By Bonny Burrows
A thriving Pakenham plastics manufacturer has been awarded an $1.8 million State Government grant to expand its business and triple its workforce.
Melbourne Rotomould will recruit 95 new employees, with priority given to ex-auto workers, thanks to funding from the Local Industry Fund for Transition (LIFT) program.
It will also relocate “over the railway” from its current Bormar Drive site and increase its product range and productivity.
Producing water tanks and a wide range of industrial plastic products, the company’s goods are in high demand nationally and overseas.
Visiting the Pakenham factory on 4 May, Industry and Employment Minister Wade Noonan said the grant would both enable the business to grow, while providing out-of-work automotive workers with new employment.
“It’s fantastic to see Melbourne Rotomould recruiting highly-skilled auto workers for the next chapter of its business,” Mr Noonan said.
“This exciting expansion will see the company invest in a new facility, new equipment and of course create dozens of new jobs.”
Rotomould Director Tim Leed said the business was “very appreciative, very excited” about the funding and its future.
Design works for the new factory were just being finalised, Mr Leed said, and then construction would begin.
“It will be a larger factory, with a lot more space for expansion and plenty of yard space,” he said.
“As you can see, we’ve got a lot of products and we need the space to store it all.”
The new facility would also help meet increased customer demand in “a large range of areas” including chemical storage, water tanks and contract mouldings.
“That’s quite a number of industries we’re looking at, and we are also hoping to expand this further in the future,” Mr Leed said.
Despite the growth, Mr Leed said the company was committed to staying local, employing local, and supporting locals.
