Doors open at new $20M Charlton manufacturer’s workshop

More than 60 Kotzur staff have moved into the company’s new headquarters west of Toowoomba and will begin building bulk feed storage materials for farmers and agribusinesses across much of rural Australia.

Architectural designs for the upcoming Kotzur manufacturing plant at Charlton by Hutchinson Builders.

More than 60 Kotzur staff have moved into the company’s new headquarters west of Toowoomba and will begin building bulk feed storage materials for farmers and agribusinesses across much of rural Australia.

The move comes after the family-owned business teamed up with Hutchinsons Builders to construct the new site at a cost of about $20 million, with work starting in May 2023.

Prior to the move, the company was based in Enterprise Street but has outgrown that facility.

The company hopes to double its number of staff following the move.

Chief technical officer Ben Kotzur said Toowoomba was the ideal location to expand the business and increase manufacturing capacity for customers in northern Australia.

“The new facility will allow us to continue growth and expansion of our handling equipment capacity and range, and now we will be able to make transportable silos here in Queensland, making them much more affordable for our customers,” he said.

“We are eager to start using some of the new equipment that has been installed.

The building comprises modern, open-plan office spaces and 4300m2 of factory space, including a section of shed with a roof height of 24m, set on approximately five hectares.

It will house Kotzur’s sales, design, engineering, manufacturing installation and servicing teams.

Andrew Kotzur, Kotzur managing director, addresses the media at the opening of the companies new Charlton workshop.

Managing Director Andrew Kotzur said he was honoured to celebrate the occasion with so many people who had contributed to the business’s success.

“We are very proud of our humble beginnings on the family farm near Walla Walla in the Riverina in New South Wales,” he said.

“It was there that my father first started manufacturing farming equipment.

“From there, Dad moved the business into Walla Walla and began manufacturing transportable silos from coils of galvanised steel in the 1960s.”

Kotzur’s new Charlton workshop will house more than 150 staff and supply bulk feed storage materials to farmer and agribusinesses across much of rural Australia.

As the business grew and technology developed, the Kotzurs started sourcing equipment from Downfields on Enterprise Street in Toowoomba, which was owned by Keith Schelberg.

“Keith’s attention to detail and quality products provided us with the partnership we needed to take on bigger projects in the late 1980s and early 1990s,” Mr Kotzur said.

“In 2009, when Keith was ready to retire, we were fortunate enough our offer was accepted, and Kotzur acquired Downfields,” Mr Kotzur said.

Spread over two sites, the Downfields facility did not have the capacity to manufacture transportable silos, which is a highly sought after product from the Walla Walla manufacturing site, so discussions about building a new factory began.