Top Manufacturing Companies in Australia

The manufacturing industry in Australia has been an important sector of the economy for many years, contributing significantly to the country's growth and development. The industry is a significant contributor to the country's economy, with an estimated value of over $100 billion. The industry employs over 850,000 people, making it one of the largest employers in the country. The industry encompasses a wide range of businesses, including food and beverage manufacturing, machinery and equipment manufacturing, and metal product manufacturing. In this article, we will explore the key statistics, factors contributing to its growth and success, each industry's growth and comparison to previous years, and key trends, including technological disruptions, challenges, and future outlook.

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CompanyHeadcountContactDescriptionDecision Maker
Fonterra12,528 +64-9-374-9000

Fonterra Cooperative Group is the world's largest exporter of dairy products, a leader in dairy science and innovation, owner of a significant portfolio of brands in Asia Pacific, and a partner to many of the world's leading food companies. Fonterra is headquartered in New Zealand, with offices in more than 40 countries around the world.

The Perth Mint501-1,000 (+61 8) 9421 7222
info@perthmint.com

The Perth Mint is Australia’s largest fully integrated, innovative precious metals enterprise, providing premium gold, silver and platinum products and services to markets throughout the world. Internationally renowned and respected for our quality, security, efficiency and technical expertise, our dynamic operation maintains its global standing by upholding the core values of excellence, ethics and equity, underpinned by an uncompromising focus on cost efficiency. Holding accreditations with the world’s top five trading centres, The Perth Mint produces significant volumes of physical metal for delivery to the leading investment markets. It owns and operates the only refinery in Australia which is certified by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) for gold and silver, and holds certifications by the New York Commodities Exchange, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, the Tokyo Commodities Exchange and the Shanghai Gold Exchange. The Perth Mint also provides the world’s sole government guaranteed precious metals investment and storage program, and exports some $18 billion worth of pure gold, silver and platinum bullion bars and coins to investors in more than 100 countries annually. Issuing an array of legal tender commemorative coins each year, The Perth Mint showcases Australia’s icons to the world and celebrates a variety of popular universal themes, through the original artistry of its coin designs and creative concepts. Located in Perth, Western Australia, and still operating in its original premises in the east end of the city, founded in 1899, The Perth Mint is a premier tourist destination. Its world-class visitor centre houses a dazzling Gold Exhibition which brings the story of Western Australian gold, and The Perth Mint, to life, while an elegantly appointed retail shop offers customers a selection of the State’s natural treasures, exquisite jewellery and giftware.

Viva Energy1,001-5,000 13 16 18
tellvivaenergy@vivaenergy.com.au

Our energy helps people reach their destinations, fuels industries, support local businesses and communities. We are proud of the role we play in the local economies where we operate and supporting Australia’s energy security. Our goal is to support the energy needs of Australia and achieve net zero by 2050. Our future plans include a gas terminal and solar energy farm, projects to support alternative energies such as renewables and hydrogen, and the development of strategic storage to improve fuel supply security. Our future plans will support a transition to sustainable, lower carbon energy solutions. At the heart of our plans is people power. People who want to be part of the change and the solution. People who want to make a difference to ensure our customers, communities, environment and the planet thrive today as well as tomorrow.

Amcor10,001+ +41 (0)44 316 1717

A global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging for food, beverage, pharma, medical, home- and personal-care, and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products and the people who rely on them, differentiate brands, and improve supply chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures, and services. The company is focused on making packaging that is increasingly light-weighted, recyclable and reusable, and made using an increasing amount of recycled content.

BlueScope10,001+

With over 15,000 people across 18 countries, BlueScope is a leading international supplier of steel products and solutions for building and construction markets. Australia’s largest manufacturer, BlueScope’s portfolio of brands includes COLORBOND®, ZINCALUME® and TRUECORE® steels and the LYSAGHT® range of building products. Steel plays a critical role in sustainable development. To BlueScope, sustainability means developing, manufacturing and selling steel products and solutions in a way that provides for a sustainable future, with a focus on continuous improvement, adopting new operating methods and anticipating new products for the future. BlueScope’s long-term growth is underscored by the sustainability of steel and the critical role it will play in supporting a sustainable society. We take a life-cycle approach, looking at the impact of a product over its entire life and focusing on the four principles of a circular economy: reduce, reuse, remanufacture and recycle. Our steel products and services ensure that we contribute to the opportunities and challenges of society’s move to a lower-carbon economy. To deliver long-lasting value and meet the expectations of all of our stakeholders, our business must transform on all fronts. Read BlueScope's latest Sustainability Report at bluescope.com/sustainable-steel.

