Local businesses making an impact

AS A councillor, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting many businesses within the You Yangs ward and across the municipality.

It’s always inspiring to see the breadth of success stories coming out of Greater Geelong making a significant impact beyond our region.

One such success story from Lara is the incredible reach of RAPP Australia Pty Ltd, who supply emergency products to first responders and emergency services across Australia and worldwide.

RAPP products span medical kits, emergency ventilators and oxygen equipment, and it is the holding company for medical response equipment under the NEANN brand.

Its in-house team specialises in developing customised medical bags for ambulance services and other emergency response agencies.

Their product development and innovation has garnered recognition from emergency services worldwide.

As a former police officer and army veteran, I cannot understate just how important these specialised products are in emergency situations.

I recently took part in helicopter underwater escape training and I was fascinated to see this equipment being used across the facility. It’s incredible to know life-saving products like these are being made right at home in Lara.

RAPP has been in operation for 40 years and supplies products Australasia-wide and around the world including Ireland, Dubai and Korea.

In Australia, it supplies to ambulance services, the CFA, the SES, surf life saving clubs, Fire Rescue Victoria and the Department of Defence.

All these personnel are regularly placed in incredibly high-stress environments, so having reliable equipment and supplies is integral to supporting services to provide the optimal care in emergency situations.

If you have had contact with first responders anywhere around Australia, there’s a very high chance they were equipped with NEANN (RAPP) products!

I had the pleasure of touring RAPP’s facilities with mayor Kontelj on a recent trip to Lara Village Shopping Centre, where we also paid a visit to Lara Quality Meats, Goat Barber Shop, Lara Finance and Bakers Delight.

It fills me with pride to highlight the diverse traders and businesses we have in You Yangs ward.

I’m equally proud that the City of Greater Geelong is championing our small businesses to establish themselves in our municipality and thrive.

There are more than 22,400 small businesses in Greater Geelong, generating about $10 billion annual revenue – an astounding figure that goes to show that small is mighty.

Small businesses make up around 97 per cent of all businesses in the region and their contribution to our local economy, regional character and quality of life cannot be understated.

So the City of Greater Geelong is proud to partner with Geelong Chamber of Commerce to deliver the Geelong Small Business Festival. This annual event continues to connect, inspire and grow our local business community, celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration across the region.

For those looking to kick-start their small business, I urge you to get involved in next year’s program.

To find out more about the business support available in Greater Geelong, head to geelongaustralia.com.au/startingabusiness

It’s clear that a huge variety of innovative products can be “Made in Geelong”, and I will continue to advocate for small businesses in You Yangs ward and across the region to ensure they have the support they need to thrive.

Cr Chris Burson

You Yangs Ward, City of Greater Geelong