Business thriving with Aussie made
A TOOWOOMBA manufacturing business is booming as the pandemic continues to put a spotlight on Australian made products.
TUFF Australia started nearly 20 years ago with five employees and has seen significant growth since then.
CEO Anton Griffiths said he’s proud of how far the family business has come.
“When my father Phil bought the business after we emigrated from Zimbabwe, I was on the tools fitting bullbars and had to learn from the ground up.”
“We now have 100 employees across TUFF Australia where we manufacture automotive accessories and TUFF Coatings which provides powder coating and painting services,” he said.
The business is now finalising expansion plans, after recently purchasing the two adjoining blocks at their facility in Torrington.
“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,” said Mr Griffiths.
But the increased demand due to supply chain disruptions has brought some difficulties.
“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.”
“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,” he said.
Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise CEO Ali Davenport said the skills shortage is being felt by most manufacturers across the region.
“Businesses are crying out for qualified workers at the moment, and it’s crucial we support our local manufacturing sector to help them remain globally competitive.”
“It’s important we look at attracting the right employees from outside our region by promoting the liveability of Toowoomba, while also looking at the next generation of workers.”
“TUFF Australia is a fantastic success story, and the whole team should be commended on their unwavering dedication and commitment to local manufacturing over the past nearly 20 years,” said Ms Davenport.
Mr Griffiths is now planning for what the next 20 years will look like.
“We look to the long term with our people; some who started cutting material and sweeping the factory are now supervisors and managers.”
“At the end of the day we cannot go to the next level without good people and quality leaders,” he said.
Mr Griffiths hopes that attracting the right people to his business will help fill the current skills gap and bolster TUFF Australia for years to come.