,000 wheels.<\/p>\n
Carbon Revolution chief executive officer Jake Dingle said it was an exciting time in the company\u2019s life as it scaled up its operations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an advanced, lightweight technology that\u2019s not available anywhere else in the world \u2013 fortunately, our customers value it and want more of it, and that\u2019s really why we\u2019re standing in this big shed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to create more capacity and we need to industrialise what we\u2019re doing to take that next
\nstep.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said there were about 200 million aluminium wheels (previously considered the best available) in the market, but carbon fibre wheels were about 40 to 50 per cent lighter and could capture a large part of that market.<\/p>\n
Mr Andrews said many of the new jobs at Carbon Revolution would likely be filled by Geelong workers formerly employed at Alcoa and the automotive industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe said that we would stick with this region and this community in difficult times, and we have, and the result of that are investments and job opportunities in so many different areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both the state government and Carbon Revolution have refused to reveal what proportion of the $100 million they are contributing to the expansion.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can assure every Victorian taxpayer that this is real value for money,\u201d Mr Andrews said.<\/p>\n
Mr Andrews also used the visit to launch the state government\u2019s \u201cMade In Victoria\u201d campaign, which will promote the state\u2019s manufacturing industry (Carbon Revolution is one of the featured businesses) and encourage Victorians to buy locally-made to support local jobs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE wheels are turning at Carbon Revolution, with the advanced manufacturer to make major inroads to the overseas market with a $100 million expansion of its Waurn Ponds premises. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll visited the factory at Deakin University\u2019s Waurn Ponds campus last week to announce their […]<\/p>\n