Mid-September put a spring in the step of Hunter manufacturing with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visiting Varley Engineering in Carrington to make an announcement regarding the National Reconstruction Fund, and Hunter Manufacturing Awards announced its 2023 finalists.
Hunter Manufacturing Awards (HMA) will announce the winners of its accolades at a gala event on Friday 20 October at the Newcastle Exhibition Centre.
The awards were created to inspire and encourage vibrant and enduring manufacturing and to shine a light on the region’s leaders and innovators making a mark in their fields.
The 2023 awards theme is Made in the Hunter, for the world, and HMA Chair Jacqui Daley said it is important to recognise the growth of manufacturing in the region and to celebrate innovations and commitment as companies make a global push.
“Hunter companies are transforming traditional manufacturing processes,” Jacqui said.
“Many are now increasing the levels of design for technologically complex, innovative, reliable, affordable, and available products, which are better, more sustainable, and solve a variety of society’s problems. It enables them to compete globally.”
Many of this year’s finalists are first timers, such as Hey Zomi, Herb Urban, and new Hunter start-up No Thru, while others are familiar names, such as Hedweld, Resourceful Living, Whiteley, and Tomago Aluminium.
Judging panel convenor Michael Murray said one of the highlights of the cohort of finalists this year is the diversity of products featured.
“It is exciting to see such a wide range of innovative products being created and exported from the Hunter,” Michael said.
“I’ve been in this role for 13 years and the awards always uncover outstanding Hunter companies producing quality products for the world market.”
Hunter Valley-headquartered Hedweld Group of Companies is already a recognised global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of products for the mining sector.
With humble beginnings as a general fabricator in 1980, Hedweld made the business decision in the 2000s to focus on supplying products to the mining sector. Its aim from the get-go was to improve the safety of workers and operators, reduce machine down-time, and increase productivity in mine maintenance workshops. It has been a winning strategy.
Hedweld has strong international patents on its Trilift® products, allowing it to distribute them globally without fear of competition.
Hedweld Marketing Manager Sandy Thomas said the company is delighted to be a finalist again in this year’s Hunter Manufacturing Awards.
“It allows us to celebrate our achievements internally and externally,” Sally said.
“Whether or not we take out the award, it opens up opportunities within the manufacturing industry and the Hunter region.”
There are about 600 large and small-to-medium manufacturing, engineering, and technology companies in the region and the industry contributes about $3 billion in value add to the Hunter economy and 6.6 per cent of its GDP.
The full list of finalists are below:
- Deeps Engineering
- Janus Electric
- Out Of The Square Media
- Senquip
- GEM Switchboards
- Whiteley Corporation
- Hedweld
- SafetyLink
- MITS Alloy
- Emergent Group
- Elecbrakes
- Hunter Valley Signs
- Molycop
- Resourceful Living
- Australian Industrial Plastics
- No Thru
- Hunter Belle Dairy Co
- SAPHI Engineering
- Herb Urban
- SM Electrical Manufacturing
- Robotic Systems
- Tomago Aluminium
- Bekaert Australia
- Hey Zomi
- Hydrogen at Home
IMAGE | Hedweld is a finalist for this year’s Hunter Manufacturing Awards.
