Cross-cultural celebration opens Yatala cardboard factory

Oji Fibre Solutions’ $72 million mega cardboard factory in Yatala is the state’s first new manufacturing facility to open with the support of the Palaszczuk Government’s $65 million Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund. 

Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick today joined Japanese Counsellor Keisuike Nakao, Japanese Consul-General in Brisbane Ms Keiko Yanai and Oji Group CEO Susumu Yajima for a traditional Japanese sake ceremony at opening celebrations on the factory floor.

“Today’s event is the culmination of years of work by Oji’s leadership, the 300 workers who built this factory, the company’s 70 employees and our industry attraction team who helped draw this project here rather than anywhere else in Australia or Asia,” Mr Dick said.

“This is a prime example of how our government is driving economic and regional growth by creating new high value jobs, increasing capital expenditure, building supply chains and encouraging innovation.”

Mr Dick said the mega factory was capable of producing a kilometre of cardboard every three minutes to produce corrugated packaging products for use by fruit and produce, meat, industrial, fast moving consumer goods, paper products and consumer durables. The factory also has five-star green credentials including a rainwater harvesting system reducing potable water consumption by 80 per cent and a 100kW Solar PV System

“The Palaszczuk Government’s facilitation services and incentives were instrumental in Oji building this highly-automated facility in South East Queensland – a project which is boosting the local economy and is set to benefit Queensland’s primary producers by creating increased competition in the $2 billion packaging sector,” Mr Dick said.

“This project is just one of eight industry attraction fund projects announced by our government that will bring more than $230 million in investment to Queensland and generate more than 490 new direct jobs in Queensland over the next five years.”

Mr Dick said Oji FS’ success in Yatala was now set to extend to regional Queensland, with the company today announcing plans to open satellite manufacturing sites in Mareeba and two other regional Queensland locations.

“Oji’s expansion to Mareeba means the creation of dozens of jobs and an economic shot in the arm for our state’s Far North region, as well as a strong sign of confidence in the manufacturing capabilities of Queensland’s north,” he said.

Oji Fibre Solutions is part of Oji Holdings, one of the world’s largest forest, paper and packaging producers with a billion-dollar-plus turnover.

Oji Fibre Solutions CEO Dr Jon Ryder said the Queensland Government’s support was a major factor in the company building the Yatala factory and expanding across the state.

“The Queensland Government is pro-business and the industry attraction program they put together has been fundamental in helping us select Queensland as the best destination for this factory,” he said.

“Part of the reason we came to Queensland is the people, the employment base, the talent pool that we can tap into, and the central location to the client base that we want to grow with here in Queensland.

“While demand for corrugated packaging in Australia is growing roughly at 2 per cent a year, we expect growth in Queensland to be more than twice that, driven by local and export growth in horticulture, meat and processed food segments which are well suited to OjiFS’ high performance products. 

“The market has encouraged us to expand our manufacturing footprint into Queensland to increase competition in what has up to now been a duopoly market and we look forward to offering customers more choice.

“The Yatala factory will be home to new product development to meet emerging industry requirements, including a new packaging concept for Queensland’s banana industry using in-house design and laboratory testing in conjunction with customer field trials.

“The Yatala operation is expected to create ongoing supply chain opportunities for around 50 local businesses in the plumbing and electrical, machining and fabrication, machine parts and servicing, and general service industries.”

Mr Dick said Queensland’s almost $20 billion manufacturing sector represents almost 7 per cent of total employment in Queensland and and with programs like AQIAF, Made in Queensland, the Jobs and Regional Growth Fund and priority industry roadmaps supporting growth, businesses are queueing up to join in.

ENDS

Media contact: Anika Hume 0447 320 039