Tuesday, 20 March 2018

The Victorian Government is helping Latrobe Valley businesses affected by the closure of the Hazelwood Power Station and Mine and Carter Holt Harvey saw mill to tap into the massive ecommerce market to find new customers for their products and services.

Minister for Trade and Investment Philip Dalidakis today visited Morwell work wear and safety gear business Ausworkwear & Safety, which is one of more than 50 local businesses taking part in the government’s Latrobe Valley Supply Chain Transition Program (LVSCTP).

Ausworkwear & Safety is a family owned business which has been operating for 22 years in Morwell as regional Victoria’s largest independent retailer of safety apparel, footwear and equipment.

The business, which has 40 employees, has been affected by the closure of Hazelwood Power Station and Mine and is taking part in the LVSCTP to develop new markets for its products.

Under LVSCTP, Ausworkwear & Safety received assistance of $16,000 to carry out a business transition plan which set out a plan for the company to use ecommerce to sell its goods to buyers around Australia and beyond.

The company now has approval for further funding of up to $55,000 to upgrade its website and carry out the customer development, training, data upgrades and search engine optimisation it needs to launch into the ecommerce market.

The LVSCTP is a $5 million fund that is providing tailored support to businesses that have been affected by the closure of significant Latrobe Valley companies.

The program is focused on retaining jobs and industry capability in the Latrobe Valley to support the local economy into the future, helping companies develop and execute business transition plans

Quote attributable to Minister for Trade and Investment Philip Dalidakis;

“The Victorian Government is getting on with the job of supporting supply chain businesses so that we can retain jobs and expertise in the Latrobe Valley and keep the local economy strong.”

“Ausworkwear & Safety is a great example of a successful family owned business that is getting help from the government to change its business model and to transition to new markets so it can continue to grow and employ locals.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing:

“We are absolutely determined to continue our support for businesses in the Latrobe Valley as they transition and grow – funding for businesses such as Ausworkwear to access online and global markets is a key part of our commitment to increasing local jobs, investment and enterprise throughout Gippsland.”