Jamestrong invests US$6m in aerosol can plant to scale production in Australia

AUSTRALIA – Leading aerosol and food can manufacturer in Australasia, Jamestrong Packaging is set to expand its Taree, NSW facility with a new aluminium casting line to produce slugs used in the manufacture of aerosol cans.

The new casting facility is to be installed in existing buildings adjacent to the can-making plant. The space currently used for imported slug storage will be utilised for slug manufacturing.

This major engineering project will include civil works to build special foundations for the line, which comprises a furnace, continuous casting machine, hot rolling mills, cold rolling mills, stamping, rumbling and annealing machines.

In addition, the new casting facility will enable Jamestrong Packaging to ramp up local production to meet the increasing demand for its products, while also creating local jobs.

Commenting on the deal, Jamestrong CEO Alex Commins said, “As one of the largest employers in Taree, Jamestrong is looking to bolster our existing aerosol can manufacturing operation, by reshoring manufacturing capabilities and creating jobs.”

Commins added that the new casting facility will have the capacity to produce 160 million slugs a year which will meet the plant’s current production output of 100 million cans a year. The plan is for the new line to be commissioned by October 2023.

“Having our own casting line will resolve supply chain challenges, but more importantly, it reduces the lead time for customers from four months to less than four weeks,” he said.

“This improves our ability to respond quickly to our customers’ opportunities in the market. It also removes over 11,000 sea miles of carbon footprint and gives us the option to use Australian-made low carbon aluminium ingot.”

According to Commins, the growth in demand for aluminium is largely organic, with exports having seen a decline during Covid.

“Aluminium aerosol cans offer a higher level of customisable shapes and decoration to support a product’s marketing message compared to other dispensing systems, especially valuable for cosmetic, therapeutic and personal care products,” he added.

Jamestrong’s investment in the new casting line and plant upgrade will be supplemented by a US$240K grant coming from the NSW Government’s Regional Job Creation Fund.

The NSW Government’s US$140 million Regional Job Creation Fund aims to create more than 7000 new jobs in regional NSW by helping businesses fast-track their growth plans, expand their operations and create a solid base for job creation now and into the future.

It supports eligible businesses with grants to purchase new equipment, expand facilities, acquire technology, create new production lines or establish businesses in regional NSW.

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