Up to one million boxes will be made each day at Visy’s new corrugated cardboard box factory in Hemmant, Queensland.
The new factory — which was opened officially on 8th October by Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick and Federal Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic — will make corrugated boxes for Queensland’s thriving food and beverage companies, farmers and growers. The inauguration was also attended by Visy Executive Chairman, Anthony Pratt, and Visy co-owners Fiona Geminder and Heloise Pratt.
The state-of-the-art factory is part of Pratt’s commitment to invest A$2 bn over the next decade — A$700m of that in Queensland — to reduce landfill, cut emissions and create thousands of green collar Australian manufacturing jobs.
Pratt praised the Queensland Treasurer’s championing of Queensland manufacturing. He said, “The Queensland Government has created a great business environment for manufacturers to invest and grow in Queensland. We’ve invested A$175m to build the most productive and technically advanced corrugated box making facility in the country. We’ve installed the latest 2.8m wide corrugator from BHS Corrugated — the most modern corrugator in the southern hemisphere.”
Instead of going to landfill or export, Visy recycles mixed paper and cardboard from Queensland businesses and households at its Gibson Island recycling facility and remanufactures it into 100% recycled paper. The new Hemmant factory will use the 100% recycled paper to make corrugated boxes for the state’s farmers, and iconic food and beverage companies.
In front of an audience of CEOs and representatives of some of Queensland’s largest food and beverage companies, Pratt praised Minister Husic and the Federal Government’s support for the next generation of manufacturing jobs.
“We are transforming Australia’s recycling and manufacturing, and creating thousands of green collar jobs,” said Pratt. “100% recycled boxes from this facility are one of the ways we’re using all of Australia’s paper and cardboard, so it doesn’t have to be landfilled or exported.”
The facility will directly employ over 100 Queenslanders in ongoing green-collar manufacturing jobs on site. Following completion of the factory, Visy now proudly employs more than 1000 Queenslanders.
