From fighter jet parts to bagels, Canterbury Bankstown makes them all
Canterbury Bankstown is home to several big manufacturers, which all contribute to making the city’s economy worth nearly $15 billion annually.
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You might not know it but Canterbury Bankstown has a healthy manufacturing base making everything from fighter jet parts to fresh bread, and is home to companies that employ hundreds of people.
The top manufacturers include bed manufacturer A.H. Beard (know for its King Koil mattress); Zip Water; industrial bakery Bakers Maison, Chess Engineering and avionics firm Quickstep, which is making parts for the F35 joint strike fighter.
Canterbury Bankstown’s gross regional product is estimated at $14.48 billion, which represents 2.6 per cent of the state’s gross state product, with more than 118,000 jobs created in the year ending June 2018.
A.H. BEARD, PADSTOW
The Australian firm makes well-known bed brands such as King Koil and Nature’s Rest for major retailers like Harvey Norman and Domayne, and 2019 completes a remarkable 120 years in the business.
Through their supremely comfortable mattresses and smart sleep solutions, the fourth-generation family-owned business strives to improve lives through better sleep.
A.H. Beard employs a team of over 1000 highly skilled people to produce up to 10,000 mattresses in Australia and New Zealand each week.
A.H. Beard products are available in over 550 retail stores throughout Australia and New Zealand and its Australian made products are exported to China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Papua New Guinea and Thailand.
“A.H. Beard’s passion for innovation and providing a good night’s sleep has seen their product evolve from handmade straw palliasses and tufted horsehair mattresses in 1899 to the introduction of Australia’s first smart bed Sleepsense in 2017,” a spokeswoman said.
“This innovative mattress allows sleepers to adjust the firmness of their mattress to meet their changing needs, and monitor their sleep quality with track and change technology.”
Garry Beard is the chairman of the board and managing director.
QUICKSTEP, BANKSTOWN
Quickstep Holdings Ltd is based at Bankstown Airport and is the largest independent aerospace-grade advanced composite manufacturer in Australia.
It works alongside some of the world’s largest aerospace/defence organisations, including Lockheed Martin (US), Northrop Grumman (US), Boeing Defence (US), BAE Systems (UK), Marand Precision Engineering and Chemring Australia.
Quickstep had sales of $73.3 million for the financial year, up 24 per cent on the previous year and the company employs around 225 staff in Bankstown. A majority of Quickstep’s revenue comes from exports sales — the Bankstown operation is 100 per cent export focused.
Quickstep is involved in the global Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) production supply chain, having shipped its first production parts for the program in March 2011. Since then, it has invested over $35 million in capital equipment and capabilities.
In July 2018, Quickstep was awarded a new defence project to establish production for F-35 countermeasure flare housings. The company has applied advanced tooling and process engineering skills to establish new world-class advanced manufacturing capabilities at Bankstown.
Quickstep is pursuing a range of new business and remains extremely positive that a number of new business development activities currently in discussion will come to fruition in 2019.
ZIP WATER, CONDELL PARK
Zip Water, whose sales are expanding by a remarkable 10 per cent each year, has spent $6 million upgrading its Condell Park factory to cash in on foreign markets, including the US and China.
The company, founded by the late Michael Crouch in 1947, dominates the Australian market with its equipment present in many workplaces — supplying filtered sparkling, boiling and chilled water on tap.
Their products are sold in more than 70 countries, with some even installed at Buckingham Palace and the tallest building in the world, the Burj al Khalifa in Dubai.
The Condell Park factory employs more than 300 people, with 50 of those staff living within 8km of the factory, while the company has more than 700 staff overseas and Australia.
In the last five years demand has grown by 50 per cent.
“In the next five years, it is expected that demand will grow by at least another 50 per cent (and) this investment will help Zip Water keep up with this growing demand,” Zip Water president John Doumani said.
“The unprecedented investment is the largest Zip Water has made in its factory since it moved to Condell Park from Marrickville in the 1960s.”
BAKERS MAISON, REVESBY
Bakers Maison, which sells its products Australia wide to the service food industry, was established in 1998 and prides itself on using its authentic French experience.
The bakery produces more than 100 French-style breads, pastries and sweets.
Earlier this year, the Revesby bakery began selling par- and fully-baked frozen products and fresh sandwiches from the shop.
“It was important for us to expand our customer base to include end consumers, as we have received a great volume of requests from people who want to enjoy our products in their homes,” Bakers Maison managing director Pascal Chaneliere said.
The bakery, which employs 120 staff, sells a range of food including pastries, bread rolls, baguettes, loaves, batards, sourdough, multigrain, Turkish, brioche and gluten-free.
Established in 1998, Bakers Maison say its recipes use only natural, mostly Australian ingredients and contain no added sugar or preservatives
Address: 98 Milperra Road, Revesby.
CHESS ENGINEERING
Chess employs around 90 staff at its Padstow factory and their skills include: mechanical engineers, boiler makers, fitters, machinists, sheet metal trades, electricians, draftsmen and designers.
“We have our own site teams for general infrastructure and an in-house team for a major food manufacturer; dedicated staff to service and repair the turntable mechanisms for articulated public buses,” CEO Steve Facer said.
“Our areas of activity include rail, new and refurbished parts for passenger fleet rail with emphasis on Tangaras.”
The company is involved with major infrastructure works including building and installing the iconic new Meccano set roundabout at Villawood this year, large road gantries, anti-throw screens and balustrading on the Eastern Distributor; new light rail from the city to UNSW; harbour bridge gantries and mobile medium strips.
Chess is also involved in the specialised conversion of mainly forklifts so they are operable in hazardous areas.
THE TOP EMPLOYERS IN THE CANTERBURY BANKSTOWN ARE:
Canterbury Bankstown Council: more than 1400 staff
Toll Group: around 1000 employees across Chullora, Villawood, and Greenacre.
Bankstown Sports Club. More than 520 employees across six clubs and TraveLodge
Sydney Metro Airports and surrounding businesses, Bankstown Airport: more than 480 staff across 12 flying schools, one university, 23 aviation-related businesses and five governmental and public assistance organisations. Based at the Bankstown Airport.
Zip Water, Condell Park:employs more than 300 people,
Australia Post, Chullora: More than 400 employee plus 100 drivers.
Primo Meats, Chullora: More than 360 employees
Tip Top Bakeries, Chullora: More than 330 employees
Quickstep Industries, Bankstown: More than. 280 staff
Volkswagen Group Australia Head Office, Chullora: More than 155 staff
Pyro Sales: More than 120 staff at Padstow.
Chess Engineering, Padstow: More than 90 staff