Launceston-based electronics manufacturer Definium Technologies has paid tribute to the state government’s Caterpillar Transition Taskforce’s role in helping the company create new jobs in the state’s North.
Definium received two grants worth a combined total of nearly $57,000 under the CTT program, which sought to replace manufacturing jobs lost when Caterpillar moved its operations overseas in 2015.
Mike Cruse, who began the company as a one-man operation in 2009, said he expected the company would continue to grow in coming years.
“I started by myself in a basement in Trevallyn, we took the leap 18 months ago and went into an office and ended up with some part time people, we now have three full-time and two or three casual people,” Mr Cruse said.
“I'm imagining that by the end of this year we will have employed somewhere between six to 10 more people if things grow at the rate it looks like they're going to grow, and I’d like to see it grow beyond that as well.”
Mr Cruse said the financial support had come at a perfect time for the business.
“The manufacturing transition grant came along at a point when we needed to switch to a lead-free process for our electronics manufacturing and because of that we were able to start manufacturing boards for a local customer.
“We've got some customers from overseas as well but I really want to have the local customers be part of this because we're building an eco-system here.”
Primary Industries and Water Minister Jeremy Rockliff said Definium had been one of many success stories to have emerged from the grants program.
“We wanted to try and support businesses that had good ideas, were in a growth phase, and were very innovative in advanced manufacturing products,” Mr Rockliff said.
“Definium Technologies is a classic example of that and as a result of that grants program it’s enabled us to find 150 new jobs across the advanced manufacturing space in Northern Tasmania.”
