Skills in demand

A MANUFACTURING business based in Toowoomba has managed to not just survive but thrive during Covid, but a shortage of skilled workers has put them in a tough situation.

After starting nearly 20 years ago with just five employees, TUFF Australia has expanded to 100 employees and an ever-growing facility in Torrington.

Specialising in manufacturing automotive accessories, TUFF Australia CEO Anton Griffiths said the family business had come a long way.

“When my father, Phil bought the business after we migrated from Zimbabwe, I was on the tools fitting bullbars and had to learn from the ground up,” he said.

“We now have 100 employees across TUFF Australia where we manufacture automotive accessories and TUFF Coatings which provides powder coating and painting services.

“Over time there has been investment in plant and equipment and we have moved to advanced welding equipment that allows our team to build a better product.”

Mr Griffiths said increased demand for their product has meant the business is now in desperate need of skilled workers.

“It has been more difficult to find staff over the period and we still have high demand for sheet metal fabricators, boilermakers and general hands,” he said.

“There is definitely a move to Australian made products rather than imports which came about during the Covid period.

“We have boosted our apprentice numbers to 14 as we cannot complain about a lack of staff if we are not prepared to train the next generation.”

One of those apprentices is 33-yearold James Griffiths, who will be finishing his apprenticeship as a boilermaker in October after first starting his trade in Inverell in 2005.

“I was there building silos but due to the drought it all fell through,” he said.

After spending years trying to find somewhere to resume his apprenticeship, moving to Pittsworth and Oakey before he was able to land a position at TUFF Australia in October last year.

“There’s always work for skilled tradespeople and I think it’s something that we need a lot more of, people taking up a trade,” he said.

Mr Griffiths said he was planning for what the next 20 years might look like.

“At the end of the day we cannot go to the next level without good people and quality leaders,” he said.