Donald Trump, Scott Morrison visit Australian-owned box factory in Ohio
Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt has compared Scott Morrison to one of the greatest cricketers of all time during a tour of his box factory in Ohio with US President Donald Trump.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Donald Trump have toured an Australian-owned box factory in the heart of America’s Midwest as their bromance was again put on public show.
In a highly choreographed event, the pair visited Visy’s vast 1,000,000 square foot $250m facility in Wapakoneta, Ohio.
Their guide was Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt, a public supporter of Mr Trump, and executive chair of Visy Industries.
The President toured and spoke at the facility for almost 50 minutes.
They toured the mill’s upper floor during which Mr Pratt described Mr Morrison as the “Don Bradman of Australian jobs”, who was Australia’s Babe Ruth, in reference to the famed New York Yankees player.
The President said “wow” when told who the cricketer was.
Mr Trump in turn praised Mr Pratt’s investments and the scheme to turn waste into high quality cardboard and paper.
Asked by News Corp Australia if he wanted more people like Mr Pratt investigating, he replied: “well, we have some good ones”.
“But this man is number one in Australia, they say.”
Mr Morrison replied: “And we are going to keep him, we are going to keep him”.
Mr Trump added: “Everybody is fighting for him.”
Mr Pratt said the Trump election win sealed the deal.
“We would not have invested in this plan if it wasn’t for President Trump’s election.
“He’s given us a tremendous faith in investing in America. We have redoubled down in our investment.”
The billionaire president and Mr Morrison took to a stage to deafening cheers from a 1500-strong crowd.
Mr Morrison opened with “G’day Ohio”.
He said the area was “a bit of Australia right hear in Ohio”.
“The thing about Anthony, which is true of all Australians, is we keep our promises,” Mr Morrison told Mr Trump.
“When we make a promise to be in an alliance, we keep that promise.
“Anthony promised he would invest in the United States with the election of the president and the jobs that are here are here because this man keeps his promise.”
American flags and Trump T-shirts appeared to be the dress code in the Pratt Paper Ohio warehouse where the opening was held.
Mr Trump encouraged a chant of U-S-A during his speech and described Mr Pratt at “the most successful man in Australia”.
And he talked up Mr Morrison and the huge two-way flow of investment and trade between the US and Australia.
“He’s a great gentleman and they love him in Australia and now they love him in the United States of America,” he told the crowd.
The audience was slightly less sure earlier, slow to applaud when Mr Pratt mentioned the prime minister but they went wild at the president’s blessing.
Speaking before he left the White House en route to an appearance with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston, Mr Trump told reporters: “Pratt Industries is opening a $1 billion plant.
“And I told Anthony that if he does something really spectacular, I’ll go and cut the ribbon.
“And he did; he invested a billion dollars in Ohio. So that’s Pratt Industries.”
Mr Trump continued: “They’re great people. It’s a great company, headed by a very great businessman from Australia. So they’re bringing a billion dollars into Ohio, and I said I’d go and cut the ribbon, and here it is. We’re ready to cut a ribbon. It’s a great plant. So we look forward to that.”
Mr Pratt showed Mr Trump and Mr Morrison machinery and other products at the facility during the third day of the Australian PM’s official US state visit.
The event marks the official opening of the Pratt Industries Wapakoneta recycling and paper plant.
The leaders addressed workers in Wapakoneta, the hometown of Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, and located in one of the most critical swing states in the next US presidential election.
Australian officials said Mr Pratt has invested $1.9bn in his US operations’ network of 30 plants including in Ohio.
He is building a network of recycling facilities and manufacturing plants with what he calls a “hub and spoke” strategy of constructing green fields mills and then surrounding them with box plants.
The plant employs 230 people, including five Australians, with at least a further 1500 jobs in construction and more in dependent and flow-on jobs expected.
The Australian employees are senior supervisor Martin Brewster, from Melbourne, who has worked for Visy for 32 years; 25-year Visy veteran Andrew Gardiner, a paper machine manager, from Seymour in Victoria and recycled fibre specialist, Brian McDonald, from Tumut in NSW, who has worked for Visy Pulp and Paper for 19 years.
Also employed are 28-year veteran Alan Rowan, project process manager, also from Seymour, and Eddie Thorne, a production manager, from Brisbane.
More than 1500 people attended an event including politicians, business leaders and local officials as well as the Australian delegation.
It is understood Pratt Industries management vetted the crowd in what is largely a Republican area.
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Speaking before the event, attendees praised Mr Trump for his work.
Grandfather and father of three James Hamilton, 50, of Findlay, Ohio, said Mr Trump was supported locally.
“I love my country and Mr Trump loves our country,” he said.
“He is what’s right for our country. He has the right values and the right policies.”
Student Dave Mele, 19, of Bowley Grove, OH, said Mr Trump had the right systems.
“There is lots to support him with what he’s done,” said the aspiring military pilot.
Mother or 10 Business owner Pat Langhals 48, of Columbus Grove, OH, said she voted Trump.
“I support him because he’s got strong leadership and he’s got a smart business brain,” the widow said.
Earlier, Mr Trump spent most of the day in Texas, where he appeared at a joint appearance with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston.
It is understood Mr Morrison had a quiet Sunday morning (local time), but went to church at an undisclosed location.
Australian officials are delighted with the trip so far, after a successful series of White House meetings, where a series of new agreements in space, trade, farming and mining were thrashed out.
Officials said another main highlight was the state dinner, held for the first time in the White House Rose Garden, which had been planned by First Lady Melania Trump.
Mr Morrison has told how he was moved to tears by the state diner entertainment and a military encore of a Waltzing Matilda as well as a poem recited by Mr Trump from his great- aunt Dame Mary Gilmore.
Mr Morrison was due to fly to Chicago on Sunday night (local time) where he will have dinner with Illinois Governor, Jay Robert “JB” Pritzker.
He will give a keynote speech tomorrow (local time) to business leaders in Chicago before flying to New York for an annual meeting of world leaders at the United Nations. The PM will address the General Assembly.