Contract manufacturer Australian Beverage Contract (ABC) Filling will consolidate its operations at its Lisarow site on the Central Coast after receiving a $1.8m grant through the New South Wales government’s Regional Investment Attraction Fund.
ABC Filling managing director Andrew Mawdsley told PKN it was a great step for the company, which would benefit from having all its operations consolidated under the one roof to streamline processes and provide the best possible service.
The grant will help the company establish a new facility at Lisarow with a food and beverage manufacturing plant, research laboratory, distribution centre, a restaurant and bar, brewery tours, education facilities, conference centre and a manufacturing plant to produce hand sanitiser and disinfectant.
Mawdsley said, “We are one of Australia’s most flexible beverage manufacturers in the country, working with very small start-ups just getting off the ground, to manufacturing for multinationals and then exporting directly from our site.”
Along with being a one-stop-shop for many brands, offering graphic designers and food technologies as well as bottling and packaging expertise, ABC Filling has 10 lines, with Mawdsley saying it prides itself on its innovation and nimble approach.
“We have unique capabilities compared to other manufacturers, and not just in beverage. We also work in food and personal care markets,” he said.
There are three can lines – classic, slim and sleek. “We are one of the only companies with a sleek line at the moment, so it has been running 24/6,” he said.
It runs three glass lines, with one still line for wine and spirits and another specifically for beer. There are two PET lines, two keg lines, two bag and box lines and an induction seal line.
Deputy premier and minister for regional NSW John Barilaro said ABC Filling’s plans would create 144 new full-time equivalent jobs, over 120 construction jobs, and retain 35 existing jobs.
Barilo said, “This investment will advance manufacturing capability in the region, create training opportunities for local workers to upskill, while the new restaurant and brewery tours will contribute significantly to the Central Coast’s already diverse tourism offering.
“This is exactly the kind of project the Regional Investment Attraction Fund is designed to deliver, and what the Regional Job Creation Fund is helping to bring forward after we announced the new $100 million fund recently.”
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch today announced funding that will allow Australian Beverage Contract (ABC) Filling to consolidate its existing facilities to the Central Coast, expand operations, and create hundreds of local jobs.
“This funding will help the company,” Mr Crouch said.
“ABC Filling is a world-class operation with expertise in the thriving manufacturing and craft brewing sectors, and I am thrilled we have won this investment opportunity which will bring business from interstate to our own region.”
Mawdsley said the company’s vision is to capitalise on the many dimensions of the business with the community. ABC Filling is already talking to local tertiary institutions about developing courses with practical components at the plant.
