OZ Manufacturers What's Still Here and What's Gone and Missed?

[aussiblue]

Note per the OP, we are talking of automotive tools and parts not manufacturing more generally.

[zabatron]

Ainsworth still manufacture poker machines in Sydney,and the company I work for here in Melbourne still manufactures many components for them,as well as manufacturing engine mounts for both V6 and V8 VF Commodores(spare parts only now).

[XR Martin]

Csa made wheels here, doubt they do any more.?

Camry was the last car to have Aussie made wheels apparently. (Apart from Carbon revolution)

Edit. Sorry just realized that Csa and Mullins were the same company.

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by five 7

R M Williams

best boot ever

I used to wear Blundstones but when they went Chinese the quality dropped so I bought a pair of RM Williams, the buggers will last a lifetime AND made in Adelaide

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Trevor 57

best boot ever

I used to wear Blundstones but when they went Chinese the quality dropped so I bought a pair of RM Williams, the buggers will last a lifetime AND made in Adelaide

Best boots in my opinion is Oliver, made in Ballarat. Put them on new and they are so comfortable straight up. No breaking in like other work boots.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by aussiblue

Note per the OP, we are talking of automotive tools and parts not manufacturing more generally.

aussie, kind of related,
Automotive and manufacturing workforce wear work boots.

[Burnout]

I made Damper the other day.

[Hulsty]

Originally Posted by ute83

Cox and greenfield mowers.

Grayden Mowers - Gone

[hayseed]

Victa lawnmowers are owned by The US Company Briggs & Stratton..

https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/suppo...n-company.html

[aussiblue]

Mowers aren't motor vehicle parts and tools.

[Hulsty]

Unidrive - Gone

[marty351]

Originally Posted by aussiblue

Mowers aren't motor vehicle parts and tools.

But they still go brrrrmm.

Another one,
Flexdrive (New Gisborne)- made cables like boot/bonnet/throttle etc.

[Sprintey]

gone: Pilkington Glass, big factory in Geelong, I remember seeing it when it was in full swing. Building still there.

and (sob) - went past the Geelong Ford panel plant recently, it's being pulled down :(

Still here, not auto - Nectre Fireplaces. Excellent product, SA made.

Do we still make lawnmowers or washing machines? How about mops and other household items?

[aussiblue]

Another one,
Flexdrive (New Gisborne)- made cables like boot/bonnet/throttle etc.

I think they are still here scaled down with a slightly different name see: https://www.flexibledrive.com.au/about/our-capabilities

and https://www.flexibledrive.com.au/about/our-history

In fact, we're Australia's best manufacturer, designer and repairer of cables of all varieties, from tiny medical cables right through to the heaviest cables used in water treatment plants.

The still appear have a small factory unit over here at 37 Adrian St, Welshpool WA 6106 (note The google Maps image is more up to date than the Google Earth one).

Or are they two different companies?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by marty351

But they still go brrrrmm.

Another one,
Flexdrive (New Gisborne)- made cables like boot/bonnet/throttle etc.

See first page - it's dead.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by aussiblue

I think they are still here scaled down with a slightly different name see: https://www.flexibledrive.com.au/about/our-capabilities

and https://www.flexibledrive.com.au/about/our-history



The still appear have a small factory unit over here at 37 Adrian St, Welshpool WA 6106 (note The google Maps image is more up to date than the Google Earth one).

Or are they two different companies?

BACKGROUND - FLEXDRIVE & ASSOCIATED COMPANIES.

Commencing as a partnership making replacement speedometer cables and repairing instruments in a small shop in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne in 1938, the business maintained steady growth through the 1940’s.

It was incorporated as a public company in 1953, by which time employment had increased to approximately 80 persons occupying newly acquired premises in North Melbourne and Ascot Vale.

Flexdrive associated companies and its founders and employees have a proud history as a pioneering manufacturer and supplier of both OEM and replacement parts to the Australian automotive industry.

Flexdrive is one of the few parts manufacturers that has supplied products from the initial Holden vehicles and virtually every Australian built make and model since that time has contained one or more Flexdrive produced products, ranging from a wide variety of mechanical cable products - speedometer, handbrake, clutch, dash-board controls, hood & boot release, accelerator cables, instruments and associated sender units, windshield washers, heater control consoles and a variety of locally engineered model specific sundry items.

