Up to 150 jobs to go when Bradken closes Runcorn foundry

DOZENS of workers will lose their jobs when a foundry on Brisbane’s southside closes its doors after over 60 years in business.

Six decades of steel making will come to an end when the Runcorn foundry is shut down.

UP TO 150 jobs could be lost with the closure mid to late next year of a foundry on Brisbane’s southside that has been operated by global heavy engineering company Bradken for more than six decades.

The company, which was founded in 1922, will put its 16.2ha Nathan Rd, Runcorn, property on the market in June through Knight Frank.

Bradken has operated the foundry, which manufactures iron and steel parts for the mining and construction industry, since 1955 and employs 150 people.

Bradken executive general manager for mobile plant Brad Ward said operations at the foundry would end late next year.

“We value our people and the work they do. Our manufacturing staff have excellent reputations for the quality of the product they produce and the safe way they go about their work,” he said. “We are supporting them with the skills to cope with this change and transition to new roles, where they might be available within Bradken, and also externally.”

Bradken, which is owned by Hitachi Construction Machinery, will also close a small foundry in Mackay. This will affect five jobs.

Mr Ward said operations have been in decline since 2012 because of the mining downturn and manufacturing costs.

“Our products compete at a global scale and the high cost of manufacturing in Australia means keeping these operations running is not sustainable,” he said.

“Like all businesses, we have to continually look at how our operations can remain competitive. We compete in a global market and have to deliver value to our customers.”

Mr Ward said Bradken foundries in Ipswich, Wodonga in NSW, Dunedin in New Zealand and Xuzhou in China had the capacity and space to take on the work being completed at Runcorn and Mackay.