$68 Million Investment Program Announced

Craig Lee, Executive General Manager Manufacturing, said the program is part of Bradken’s broader innovation and sustainability strategy, to meet the challenges of our customers and to continue to be regarded as a leader for wear solutions in the global mining market well into the future.

“This year’s investment surpasses our previous record investment by more than 13% and includes funding for two key capacity expansion projects at our foundries in Coimbatore, India and Mont-Joli, Canada, as well as more than 180 other smaller projects spread across our worldwide network of sites,” Mr Lee said.

“Bradken has been part of the foundry industry since its beginning 100 years ago, and the truth is it’s an energy exhaustive industry - we need to do our part to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by our manufacturing sites from electricity and fuel consumption.

“Sustainability-focused improvement and site/equipment upgrade projects, like installing a dust extraction system and solar power at our site in Mt Thorley, Australia, a shakeout manipulator for reducing fugitive emissions in Coimbatore, India, and replacing the greensand extraction system at our foundry in Wodonga, Australiaare just one way that we’ re working towards an environmentally compliant and carbon neutral Bradken, and the establishment of a world class sustainability culture that will see us still operating well into our next 100 years.”

Mr Lee said Bradken’s FY22 investment program builds off a successful program in the previous financial year.

“Despite the challenges faced through the year, with COVID-19 heavily impacting our site’s access to contractors, equipment and materials, Bradken delivered an investment program totalling about AUD$60 million in FY21, comprised of AUD$40.2 million across about 400 general business updates and refurbishment projects and AUD$20 million for our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system replacement project.

Of particular note, Bradken’s Mont Joli foundry had a number of automation-based robotics projects approved in FY21 centred around further improving the site’s safety and quality performance.

Based on the strength of development of these projects, Bradken’s Executive Leadership Team has thrown its support behind similar projects for its sites in Bassendean and Wodonga in Australia, Coimbatore in India and Xuzhou in China, as well as an additional project in Mont Joli, in FY22.