Fair Go For The West: Factory a remedy for local success
IT could produce its products for a lot less in China. But Dickson & Dickson Healthcare chooses to keep its factory in Western Sydney.
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IT could produce its products for a lot less in China. But Dickson & Dickson Healthcare, which manufacture medical devices used in hospitals around the country, chooses to keep its factory in Western Sydney.
The small Australian-owned business employs more than 80 workers and has been awarded for its commitment to innovation and sustainability. Despite its success, managing director, Paul Dickson, said NSW Health has yet to come on board.
“We have made several attempts to introduce our products to NSW Health but we have received no replies,” Mr Dickson said
“Despite being on contract with several other state health services, we continue to be overlooked by our home state — NSW.”
In the private sector, the company’s products are sold through Ramsay Health Care and Healscope, which together make up 65 per cent of the private sector.
And in the public sector, it is the sole supplier in its line of products to Western Australia Health and dual supplier to Queensland Health. Mr Dickson said a contract with NSW Health would allow his company to reduce costs, which would be passed back to NSW Health, and give his Western Sydney workers job security.
The company manufactures hospital beds, powered mattresses, Deep vein Thrombosis (DVT) machines and garments. The DVT garments are manufactured in its factory at Camelia near Parramatta.
“I can buy the DVT garments cheaper from China than I make them locally, but we’re committed to our employees here in Sydney,” Mr Dickson said.
“If the private sector companies we sell our products to weren’t getting the best clinical outcomes, we’d be out as quick as a flash. So there’s no question on the quality of our products so I cannot understand why NSW Health won’t take us on.”
Dickson and Dickson Healthcare is nominated in the Small Business category of The Telegraph and NewsLocal’s Champions of the West awards, a grants competition for the Fair Go for the West campaign that consists of 14 categories, each offering a $10,000 grant.
“If we win the $10,000 grant we want to send three supervisors and a manager to a Leading for Innovation and Sustainability course at the Australian Institute of Management,” Mr Dickson said.
“We want to promote our staff from within and further support our local workforce.”
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CHAMPIONS of the West rewards ordinary people doing extraordinary things in Western Sydney to the tune of $10,000 grants in multiple categories.
The 2015 grants program is expanded this year to acknowledge the achievements of Western Sydney innovators and those making a difference in their community and respective fields.
This year’s categories include small business, education, sport, and the arts.
The Sunday Telegraph, The Daily Telegraph and NewsLocal — together with corporate partners NAB, NRMA, Crown, UWS, Origin Energy, Harvey Norman, and TAFE WSi — will reward those excelling in their fields.
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