CSL10,001+ +61 3 9389 1911

Delivering on promises is what we do at CSL. More than a century ago, we made a promise to save lives and protect the health of people who were stricken with a range of serious and chronic medical conditions. Today, as a leading global biotechnology company, that same promise has never been stronger. We provide life-saving medicines in more than 60 nations with over 32,000 employees worldwide. CSL is driven to develop and deliver a broad range of life-saving medicines to treat disorders such as haemophilia and primary immune deficiencies, and vaccines to prevent influenza. Our therapies are also used in cardiac surgery, organ transplantation and burn treatment. Innovation has been in the DNA of CSL since our beginning in 1916 and continues as the core of everything we do today. Innovation spans our company — reflected in our 1,100 dedicated scientists who focus on solving patients’ unmet needs every day. As a global leader, CSL collaborates and supports patient and medical communities by improving access to therapies, advancing scientific knowledge, supporting future medical researchers, and engaging our staff in the support of local communities. Our world-class commercial operation, combined with a large and focused R&D team and operational excellence, enable us to accurately identify, successfully develop, and dependably deliver innovations that patients and providers want. CSL has earned a reputation as a passionate yet responsible organization driven to care for patients and deliver on its commitments. Today, our future has never looked brighter. See our community guidelines: https://bit.ly/3QZbZeZ

Visy1,001-5,000 13 8479

VISY: FOR A BETTER WORLD Visy is a global leader in packaging and resource recovery. Our innovation, manufacturing and logistic capabilities are organised around an integrated closed loop. Together, they give life to tailored solutions that deliver enduring value for our customers, partners and communities. We’re proud that sustainability sits at the centre of our operating model. We’re committed advocates on some of the bigger issues that make a difference to us, our customers and our communities: from pushing for more sustainable manufacturing approaches, to creating better economic futures for regional communities. In business for over 70 years, we operate more than 120 sites throughout Australasia and have trading offices across Asia and Europe. With over 5,000 employees, our innovative approach provides end-to-end solutions for our customers’ needs across paper, primary packaging, fibre packaging, packaging supplies and consumables, point of sale displays, automation, materials handling, logistics and recycling. No matter where you are, or what business you’re in, you’ve almost certainly used or come across a Visy product or service.

Incitec Pivot Limited5,001-10,000 +61 3 8695 4400

IPL is a leading supplier to the resources and agricultural sectors. With a team of just over 5800 dedicated employees, we have a strong safety culture that we’re committed to building on. With iconic brands, leading technology solutions and great customers, we operate in the resilient markets of agriculture, mining and quarry and construction. And of course, we are committed to a sustainable and decarbonised world. An ASX100 company, IPL has two customer facing businesses, Dyno Nobel based in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific and Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, a leading integrated manufacturer and distributor of fertilisers across the east coast of Australia. We are an international business with world-scale explosives and fertiliser manufacturing, leading technology solutions, marketing and servicing operations. We are proud to be considered a trusted partner by customers and suppliers. Our explosives are used to unlock resources ranging from gold, iron ore and copper, to quarry and construction materials. Those resources contribute to new technologies, such as electric vehicles and wind turbines, and critical infrastructure. Our fertiliser products play an important role in enabling sustainable food production to meet the rapidly rising demand for food around the world. With a rich technology heritage, IPL’s key technology drivers are to improve safety, productivity & efficiency, and sustainability, whilst continuing to invest in the development of new technologies and our service offering.

Orora5,001-10,000

At Orora, we believe packaging touches lives. Together, we deliver on the promise of what's inside. With 22 manufacturing plants and 74 distribution centres across seven countries and 3,700 team members, we supply packaging products and services to the grocery, fast moving consumer goods and industrial markets. Orora works closely with its customers to provide an extensive range of tailored packaging solutions. This includes the design and manufacture of packaging products such as glass bottles, beverage cans, corrugated boxes, cartons, and point-of-purchase displays. We also offer broad end-to-end packaging solutions, including global product sourcing, distribution, design, printing and warehousing optimisation. Every day, millions of consumers buy and use goods in packaging proudly designed, developed, produced or supplied by Orora. Orora's Innovation & Design team combine brand and design knowledge with manufacturing intelligence. This approach to innovation ensures Orora produces packaging that delivers superior commercial outcomes. Our Australasian business group is focused on beverage packaging within Australia and New Zealand. Our North American business group is focused on providing total packaging solutions in the USA, Canada and Mexico. It also has integrated corrugated sheet and box manufacturing and equipment sales capabilities. Our customers include some of the world's best known brands. In Australia and New Zealand we partner with customers in the food, beverage & industrial markets, and in North America our customers include those in the industrial, food, warehousing and shipping, technology and healthcare industries. Orora Limited is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Cochlear1,001-5,000 +61 2 9428 6555
customerservice@cochlear.com

