Top 100 Australian manufacturers revealed

Australia’s top 100 manufacturers of 2020 have been announced, with Caltex topping the list for the second consecutive year, ahead of the Fonterra Co-Op Group (2), BP Australia (3), Perth Mint (4) and Viva Energy Group (5). The announcement comes as Australia’s $413.9 billion manufacturing industry passes the midway point of forecasted 0.5% growth period by 2022, with the industry comprising almost 104,000 businesses and employing over 964,000 Australians. The compilation is based on data gathered by IBISWorld.

Australia’s top 10 manufacturers for 2020 are Caltex, Fonterra Co-Op Group, BP Australia, Viva Energy Group, ExxonMobil Australia, Amcor, BlueScope Steel, CSL and Visy. The food manufacturing industry boasted the highest number of businesses in the Top 100 Manufacturers list (18), followed by the pharmaceutical product manufacturing industry (6) and the beverage & tobacco product manufacturing industry (5). Caltex was named the Top Overall Riser (by ranking and revenue), as it maintained its position at the top of the list. Saputo Dairy Australia was the next highest riser, ranked 29th on the list.

The top overall fallers include GM Holden, having fallen from its previous rank of 37 to 100, ResMed Holdings, falling from its 2019 rank of 27 to 36 and Lion, falling from 15 to 19. Other companies that dropped down the list include Airbus Australia (falling from 80 in 2019 to 93 in 2020) and Carlton United Breweries (falling from 23 in 2019 to 28 in 2020). The Top 100 Manufacturers for 2020 have a combined revenue of $319 billion and consist of 29 ASX-listed companies and 37 locally owned companies, with 49 companies based in New South Wales and seven of the top 10 based in Victoria.

“The ‘Top 100 Manufacturers’ for 2020 have experienced strong revenue growth in comparison to previous years, namely due to the restructuring of business processes to incorporate automation and an increased focus on boosting productivity. This also appears to have been spurred by the 2017 Federal Government Advanced Manufacturing Fund that provided grants to small Australian manufacturers to invest in automation, of which the benefits are starting to be realised. While at a macroeconomic level, the depreciation of the Australian dollar over the last year has increased demand in Australian exports, supporting revenue growth for manufacturers and increasing global competitiveness,” said Aaron Vaserman, Enterprise Researcher at IBISWorld Australia.

The Top 100 Manufacturers list is indicative of Australia’s increasing competitive advantage over international competitors, as a result of advanced manufacturing adoption. It also highlights the opportunities for Australian manufacturers that can produce specialised products across a range of industries.

“Previously, Australian manufacturers have had difficulty competing with their Asian counterparts, predominantly due to their much lower cost of labour. Now, our manufacturers are adapting or have adapted by focusing on highly specialised areas, which is evident in industries from medical product manufacturing to paper product manufacturing, with companies like Visy and Paper Australia experiencing revenue growth despite the wider decline of the pulp, paper and paperboard manufacturing category. In short, Australian manufacturers are taking advantage of opportunities for growth by focusing on the premium areas of the market,” Vaserman said.

An increasing focus on high-tech and advanced manufacturing is predicted to occur over the next 12 months, creating opportunities and currency depreciation as encouraging future growth.

“Australian companies have developed a key competitive differentiator between themselves and their nearby competitors within the Asia–Pacific region, by adopting advanced manufacturing processes through the continued investment in automation, high-tech and productivity enhancing technology. Australia’s reputation for pristine environments and high-quality production in food and beverage products is also expected to boost revenue for manufacturers within this industry segment,” Vaserman said.

The Advanced Manufacturing Expo will present Australia’s Top 100 Manufacturers, offering manufacturers’ insights into the latest in advanced manufacturing production solutions, practices and strategies. The expo’s sister event, National Manufacturing Week, will feature over 42 companies within the Top 100 Manufacturers list, either as speakers, on the exhibition floor or as visitors.

“Numerous factors shape manufacturers’ ability to be successful; however, adopting advanced manufacturing production processes, such as investing in automation or high-tech solutions, is continuing to pay dividends for Australia’s leading manufacturers. Therefore, it is fitting that Advanced Manufacturing Expo is being launched in 2020, with the expo’s express objective being to provide manufacturing and industrial professionals with an evolution and productivity focused forum, which supports them in maintaining this crucial competitive advantage over international competitors,” said Jono Whyman, Exhibition Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Expo.

The Advanced Manufacturing Expo 2020 will be held at the Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park, from 13–15 May 2020 and is free for all registered industry professionals. Registration for the event is available here.

The Top 20 Australian Manufacturers for 2020 are:

1. Caltex
2. Fonterra Co-Op Group
3. BP Australia
4. Perth Mint
5. Viva Energy Group
6. ExxonMobil Australia
7. Amcor
8. BlueScope Steel
9. CSL
10. Visy
11. Sims Metal Management
12. Alcoa of Australia
13. JBS Australia
14. Orica
15. Boral
16. Coca-Cola Amatil
17. Orora
18. Aristocrat Leisure
19. Lion
20. Incitec Pivot

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/dusanpetkovic1