MaxiTRANS’ mammoth investment in its Ballarat home is only one part of its latest expansion plans for 2024
Australian trailer manufacturer MaxiTRANS has announced that it’s continuing to expand its sites across Australia, with the company investing more than $50 million into growing and developing its Ballarat manufacturing site.
The regional Victorian facility is set to be turned into an advanced manufacturing hub to be at the forefront of MaxiTRANS’ operations.
The latest investment will result in the expansion of MaxiTRANS’ manufacturing capabilities to further support the national distribution of its product range while enabling the business to evolve with the transport industry’s changing needs.
“Since Australian Trailer Solutions Group (ATSG) purchased the MaxiTRANS trailer business, our focus has been on setting the business up for long-term sustainability,” MaxiTRANS executive chairman Greg L’Estrange says.
“Along with expanding the overall footprint of the facility, this investment will see the business transform the Ballarat site into a modern manufacturing environment, ensuring our business is well positioned to support the evolving needs of our customers.”
L’Estrange says MaxiTRANS has been working towards the site upgrade since the purchase of MaxiTRANS’ trailer business in 2021, with the business partnering with local and international suppliers to introduce modern advanced manufacturing technology into its operations.
Installation of state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment has already commenced at MaxiTRANS’ Ballarat site, with newly developed areas of the facility set to become operational over the coming months.
“Our aim is to transform the trailer manufacturing industry in Australia, improving our manufacturing capabilities and efficiencies to benefit our customers,” L’Estrange says.
“This will enable MaxiTRANS to continue delivering the level of quality expected from all our trailer brands with the ability to continue to be more agile and competitive with our offering. It’ll also give us greater flexibility to adjust our production output in line with market demand.”
RELATED ARTICLE: MaxiTRANS relocates NSW dealership
The decision to enhance Ballarat comes after MaxiTRANS announced it would close its Queensland manufacturing facility by March this year, shifting the production of tipper products from Carole Park to Ballarat.
L’Estrange says this change is already underway to ensure customers aren’t impacted by the transition.
He says MaxiTRANS’ staff has been “fantastic across both sites to manage a smooth transition”.
“The transition to Ballarat, coupled with the implementation of new manufacturing equipment and processes, will help further strengthen our already strong position in the bulk tipper market, as well as facilitate in streamlining the distribution of our extensive range through our national dealer network,” he says.
 |
“It is an exciting project for MaxiTRANS, one that will completely transform our business once finished. It will also create an environment for our people to work in that is much more advanced and more satisfying, allowing the business to continue building a more diverse skilled workforce and promoting the Ballarat facility as a preferred choice of employment in the region.
“I encourage those interested in a career with MaxiTRANS who would like to be a part of this exciting journey to get in contact.”
Alongside this significant investment in its Ballarat site, MaxiTRANS is also funding upgrades to its dealer network, including moving to larger purpose-built sites in South Australia and NSW.
L’Estrange says both sites have expanded to meet the growing demand for servicing and maintenance, as well as parts support, for customers in these regions.
“We are also excited to share that the business has recently purchased a new larger site in Brooklyn, located in Melbourne’s west, as we move ahead with our plans to relocate our company-owned dealership from Derrimut,” L’Estrange says.
“The new site will enable the business to deliver greater capabilities and allow MaxiTRANS to continue growing along with customer’s needs in the region.”
With more details on this change set to emerge in the near future, L’Estrange says the motivation behind these moves is to better support customers for the life of the product.
“This support ranges from growing our manufacturing capability and investing in our product offering to delivering a support network that enables our customers to continue delivering industry excellence,” he says.
“We thank all of our customers and suppliers for their ongoing support throughout this journey so far as we look forward with great excitement to the year ahead.”