Hear now. And always As the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, at Cochlear (ASX: COH) we are committed to our mission to help people hear and be heard. Our story started more than four decades ago when Professor Graeme Clark pioneered the world's first multi-channel cochlear implant and created an entirely new treatment for hearing loss. Since our formation in 1981, we continue Professor Clark’s work to help people with moderate to profound hearing loss experience a life full of hearing. We have provided more than 650,000 implantable devices. Each recipient helps form a global community of millions, through families, friends, colleagues, teachers and more. And they’re not just connected to their own community — each shares a link with each other and to Professor Clark’s childhood desire to help people hear. We aim to give people the best lifelong hearing experience and access to innovative future technologies. We understand the privilege of connecting people to a life lived with hearing. And we listen, respond and move with the times – to continue to bring hearing within reach of all those who need it. That's how we live our mission every day. Our global workforce of more than 4,000 people shares a collective determination to give more people the opportunity to enjoy a life of hearing. Cochlear’s global headquarters are on the campus of Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia with regional headquarters in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Through our offices in over 180 countries we help people of all ages to hear.

Top Manufacturing Companies in Australia

Factors Contributing to the Growth and Success of the Manufacturing Industry

Several factors contribute to the growth and success of the manufacturing industry in Australia. One of the most significant factors is the country's access to natural resources. Australia is rich in natural resources, such as minerals and metals, which are essential inputs for many manufacturing processes. This provides a competitive advantage for Australian manufacturers compared to other countries that do not have access to these resources.

Another factor contributing to the growth of the industry is the increasing demand for manufactured goods, both domestically and globally. As the population and economy continue to grow, the demand for goods and services increases, creating opportunities for the industry to expand and diversify. The Australian government has also implemented various initiatives to support the growth of the manufacturing industry, such as tax incentives, grants, and subsidies.

Growth and Comparison of Each Industry in the Manufacturing Industry

The manufacturing industry in Australia comprises several sub-sectors, including food and beverage manufacturing, machinery and equipment manufacturing, and metal product manufacturing. In recent years, the food and beverage manufacturing sub-sector has seen the most significant growth, driven by increasing demand for high-quality, locally produced food and beverages.

In 2022, the manufacturing industry in Australia saw moderate growth, driven by increasing demand for manufactured goods both domestically and globally. The machinery and equipment manufacturing sub-sector also saw growth due to an increasing number of businesses seeking to optimize their manufacturing processes and improve efficiency.

Key Trends, including Technological Disruptions

The manufacturing industry is continuously evolving, and several technological disruptions are changing the way businesses operate and serve their customers. One of the most significant technological disruptions is the increasing adoption of advanced technologies, such as automation, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics.

These technologies are enabling manufacturing businesses to enhance their operations, improve efficiency and quality, and reduce costs. For example, many manufacturing businesses in Australia are now using automation and artificial intelligence to optimize their manufacturing processes, reduce waste and improve product quality.

Another key trend in the manufacturing industry is the increasing focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility. Many businesses in Australia are now prioritizing sustainability and environmental responsibility, developing innovative products and services that support sustainable practices and reduce carbon emissions.

Challenges Facing the Manufacturing Industry

Despite the growth and success of the manufacturing industry in Australia, it is facing several challenges. One of the most significant challenges is the increasing competition from other countries, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. These countries have lower operating costs and more significant economies of scale, making it difficult for Australian manufacturers to remain competitive.

Another challenge facing the industry is the increasing cost of production inputs, such as energy and raw materials. The rising cost of these inputs reduces the profitability of manufacturing businesses, making it challenging to remain competitive in the global market.

Future Outlook for the Manufacturing Industry

The outlook for the manufacturing industry in Australia is positive, with opportunities for growth and development in various areas. The industry is expected to continue to evolve and adapt to changing consumer preferences, technological disruptions, and environmental regulations.

One area of growth for the industry is the increasing demand for high-quality, locally produced goods, particularly in the food and beverage manufacturing sub-sector. The trend towards sustainable and environmentally responsible manufacturing practices is also expected to continue, creating opportunities for businesses that can develop innovative solutions to support these practices.

Another area of growth for the industry is the increasing adoption of advanced technologies. As more manufacturing businesses in Australia invest in advanced technologies, they are likely to improve their operations, increase efficiency, and reduce costs, creating opportunities for growth and development.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the manufacturing industry in Australia is a vital sector of the economy, contributing significantly to the country's growth and development. The industry faces several challenges, including increasing competition from other countries and the rising cost of production inputs. However, there are also opportunities for growth and development, particularly in areas such as food and beverage manufacturing, sustainability and environmental responsibility, and the adoption of advanced technologies. By prioritizing innovation, efficiency, and sustainability, manufacturing businesses in Australia can continue to thrive in the years ahead.

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By Melissa Goh
Published on 13 April 2023