Three businesses on the Sunshine Coast will share in more than $207,000 in state government funding to help meet demand and unlock further potential.
Telge Fisheries at Minyama, Studio Steel at Noosa and GeoDrill Australia at Chevallum will receive the funding in the latest round of the Business Growth Fund program.
They’re among 28 businesses across the state to access grants of up to $75,000 to purchase specialised equipment to accelerate growth, increase production and expand their workforce.
Telge Fisheries, which provides trawler-caught seafood to restaurants and retails in Australia and abroad, will use a $75,000 grant to purchase and install a high-tech weighing and packaging machine.
Installed on-board Telge Fisheries’ FV Kelvana trawler, the machinery is expected to improve product quality and prolong shelf life, significantly increase outputs and reduce wasted catch onboard and along the supply chain.
Studio Steel is a full-service structural steel fabrication business that offers advanced modelling using 3D LiDAR scanning of existing buildings to establish accurate-as-constructed building models.
A $57,000 grant will support the purchase of a Trimble X9 scanning package to expand scanning capabilities and access new customers in new markets.
GeoDrill Australia, a family-owned business specialising in mineral and coal exploration, and geotechnical and water drilling services, will use a $75,000 grant to enhance capabilities of its fleet of three Hydrapower HP850 drilling rigs.
The business will engage a Toowoomba-based engineering firm to design, engineer and implement rig enhancements, which will upgrade depth capacity beyond 3000m and allow the business to remain competitive with interstate drilling businesses.
Member for Nicklin Robert Skelton said the funding would be crucial.
“This Business Growth Fund gives confidence for growth and diversification, while increasing productivity, profit and/or employment,” he said.
Minister for Employment and Small Business Di Farmer said it could help the groups grow.
“It can contribute to their transition from small to medium-sized businesses,” she said.
“I look forward to seeing how local businesses turn this funding into enhanced productivity, more jobs and better economic returns.
“Recipients in round five (of the funding) represent the enormous diversity of businesses on the Sunshine Coast – from drilling experts and structural steel providers serving major construction projects, to experienced fishers supplying Australia and the world with premium Queensland seafood.
“Each of these businesses have identified speciality equipment that will help take their operations to the next level.
“This will support the continued prosperity of the Sunshine Coast, which is projected to experience the second-fastest increase in employment by 2025-26.”
Scroll down to SUBSCRIBE for our FREE news feed, direct to your inbox daily.
