by brandsa2018

Mark Fusco: advanced manufacturing critical to the economy

Cutting edge technology is helping to generate new advanced manufacturing potential for South Australia to grow the economy, according to business improvement specialist Mark Fusco.

“I’m really quite excited for the future in the sense that some of these changes in technology help the smaller companies compete, we don’t have to send things to Asia to be made if we use the technology available in a smart way,” says Mark, Brand South Australia’s newest I Choose SA ambassador.

He says advanced manufacturing in SA is helping level the global playing field so local companies can better compete, grow and create more jobs in the state.

“Advanced manufacturing is such a critical part of any advanced economy, it’s a creator of net wealth, it’s high tech, high value and it’s exportable,” Mark says.

He established award-winning Advanced Focus in 2005 “to help companies scale up” after spending five years working as production engineering manager for global car company Mitsubishi Motors.

He now works with more than 40 sectors in building more advanced systems – and is actually based in a former Mitsubishi building at the Tonsley innovation precinct.

Mark Fusco of Advanced Focus is an I Choose SA ambassador for the Advanced Manufacturing industry. Photo by James Knowler/JKTP.

The company specialises in working with high potential businesses to evaluate the way they operate and to help remodel their systems to boost efficiency and scale.

“If you’re a company that’s growing really fast there are often three things you run out of pretty quickly, you can’t get enough good people, you can’t get enough money to fund expansion and you’re outgrowing your premises, facility and processes,” Mark says.

It’s been a rewarding process, with Advanced Focus winning awards and helping create success stories, like the company’s second customer SA’s Redarc Electronics.

When Mark first worked with Redarc and its managing director Anthony Kittel there were only 15 staff but management was committed to building a global company.

“He had the ambition and we’ve worked in partnership ever since, the company now has over 200 people and is really going well based at Lonsdale,” Mark says.

“You don’t see that ambition often, it’s fantastic to work with a company that really wants to make a change.”

Since then Advanced Focus has worked with the Osborne-based builder of the nation’s Collins class submarines to dramatically slash dry docking maintenance times.

It has also worked with leading defence industry leader BAE Systems Australia and electrification, automation and digitalisation company Siemens.

Last week, Mark was meeting with senior members of the Australian Navy, introducing them to a range of smart SA companies like Tauv, a manufacturer of lightweight military-grade armour.

Tauv has applied world-first technology to additive manufacturing to develop stronger, lighter and smarter armour for defence, law enforcement and the civil industry.

Another is Resonate, a company specialising in the design of custom measurement systems, software development, complex data analytics and systems integration services.

“They’ve created a company called Ping that has created an acoustic sensor that can listen using artificial intelligence … that is being used to monitor wind turbine defects,” Mark says.

Mark is now also focused on recognising the abundance of high-potential companies in the state.

Along with two other companies, Mihell & Lycos and Adept Technology, he established the not-for-profit Impact Awards in 2014.

The aim was to draw together highly respected leaders in the SA business community to help develop and grow more global companies.

Its mission is “to deliver significant value to the SA economy for the long term by actively working with proven, high-potential companies to help them globalise”.

The awards find companies with the greatest potential to impact world markets – with winners paired with the group’s ambassadors to help them achieve their global ambitions faster and with less risk.

Ambassadors include Rheinmetall Defence Australia managing director and Sydac founder Adrian Smith and angel investor and co-founder of Australian company Humense, Amber Cordeaux.

Mark says winners like last year’s Supashock, HMPS and Ziptrak had judges “blown away that they have never heard of some of these companies and also what the have achieved and done it in SA”.

The awards website says it all.

“SA as a high cost economy, with a small and isolated population, needs global companies generating profound impact on the world,” it says.

“By uniting with proven leaders and influencers, our local business community can achieve incredible things to make SA not just one of the best places to live, but also one of the most exciting places from which to run a global enterprise.”

I Choose SA for Advanced Manufacturing stories are made possible by City of Salisbury:

Industry in focus: Advanced Manufacturing

Throughout the month of September, the state’s advanced manufacturing industry will be under the magnifying glass as part of I Choose SA.

