- Published:
- Thursday 10 August 2023
Outstanding individuals and organisations in Victoria’s manufacturing sector have been celebrated for their achievements, with the 21st Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards shining a spotlight on talent across the state.
Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty Ben Carroll officially congratulated the winners at the event which brought the industry together to honour Victoria’s leading manufacturers, thanks to support from the Andrews Labor Government.
The awards celebrated leaders in key sectors including defence and aerospace, food and beverage, digital, health and low emissions technologies, with nine new awards presented this year.
Elizabeth Lewis-Grey was added to the Honour Roll for services to industry for her work as co-founder and chair of Gekko Systems, a global technology leader in mineral processing based in Ballarat. She is also the chair of Gekko Medical, which designed, developed and manufactured a ventilator in response to the pandemic.
Other individual winners included Emma Mokalei from Essity and Daniel Malone from ANCA as joint Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year and Swastik Sharma from Alstom who was awarded Young Manufacturer of the Year.
Amiga Engineering took out Manufacturer of the Year for Small Business, while Farm Foods was awarded Manufacturer of the Year for Medium Business and Boeing Aerostructures Australia won Manufacturer of the Year for Large Business.
Manufacturing is a major driving force of Victoria’s economy with the state’s highly skilled workforce and expertise attracting major investments from companies like CSL, Moderna and Hanwha, which recently secured a multi-billion-dollar contract from the Commonwealth Government to deliver the LAND400 Phase 3 program in Victoria.
The state’s $33 billion manufacturing industry includes more than 24,000 businesses, supporting more than 250,000 jobs – providing around 30 per cent of Australia’s manufacturing output.
Underpinned by the Made in Victoria: 2030 Manufacturing Statement, the Government is supporting manufacturing through a range of initiatives including the new $15 million Made in Victoria – Industry R&D Infrastructure Fund and the $21 million Manufacturing and Industry Sovereignty Fund.
For a full list of winners visit business.vic.gov.au/halloffame.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty Ben Carroll
“Congratulations to all the finalists and winners of this year’s Manufacturing Hall of Fame awards who represent the true breadth of the sector in Victoria and help put us on the global map of advanced manufacturing.”
“As manufacturing evolves to become smarter and more sustainable, these Victorian companies are leading the way with new technologies, innovations and ways of working.”