Aussie battery manufacturer charges ahead with major expansion
Iconic Australian battery manufacturer Century Batteries is set to unveil its new state of the art rotary plate making line which will increase production capacity by 200,000 batteries a year. Despite operating restrictions at the height of Queensland’s COVID-19 lockdown, Century Batteries will realise Factory 2020: a three-year project commissioned in 2017 committed to both continuous improvement of their factory and to manufacturing in Australia. The $7 million capital investment project was focused on improving factory efficiencies, equipment utilisation and quality consistency. General Manager Automotive Sales (Australia & New Zealand), Stu Stanners said the investment would boost annual production capacity by almost 20% to 1.3 million batteries. “Manufacturing in Australia has fallen over the last two decades from 13 per cent of gross domestic product to just 6 per cent,” he said. “We are committed to continuous new product development and investing significantly in local manufacturing to ensure we set new standards in product performance. “Our core strength and competitive advantage lie in delivering exceptional products supported with an industry-leading service network. Almost every component needed for our manufacturing process comes from other local manufacturers – whether that is lead from South Australia, recycled components from New South Wales and plastics and signage from Queensland. “We have Australia’s back and we hope when you need a new battery next, you’ll insist on a Century battery and support an Australian made product.” The Carole Park based business has made a significant commitment to both the business’ future and jobs for their workers. Century employs around 600 employees across Australia and New Zealand, putting over $100 million back into the Australian economy every year. The call to buy Australian made also comes from Century Yuasa General Manager of Operations Matthieu Anquetil. “As a manufacturer we certainly need state of the art machinery, […]