Queensland battery maker Century Yuasa planning $21 million factory expansion
A Queensland battery company is planning a major $21m expansion as it tries to keep up with record demand for its products that it says has been triggered by a significant shift in customer attitudes.
The lights are rarely turned off these days at the Century Yuasa factory in Queensland as the firm pumps out record numbers of batteries for cars, boats and motorbikes.
Australia’s oldest battery manufacturer has added two night shifts over the past year and is planning a $21m expansion to cope with rising demand driven by Covid trends, including the work-from-home phenomenon and greater outdoor recreation.
The company has boosted production by 58 per cent after investing in new machinery that makes the lead plates for the batteries.
Century Yuasa general manager of operations Matthieu Anquetil said a drop in public transport and a rise in the use of private cars had boosted demand.
“There also has been a shortage of new cars coming onto the market and a corresponding uptick in used vehicles that require new batteries,” said Mr Anquetil.
The Century Yuasa factory at Carole Park, west of Brisbane, added 20 staff over the past year to bring its total workforce to 160. The new machinery can produce 380,000 plates a day.
“During the pandemic, people have realised the benefits of manufacturing in Australia,” Mr Anquetil said. “There are millions of dollars going to the local economy through our investment in local suppliers. All the right ingredients are there for us to continue to fly the flag of Australian manufacturing.”
Century, which is an affiliate of Japan’s giant GS Yuasa Corp, has invested millions in new equipment over the past four years as it launched new sealed, maintenance-free batteries and looked at expanding into overseas markets such as New Zealand.
Mr Anquetil said cheap imports were a threat, but the company’s focus on building batteries for Australian conditions was paying off. “If you are looking at manufacturing as a commodity, we do not have the scale of a foreign competitor that is making 15 million batteries,” Mr Anquetil said. “There is no way we can compete with that. We need to be competitive on quality.”
Century Yuasa is Australia’s oldest battery manufacturer, beginning from a factory in Alexandria, Sydney, back in 1928. Nationwide it employs more than 650 people involved in research and development, manufacturing, sales and distribution.
The factory produces 1.2 million vehicle batteries each year for cars, four-wheel drives, trucks, marine, caravans and defence.
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