FUCHS Lubricants Australasia has recently opened the doors of a brand new purpose-built plant in Beresfield.

FUCHS Lubricants has previously operated from a site in Wickham, Newcastle. The aged site has been in operation since 1979 and has been a major supplier of oil and lubricant products to customers in the mining, transport and agricultural sectors in the local area.

The new facility will help increase the local production capability for the worldwide lubrication manufacturer. The purpose-built Beresfield facility is a 25,000-square metre world-class plant specifically designed to more effectively service the local customer base, as well as international markets such as New Zealand.

FUCHS Lubricants (Australasia) Managing Director, Wayne Hoiles said many of FUCHS’ competitors are moving overseas and are operating under an import model.

“But that’s not the path we are choosing,” Wayne said.

“We need to have local infrastructure that can handle the requirements of Australia and New Zealand, so we are investing in that infrastructure to provide a better service to our customers.”

Leading the operation of the new Beresfield facility is long-time employee and Deputy Managing Director of FUCHS Australasia, Stewart Knight.

Stewart said it wasn’t often there was an opportunity to create a facility from scratch, so the company was meticulous in its planning.

“The FUCHS team who were responsible for this project spent seven years planning the design of the new building, whilst conducting significant consultations with our global counterparts; it then took 18 months to complete the construction,” Stewart said.

Stewart and his team looked closely at FUCHS’ other purpose-built plants such as in Yingkou, China, and Kaluga in Russia, to create a facility that could best meet local requirements but with the help of global lessons.

FUCHS Lubricants (Australasia) manufactures over 95% of their products in Australia, which not only means the company is perfectly positioned to respond to the immediate needs of its customers in almost any scenario, it also means jobs for Australians.

“We employ around 30 personnel in Newcastle, and as our company grows, so will the employment opportunities for residents, particularly in our warehouse and maintenance areas,” Stewart said.

“Beresfield will continue to house a range of our business functions including lubricant manufacturing, storage of bulk raw material, warehousing of finished product, a laboratory, and our sales and customer service department.”

The construction of Beresfield even incorporated a large portion of Australian content, which provided employment for Australians, a strong focus of the FUCHS team.

IMAGE | FUCHS new purpose-built plant in Beresfield.