An engineering company leader with plans to establish a $32 million advanced manufacturing precinct at Narromine hopes other businesses can "leverage" off the facility.
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Simmons Global's project to relocate operations from Western Australia to the town which it said would create 250 jobs was revealed on Monday as the NSW government announced a $4.8 million grant to the endeavour.
Project proponent and chief executive officer David Simmons said the funding gave the company "the confidence to start the transition of [its] global manufacturing back into Australia, and more importantly back into NSW, and regional areas".
"To do that, we've got to have the confidence that we can manufacture competitively on a global scale and that's what this facility is going to deliver for our group," Mr Simmons said.
He said the advanced manufacturing hub would have a "multi-disciplined role", meaning it was going to be "manufacturing a wide variety of different products".
"It's going to be mechanical, electrical, componentry, aviation, things like this, and what that means is that it can all be done in one place, and get the efficiencies out of it," Mr Simmons said.
"What we do want to do is bring other businesses along with us so that they can actually leverage off this facility and hopefully improve their businesses and get them, as well as us, into the Australian manufacturing."
Mr Simmons said the company would be relocating its engineering group from Western Australia to Narromine.
"The reason for that is we are going to make a global engineering headquarters so that we can then send our products out of this facility," he said.
Mr Simmons said the company had been working on the project for the past 12 months and had looked at different regions and a number of sites.
The choice of Narromine "makes great sense", the CEO said.
"It's centrally focused in NSW up and down the eastern seaboard, links to transport and its proximity to Dubbo makes it just common sense to our group," Mr Simmons said.
[Narromine] is centrally focused in NSW... links to transport and its proximity to Dubbo makes it just common sense to our group.
- Simmons Global CEO David Simmmons
"Ideally located and the site itself - we need some physical aspects, which this site delivers.
"We need a lot of space around us to make sure we can bring those various components together.
"We also need a functioning aerodrome for our products, and we need some space around that for buffer zoning for some of the sensitive work we do.
"Another big contribution is the local council at Narromine, they've been very enthusiastic and forward-thinking about this project.
"So I really want to thank them, the mayor and the entire shire team because they've helped us and worked with us along the way to bring this project to where it is today."
The company is embarking on the development application process and Mr Simmons says there's a 2022 timeline for opening.
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
