ONE of Australia's largest manufacturers of road, safety and speciality signage and a telemetry products maker have taken out the top gongs at this year's Hunter Manufacturing Awards at NEX on Friday night.
Hi-Vis Group, which has its national headquarters at Carrington and is a market leader in highly intelligent visual information systems, won the 2023 Manufacturer of the Year (50 employees or more) as well as awards for excellence in sustainable operations and excellence in manufacturing capability.
The other major award winner was Taylors Beach-based telemetry products maker Senquip, which monitors and controls remote machinery in harsh industrial environments, and took out the award for Manufacturer of the Year (50 employees or less). Senquip, which sells to countries all over the world, also picked up an award for excellence in product design.
Hunter Manufacturing Awards Chairperson Jacqui Daley said the theme of this year's presentation - 'Made in the Hunter, for the World' - encapsulated what the awards stood for.
"In a world marked by increasing demand and government initiatives aimed at advancing manufacturing capabilities, our local manufacturing sector is experiencing a resurgence," Ms Daley said. "Manufacturers are innovating across a diverse range of sectors, from the medical and food industries to supply chains, embracing smart technologies and revitalising traditional processes."
Ms Daley noted the commitment of the state government to manufacture trains again in NSW and said the Hunter was perfectly positioned to deliver.
And she said the international terminal expansion at Newcastle Airport, the clean-energy precinct planned for Port of Newcastle and Australia's first lithium-ion battery gigafactory point to future success in manufacturing in the region.