The growth of Flexdrive Industries Ltd, has mirrored the general growth of the overall automotive sector through the 1950’s to the present time. Employment peaking at almost 1000 Australia wide in the late 1970’s - however there have been some very significant changes in ownership of the group during the past 26 years.

THE OWNERSHIP CHANGES ARE SUMMARISED BRIEFLY ASFOLLOWS -

•1982 Takeover of Flexdrive Industries Limited by Lanes Motors Holdings Limited, and operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Lanes with most manufacturing facilities moving to Gisborne, however, some non-automotive activities were retained at Ascot Vale.

•1985 Lanes negotiates the sale of Flexdrive Industries Ltd., OEM mechanical cables,instrument and windshield washer business and production facilities, land and buildings at Gisborne to a Japanese consortium.

•1985 Lanes negotiates an MBO of the Flexdrive aftermarket Sales Division,manufacturing & marketing automotive & general industrial mechanical cables, and a variety of franchise products, both local and imported, to a newly incorporated company Flexible Drive Agencies Pty. Ltd, who located and consolidated these operations at their present address 86 Stubbs Street, Kensington.

While, initially retaining all mainland Australian sales offices, F.D.A. have improved and relocated all these state branch facilities over the intervening years.

This MBO understandably struggled over the early years, but has maintained profitability and steady growth, attributed to no small extent to the long experience in the industry of its senior management team. This was assisted by the very close relationship with Flexdrive Industries Ltd, Division of Denso International Australia, which continued to operate in the OEM sector of the industry.

•2001 Flexdrive Industries Ltd and the newly formed Flexdrive Cables Australia Pty. Ltd,announce on November 20th. that, F.C.A. will purchase the Gisborne based Flexdrive mechanical control cables business, and that Denso will move instrument manufacturing to their Croydon property to consolidate with their other activities at that location.

https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/comp...024/sub024.pdf

The 'Flexible Drive' (former 'Flexible Drive Agencies') that exists today is the 1985 aftermarket division - the other branches of Flexible Drive are all dead and buried.

Flexible Drive Agencies was on deaths doorstep circa 2014 as well.

[marty351]

I meant to say Flexdrive Cables Australia Pty Ltd dead.

Back in '08, they began making plastic water tanks out the back knowing full well the auto industry (their main customers) were on the brink of closing down. I googled them and it said permanently closed.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by marty351

I meant to say Flexdrive Cables Australia Pty Ltd dead.

Back in '08, they began making plastic water tanks out the back knowing full well the auto industry (their main customers) were on the brink of closing down. I googled them and it said permanently closed.

Last Falcon to have clutch and throttle cables were AU Falcon, everything went drive by wire and hydraulic clutches, then the free trade agreement came into effect with Thailand around 2005, can't compete with Thailand cable manufacturers on those volumes and with no tarrifs or import duties their days were numbered.

One of the major OEM's forcing cost downs on suppliers every year, not viable.

They were all in with Mitsubishi in Adelaide - you know what happened there.

Here is an interesting document covering the early days of their downfall - here is an extract from this document:

OEM’s demand delivery of “productivity” price reductions from suppliers across the life of the vehicle platform, and refuse to accept any cost adjustments for material price increases which have been significant in recent years with the rising price of oil and steel, nor for labour price increases.

Unlike many other business the OEM’s advise suppliers of schedules generally
on a weekly basis, projecting out demand for a period of 3 months. Suppliers
use these schedules to order components from sub suppliers.

On a daily basis the OEM’s advise the supplier of the following days requirements. The supplier has to ensure it has capacity and materials to fulfil those 3 month schedule requirements.

In an environment as we have in the current market, where OEM daily requirements for the current period are only a fraction of those forecast
(and against which suppliers have acquired components), OEM’s refuse to assist suppliers in managing what can be a significant cash flow impact while
inventories are absorbed over a greatly extended period of time.

In our experience OEM’s award business with no long term contract for the
supplier. Products can be resourced at relatively short notice as has been
evidenced by FCA in recent weeks. The absence of any binding long term
supply contract with the OEM’s provides a lever for ongoing price reductions
based on global benchmarking results.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...yqCG2KEYjdXpoa

There is a story with the tank manufacturing and its not what it seems.

