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SCMP Reporter

WESTERN Australian aluminium shipbuilder Austal Ships has seen phenomenal growth this year.

   Besides making breakthrough sales to new markets of Japan and Britain, the company is building the largest vehicle-passenger ferry in Australia, and has sold its 23rd high-speed passenger catamaran to China.

   Its workforce has almost doubled to 400 in less than a year and the company has undertaken an A$18 million (about HK$106 million) shipyard expansion project.

   Added to these accolades, the company won the prestigious Large Manufacturers Export Award in this year's Western Australian Industry and Export Awards.

   This comes just three years after the company won the award for being the state's Best New Exporter.

   Winners of this year's Industry and Export Awards are being hailed as local heroes of the state's industry.

   With $85 million in export earnings under their belt in the latest financial year and the creation of hundreds of new jobs, Henderson-based Austal Ships has earned a much-deserved local hero title along the way.

   Austal was awarded the Large Manufacturer's Export title for its outstanding achievements and excellent record in exports.

   Winning the award is evidence of the company's strong commitment to achieving excellence in the fiercely competitive export market.

   'The award will enhance our already established international reputation with customers and prospective customers,' said John Rothwell, chairman and managing director of Austal Ships.

   Since the company's inception in 1988, more than 30 sales of high-performance passenger vessels and cruise ships have been madee to the Southeast Asian region.

   Breakthrough sales to Britain and Japan this year have heralded new markets for the company.

   These contracts alone have created more than 100 new jobs at Austal and hundreds more indirectly, in related goods and service industries that supply the shipbuilder.

   Austal's workforce is approaching 400, and a full order book means the company is again looking for more skilled workers.

   The company recently launnched its own training programme for aluminium welders to satisfy the need for the skill in the booming shipbuilding industry.

   So why has the company been so successful?    According to Mr Rothwell, there are a number of contributing factors.

   Firstly, he firmly believes that the Austal product is of a higher quality than the world standard.

   With such a sales record and the number of repeat customers, the world market seems to agree.

   But the skilled and highly motivated workforce is the backbone of the company's success, and this extends up to the management level where the company's four principals are all working directors.

   'The ability to be price competitive with international shipyards is also integral to such outstanding success,' Mr Rothwell said.



Austal leaves rivals behind in dream year