Parker Hannifin: Pioneering local manufacturing in terms of innovation, engineering and quality

While the first company we looked at in this series, Sutton Tools , is an Australian owned family business, international companies have also embraced the Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign , establishing local manufacturing facilities that support the local economy by employing local workers, and embracing local innovation and engineering expertise.

Parker Hannifin is one such company. A diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, the company operates an "Australian Made" certified manufacturing plant in Wodonga, Victoria.

Parker Hannifin Australasia’s manufacturing plant in Wodonga is a division of the Fluid Connector Group platform within Asia Pacific, and is the hub of the company's manufacturing activities in the Australasian region.

The plant boasts a team of over 100 highly skilled local employees, and pioneers local manufacturing in terms of innovation, engineering and quality. Ideally located along the Hume Freeway between Melbourne and Sydney, the plant dispatches daily to major centres around Australia and New Zealand.

A key benefit of keeping production local for Parker Hannifin is that it allows the company to closely monitor and control quality, and, importantly, it keeps skilled manufacturing jobs in Australia.

Situated on a 10 acre site with building space of over 11,000 square metres, the Wodonga facility manufactures a comprehensive product range, including:

• hydraulic hoses
• PVC hoses
• steel hose fittings and adaptors
• stainless steel hose fittings and adaptors
• brass fittings
• on site plating
• hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders
• hydraulic and pneumatic manifolds; and
• gear pumps and control valves.

This range is primarily used in fluid and gas handling, however, Parker Hannifin provides complete end to end solutions for almost any industry. The company's custom engineering service is a unique value add, as it allows for the design of custom solutions for customers with requirements that are not stock standard.

The quality management systems of Parker Hannifin's manufacturing facility are certified to ISO 9001:2008 by Det Norske Veritas.

In the final part of this series, we will discuss Sullair Australia, and its Champion range of compressors, which has benefited significantly from the unique ability local manufacturing has provided to respond to immediate changes in demand and design.