Northgate manufacturer Chair Solutions is set to expand its manufacturing capabilities, thanks to a sizeable Made in Queensland (MiQ) grant.
Chair Solutions was among the first Round 5 recipients of the MiQ grant that saw 33 applications formally receiving an offer of funding. The funds will allow Chair Solutions to acquire new equipment and cut production time.
Chair Solutions produces seating used in offices, hospitals, waiting rooms, and schools. The acquisition of new production equipment will allow the company to bid for large-scale projects, reduce production costs and decrease production time by up to 40% as well as increase their workforce to 38 from the current 26, adding 12 new full-time staff over the next five years.
“Made in Queensland gives manufacturers, just like Chair Solutions, the practical and financial support they need to grow their business and create more jobs,” Minister for Manufacturing Glenn Butcher said.
“This is a local manufacturer who is embracing Industry 4.0 and growing the business to become even more competitive nationally and internationally.”
Member for Nudgee, Leanne Linard, congratulated Chairs Solutions and stressed that that grant will be a game-changer for the company, “helping them expand their workforce and boost their services.”
“This new equipment and training for staff will enable us to pursue larger contracts and continue our strong growth record,” Chair Solutions Managing Director, Carl Davies said.
“We’ve had strong growth in hospitals recently, providing almost 25,000 chairs to the Sunshine Coast Hospital, Lady Cilento Hospital and the Gold Coast University Hospital.
“Our core business is offices but we also provide chairs to stadiums and recently provided soft seating and removable seating to the Cowboys Stadium.
“The Made in Queensland grant will enable us to scale our business and grow our capacity so that we can be successful with large-scale contracts.”
The MiQ grants program has created and supported more than 5,900 jobs and generated more than $110 million in private sector investment since 2017. Over the next five years, an additional 9,500 jobs will be created and supported whilst $190 million will be generated in private sector investment.
The MiQ program is part of the Queensland Advanced Manufacturing 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan.
Round 6 is slated to open in October 2023.
Published 26-September-2023