In 2019 the only way manufacturing can survive in Australia is low volume high quality. You can't compete with mass produced basic assembly items like automotive cables when you have a work force that will work under a tin roof with a dirt floor and get paid a bowl of rice a month, assembly items like automotive cables are a commodity, if you're competing in 'commodities' its a race to the bottom as Flexdrive Cables found out.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

In 2019 the only way manufacturing can survive in Australia is low volume high quality. You can't compete with mass produced basic assembly items like automotive cables when you have a work force that will work under a tin roof with a dirt floor and get paid a bowl of rice a month, assembly items like automotive cables are a commodity, if you're competing in 'commodities' its a race to the bottom as Flexdrive Cables found out.

Without going too far off topic on Australian manufacturing - unfortunately its much easier to make money off high asset prices like property rather than build good sustainable businesses, manufacturing is a very capital intensive business to run, ridiculous overheads.

[Sprintey]

Oh yeah, does anyone remember OKA 4x4 based in Ossy Park in Perth, I think?

They made the beastliest heavy duty 4x4 and 6x6 in the 1990s.

[aussiblue]

Oh yeah, does anyone remember OKA 4x4 based in Ossy Park in Perth, I think?

Yes; but they were right here in my suburb of Bibra Lake. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OKA_4wd

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Oh yeah, does anyone remember OKA 4x4 based in Ossy Park in Perth, I think?

They made the beastliest heavy duty 4x4 and 6x6 in the 1990s.

OKA had a couple of good motorhome conversions about.

RFW trucks (hayseed) made in Chester Hill, Sydney for quite a while, long gone now but there are still a few running around Mascot and the airport, some are still working in the mining and railway maintenance industries.


EDIT from earlier post....... sadly after 135 years Oliver boots of Ballarat closed up manufacturing in 2018, sacking 20 staff.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

gone: Pilkington Glass, big factory in Geelong, I remember seeing it when it was in full swing. Building still there.

and (sob) - went past the Geelong Ford panel plant recently, it's being pulled down :(

The stamping plant is not being pulled down. The casting plant is though, on seabeach parade. Is that what you are thinking of?

The stamping and engine plants have been sold to pelegra group and are being refurbished.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

The stamping plant is not being pulled down. The casting plant is though, on seabeach parade. Is that what you are thinking of?

The stamping and engine plants have been sold to pelegra group and are being refurbished.

I thing you meant Pelligra, but we get the idea.

https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-new...ra-group-74638

[roKWiz]

Still here.... Peerless Air compressors, still Oz owned and manufactured here in Victoria.

Gone since the 80s.... Leader trucks, Mack (COE) and UD (Conv) cabs Qld built.

[123Cat]

Ive had an article from I think it was boston consulting on my wall for a while now that puts Oz at the top of the most expensive for wages and energy cost , worldwide

I guess that is why we are uncompetitive in manufacturing

Although I do know someone who builds highly unusual stuff and that is where people will beat a path to you

[FordJuventus]

Originally Posted by marty351

But they still go brrrrmm.

Another one,
Flexdrive (New Gisborne)- made cables like boot/bonnet/throttle etc.

I know it’s a little delayed but does anyone know the address of where they were based exactly? Thanks in advance

[foxtrot3]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Bendix is still around but they're mostly a marketing company these days slapping their name on externally manufacturered product, they just keep the manufacturing plant around in Ballarat making a limited range because it'd cost significantly more to clean up the environmental damage they've caused

Aside from Jayco and New Age Caravans does anyone know any other locally manufactured van companies?

Hi. Roma and Franklin are still around. Cheers MD

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by FordJuventus

I know it’s a little delayed but does anyone know the address of where they were based exactly? Thanks in advance

Hamilton Rd, New Gisborne VIC 3438 although an aerial view doesn't seem to confirm this.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

gone: Pilkington Glass, big factory in Geelong, I remember seeing it when it was in full swing. Building still there.

BA Falcon killed them. AU was the last to have Aussie made glass. Ford basically said bugger off, we no longer require your services.