As SA transforms away from traditional manufacturing processes, innovative and sophisticated products and services are taking their place, creating new jobs and investment opportunities for the state. Read more stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

Purity provides the key to success for SA honey producers

Fake honey? Consumers familiar with South Australia’s fraternity of artisan honey producers scoff at such a notion.

The provenance of locally procured honey has provided a commercial boon for a suite of SA honey producers for many years in global markets, with careful harvesting placing the authenticity of their honey beyond question.

When news recently broke of a substitution scandal affecting imported bulk honey, Buzz Honey in the Adelaide Hills was inundated with a host of endorsements from their loyal customers.

“Many customers immediately emailed us, saying that’s why they’ve been buying our honey for such a long time, because they know it’s pure,” says Buzz Honey managing director Annette Ferris.

“Our products have a clear paddock-to-plate story. We know all of our bees, the flowers they source nectar from, and every honey sourced from different sites is kept separate. Such attention to detail is our point of difference.”

Buzz Honey beekeepers in an orange orchard.

Local producers have promoted the provenance of SA honey through rigorous education of consumers. An important asset for Buzz Honey has been its “hive door” sales facility in Hahndorf’s main street.

With the retail shop featuring a glass-walled hive containing 20,000 bees, visitors observe how honey is made, then can taste different honeys sourced from different regions and tree blossoms: Bluegum from Adelaide Hills, Orange Blossom from Riverland, and Bush Mallee from the Murray Mallee district.

“The specific taste differences have taught a lot of people that true honey has a lot of individual character and depth of flavour that defies imitation,” says Annette.

Authenticity has long been a hallmark of Island Beehive on Kangaroo Island, one of Australia’s largest organic honey producers, selling up to 200 tonnes of honey each year to local and international buyers.

Proprietor Peter Davis built the reputation of the honey he produces around the provenance of the island’s Ligurian bees, imported from Italy by the SA Chamber of Manufactures in the early 1880s, which led to the 4500 square-kilometre island being declared a bee sanctuary.

Beekeeper and honey producer Peter Davis, left, is passionate about Kangaroo Island’s Ligurian bee species.

As a consequence, the bees that service Peter’s 1300 hives around the island are the last remaining pure bred Ligurian bees in the world – an exclusive aspect to Island Beehive production that Peter has energetically promoted.

“Our ‘Authentic Kangaroo Island’ brand has a special power to it,” he says.

“We export about 60 tonnes of honey a year, with 40 tonnes going to Japan.

Demand far exceeds supply every year, because people know that we sell true honey. We sell everything we produce, because of our honey’s reputation for purity, and there is demand for much, much more.”

Peter says Island Beehive has the ability to expand, and will do so when conditions are right to foster more queen bees and meet escalating demand.

“We can do this without compromising our quality or integrity, because what we do is built upon the strength of our relationships with farmers and landowners, to ensure we can accurately read the flora and the seasons to ensure the best possible quality honey.”

It’s a story consistent among SA honey producers. Humbugz at Kingston SE has grown steadily from a backyard hobby for David and Frances Curkpatrick into a business with national and export sales.

They tend about 400 working hives, with each hive capable of producing about 100kg of honey annually from Italian Gold bees located within a 60km radius of their production shed.

Frances believes that conscientious producers focused on such types of localised production are now in a very advantageous position.

Humbugz Honey is made in Kingston in the state’s South East.

“SA’s honey producers now have a great opportunity to promote the purity of our honey. If we work together, we can shine on a light on a great asset that we have in this state,” says Frances.

The provenance of SA honey is also taken seriously within the local hospitality industry, with the Mayfair Hotel in Adelaide’s CBD having its own hives on the rooftop.

Executive chef Bethany Finn makes an elaborate feature of the hotel’s own honey as part of the hotel’s extensive breakfast buffet, offering a variety of flavours, and even fresh honeycomb.

The Mayfair’s honey is also featured in the hotel’s signature Honey Trap cocktail at its rooftop Hennessy Lounge.

More honey innovations in SA are set to keep the local industry moving forward.

Buzz Honey received a $50,000 State Government Advanced Manufacturing Grant in March 2017, to develop freeze-dried SA raw honey crystals with SARDI.

The project will involve constructing a humidity-controlled processing room, with the results expected to enable SA’s pure honey to be used more widely in large-scale food manufacturing.

