Editor’s Comment

Comment

SYED SHAH – Managing Editor, Manufacturers’ Monthly

Getting ahead of the competition

AUSTRALIAN manufacturing is tight at the best of times. Deadlines, trying to find qualified staff, a lack of graduating apprentices in various trades all have an effect on the bottom line.

This is why when government grants are up for grabs its best to put your best foot forward. Maybe you need some new plant or machinery, but you have little or no budget for capital expenditure. Or, perhaps that new piece of technology that is vital to take your business’s capability to the next step may be too expensive.

Federal government grants such as the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund (MMF) or the Advanced Manufacturing Fund (AMF) are designed to invest in Australia’s future. Companies are looking for a boost to expand their business when they think of applying for a grant, while the government hopes the grant will create jobs within the industry as part of a bigger economic agenda.

There is a caveat though. And it’s this. There is only so much money to go around, so the government has to be choosey as to who gets it. In some cases, some firms will get all they asked for, others will get partial grants, while others will get nothing at all. Claimants need all the help they can get. That is where consultants such as the Avant Group come into their own.

Avant Group specialises in helping companies put their best food forward when applying for grants. With Avant it is not just a case of sending in an application, hoping for

the best and wishing clients the best of luck. The company will go through the whole process and be around while the process is taking place.

Why go to a consultant for assistance with the application process? There are a couple of sound reasons. Experience is one – if they’ve done it before and been successful, why not take advantage of the understanding they have with the process? On a more practical level, a lot of manufacturers are more into the hands-on aspect of their business and not the administrative side. Manufacturers need to do as much as they can to get ahead of not just a competitive domestic market, but also the wider world. The government realises this, which is why they put funding for innovation in the budget.

While the competition is heating up to stay competitive and profitable, manufacturers need to be recognised for their efforts too. That is why this year’s Endeavour Awards has gone ahead with the winners announced in this edition of Manufacturers’ Monthly. Year on year, the quality has been improved and COVID-19 certainly has not slowed that down. We managed to catch up with some of them to find out what drives them forward in these challenging times.

It makes sense to take any opportunity you can to not only make your business more competitive and be able to employ more people, but also to take a moment to appreciate the fruits of your labour. Winner or not, if you’ve come this far, you deserve that good moment.