400th machine rolls off the production line
TOOWOOMBA’S Russell Mineral Equipment is celebrating a massive milestone, with the manufacture of their 400th Mill Relining Machine.
From humble beginnings, RME sold its first Mill Relining Machine in 1990 and today the company’s global reach extends to 345 mine sites across 56 countries.
Member for Toowoomba South David Janetzki MP congratulated RME on their success.
“RME is one of the only local manufacturers that designs, engineers, fabricates, manufactures and exports directly from Toowoomba to the world,” Mr Janetzki said.
“They are a major employer of local people and export 90% of their products overseas.”
A Mill Relining Machine is a purpose-built machine designed to remove worn liners and place new liners in grinding mills at mines.
RME founder and executive chairman Dr John Russell said RME contributed 1% of the Toowoomba region’s gross domestic product.
Dr Russell said to ensure Australian businesses weren’t left behind in the global economy, government needed to re-examine payroll tax and upgrade the NBN.
“Australia seems to be backward. We’ve got offices in South America and North America and South Africa and they’re all faster - not by a bit, but by a lot.
“When you’ve got engineering drawings, they’re massive, and when you’re trying to transfer those around the world, that’s one thing - but we can’t even transfer them to the CBD. So that’s a bit of an issue.”