“Honey is not just honey,” says BuzzHoney’s Annette Ferris. “It’s a highly specialised ingredient that we still have so much to learn about. For us, honey is an adventure.”

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

Kangaroo Island showcases pure grain to the world

Kangaroo Island Pure Grain (KIPG) is helping to further strengthen the island’s clean and green reputation to drive export markets and support local farmers.

For more than a decade KIPG has endeavoured to provide premium returns for local growers of non-genetically modified grains, oilseeds and pulses that are fully traceable back to individual farms.

While the domestic market is an important part of KIPG’s operations, its export market makes up the majority of its sales.

Recently the company hosted a delegation of Japanese buyers who visited the island for a first-hand insight into the local grain industry and the pristine environment.

“We have high interest from Japan in our non-GM canola, so we’ve been doing business with them for nearly 11 years,” says KIPG CEO Shane Mills.

“Our canola goes to Japan as pure non-GM canola oil and they’ve really embraced the clean, green and pristine environment it comes from.

“That’s the real success story to date for KIPG.”

Delegates on their visit to KIPG in 2017. A group also visited the island this September.

Recently KIPG has branched out to help local farmers find new niche markets, particularly with well known brands in the food and beverage industries.

KIPG collaborates with iconic South Australian brewer Coopers to supply Westminster barley used for making beer.

The barley is malted at Coopers’ $65 million new malting plant in Adelaide and is also supplied to boutique breweries.

The collaboration has eventually led to the making of the island’s very first whiskey, produced by Kangaroo Island Spirits (KIS).

KIS is preparing to distil the single malt whiskey also with the help of the island’s Drunken Drone Brewery and port barrels sourced from Bay of Shoals Wines.

KIPG CEO Shane Mills says relationships with well known companies such as Coopers and other leading businesses on the island “gives another arm to help the growers’ profitability”.

He says KIPG also supplies biscuit wheat to Adelaide’s Allied Mills which makes Arnott’s Tim Tams.

Drunken Drone Brewkery’s Greg Simons, left, Member for Mawson Leon Bignell, Kangaroo Island Pure Grain manager Dennis Jamieson and Kangaroo Island Spirits’ Jon Lark each enjoy a Lark Whiskey. They’ll have to wait two years before the island’s first whiskey is matured.

Kangaroo Island’s grain growers provide up to 20,000 tonnes a year to KIPG, with commodities including wheat, canola, broad beans and malted barley.

“Our broad beans that we grow on the island go right through South East Asia and they go into snack foods – similar to how we eat peanuts,” Shane says.

“We’re marketing that right through Indonesia and through Taiwan and we’re just breaking into the Middle East now.

“That’s another success story that’s provided our growers with another profitable crop.

“If you look at dollar terms our percentage of export is somewhere around 70% and tonnage wise it’s about 50%.

“We’re pushing to grow the export business a bit and maximise the value of our crops.”

KIPG was established in 2009 by a group of local grain growers who were looking for a more viable alternative than the local silo system to market their grain.

Shane says costs for transporting freight off the island to the mainland was a “real catalyst” for establishing KIPG.

“Our job is to market the grain at a profit that negates the freight factor, so we’re very much into niche marketing because we don’t accumulate hundreds of thousands of tonnes,” he says.

KIPG’s site near Kingscote on Kangaroo Island.

KIPG receives, classifies, stores, processes and markets the majority of the island’s premium grains, oilseeds, and pulses.

At harvest time – usually in early December – grain is sent to the KIPG receiving and storage facility just outside of the island’s main business hub of Kingscote.

KIPG partners with local trucking company Ugly Dog Transport to send the grain on the SeaLink ferry to domestic buyers.

It also has a processing facility at Osborne in Adelaide where the product is graded and packaged ready for export.

Kangaroo Island local Ben Pontifex is a fifth generation farmer, growing canola, broad beans and malted barley.

He says having a collaborative approach to grain growing on the island is “beyond integral” to the local industry’s livelihood.

“It gives us a fighting chance with the freight rate, and logistically too, all the way through from harvest to the end markets.”

