Bambi meets COVID induced demand – invests in New machinery

from Central Coast Business Review July 2021

Funny business

TURNOVER IS UP more than 50% so far this year for West Gosford manufacturer of quality bedding products, Bambi Enterprises, due to JobKeeper and workfrom-home demand induced by the COVID pandemic.

While most Australian textile manufacturers packed up and went to China Bambi stuck rigidly to it’s philosophy of producing a quality Australian Made product which the market wanted both in Australia and overseas.

“For us the last year has been incredibly exciting and challenging,” said Peter Witney, Bambi Managing Director. “In 60 years of

New carding line being installed at Bambi’s West Gosford factory to make wadding of ‘fill’ for quilts, pillows and protectors. Bambi Enterprises General Manager Greg Witney with Founder and Managing Director, Peter Witney business, I have never seen anything like it. (background new wool carding machine being installed) Sales in September last year were double what they were the year before,” he said. “Young people don’t see a future in the However, the unexpected demand has sewing trade and find themselves working placed a tremendous strain on the com- as check-out operators in supermarkets. pany’s resources; factory space, raw mate- We have trained a number of staff to sew rial purchases, deliveries from overseas, but we will need more but that will take staff and funding the necessary capital some years,” he said. investment in new machinery and work- Currently Bambi employs 30 people and ing capital. Mr Witney saying that this will rise to 45 as The result has been that the company they train new staff in the sewing trade. has built new factory space and installed Founded by Peter and Janita Witney over a new pillow line and the latest wool forty years ago, Bambi manufactures quilts, carding machine – an investment of underblankets, mattress toppers, pillows, some $700,000. protectors and sheets protectors made in Mr Witney said that finding competent a wide range of natural materials from the trained staff was a big problem and the finest wool, alpaca, natural plant fibres and result has been that they have had to cotton as well as man made fibres that Get results! work a lot of overtime which is a substan tial added cost. - include latex, memory foam, velour, microfi bre, polyester and waterproof fabrics. -