Laminex Australia has unveiled an innovative business partnership to enable expansion of its South East Queensland manufacturing operations, whilst also securing 42 local jobs in Gympie by taking over the operation of a particleboard plant destined for closure.
A long-standing Australian manufacturer and trusted name in quality products and design, Laminex Australia has assumed control of the former Carter Holt Harvey particleboard plant in Gympie, which in February was confirmed it would close imminently under its prior owners.
A member of the Fletcher Building Group (ASX/NZSX: FBU), Laminex Australia will lease the manufacturing site from the Corbet family, who has taken ownership of the facility including surrounding land adjacent to the plant. Both business decisions will collectively achieve the benefit of ongoing sustainable land use, a continuation of local timber processing in Gympie and keeping dozens of regional manufacturing jobs at the site.
Laminex’s Gympie Monkland Manufacturing Plant which is now operational will conduct continuous timber processing, producing particleboard flooring to specifically support growing demand for this product in Queensland and other markets.
The company has offered 42 positions, many of which were former Carter Holt Harvey employees and contractors at the site, and the ready-to-go workforce has been inducted into Laminex’s operations. Laminex Australia will undertake new regional manufacturing activity and with support through the Queensland Government’s Jobs and Regional Growth Fund will maintain dozens of direct jobs that would have been lost.
Laminex Australia Executive General Manager, Justin Burgess, welcomed the targeted support provided by the Queensland Department of State Development for its Gympie operations. He said Gympie Monkland, its sixth Australian manufacturing site, would operate alongside Laminex’s Gympie Toolara plant, which processes medium density fibreboards.
He said both sites had a combined workforce of up to 300 people making Laminex Australia a top three employer across the entire Gympie, Wide Bay and Burnett region. “Today is a great step forward for the Gympie region and an exciting leap for the Laminex team,” Mr Burgess said. “It also importantly delivers a future expanded manufacturing footprint for us in South East Queensland and is a catalyst to pursue synergies and drive future growth”.
Source: dailybulletin.com.au
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