Like this story? Nominate a story from your region.
Click here to nominate >>

These inspiring regional stories are made possible by:

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by brandsa2018

German battery giant to create 430 manufacturing jobs for SA

A German energy storage giant has chosen the former Holden car factory in Adelaide’s northern suburbs as the centre of its Australian operations.

Sonnen will assemble and manufacture 50,000 energy storage systems at the site over the next five years, creating about 430 manufacturing and installation jobs for South Australia.

The company’s plans to establish a battery production plant in Adelaide were initially announced in February 2018, when the location was still under consideration.

Sonnen will set up its Australian headquarters at the former Holden manufacturing plant and begin assembling its world-leading home battery technology.

Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister David Ridgway says the new manufacturing centre will become sonnen’s central shipping facility for Australia and the Asia and South Pacific region.

“The State Liberal Government is delighted that sonnen has decided to make Adelaide the centre of its Australian operations and the jobs that will deliver for South Australians,” he says.

“Manufacturing has been a key foundation of SA’s economy for decades and this is set to continue on the back of leading companies like sonnen establishing an advanced manufacturing presence in our state.”

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The State Government says the rollout of the battery systems combined with rooftop solar is expected to “provide significant savings to household electricity bills”.

The sonnen news follows the State Government’s announcement of its $100m Home Battery Scheme.

The scheme is set to provide 40,000 SA households with access to grants up to $6000 to pay for the installation of home battery systems.

Sonnen CEO Christoph Ostermann says SA has a new reputation for being the centre of energy policy in Australia.

“We are very excited to begin manufacturing in SA for the Australian and export markets and anticipate Australia will become the world’s number one market for energy storage systems,” he says.

Sonnen runs a virtual power plant in Germany, where thousands of households are connected with a photovoltaic system (PV) and storage system, forming the decentralised sonnenCommunity.

“As the sonnenBatterie can charge and discharge up to three times a day, it is ideal once battery numbers reach a certain level, to form a virtual power plant capable of supplying energy to the grid on days of high demand,” Christoph says.

“50,000 storage systems will be able to draw down energy stored in the batteries to supply up to 150 megawatts of electricity to the grid, which is the equivalent of a gas-fired peaking power station.”

Header image: sonnen, Facebook.

I Choose SA for Advanced Manufacturing stories are made possible by City of Salisbury:

Industry in focus: Advanced Manufacturing

Throughout the month of September, the state’s advanced manufacturing industry will be under the magnifying glass as part of I Choose SA.

As SA transforms away from traditional manufacturing processes, innovative and sophisticated products and services are taking their place, creating new jobs and investment opportunities for the state. Read more stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

Adelaide the true star of Aussie film The Flip Side

Four lead characters sit outside North Adelaide’s The Kentish pub sipping on Coopers Sparkling Ales in Australian comedy drama The Flip Side.

The scene is a snippet of life in Adelaide, and it’s unfolding in cinemas across the country.

Co-written and directed by South Australian creative Marion Pilowsky, the charming film was shot in 35 locations across the state in just five weeks.

Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement, Hahndorf,  gets screen time, as does the famous palm tree-lined Seppeltsfield Road in the Barossa Valley.

Drama unfolds at the Brukunga Mine in the small Adelaide Hills town and waves crash on screen at a beach along Horseshoe Bay.

“It means everything to me that I was able to create this film here in SA,” says Marion, who was born in the UK before emigrating to Australia at the age of three with her family.

“It feels completely truthful, my DNA is in the work, it’s where I’ve grown up. I wouldn’t have wanted to do it anywhere else.”

Ronnie, played by SA actor Emily Taheny, at Barossa Bowland.

The Flip Side is Marion’s debut feature film, produced by her own Adelaide-based Corner Table Productions in association with the SA Film Corporation, Screen Australia and 20th Century Fox.

SA actor Emily Taheny – whose hometown is Warooka on the Yorke Peninsula – plays the lead role of Ronnie, an Adelaide chef who sparked a love affair with English actor, Henry (played by Eddie Izzard).

But Henry goes back to the UK, breaking Ronnie’s heart in the process.

Five years later Ronnie is coupled up with Jeff (Luke McKenzie), when Henry visits Australia again, but this time with French assistant girlfriend Sophie (Vanessa Guide).

Henry and Sophie stay with Ronnie and Jeff for a few days, but the time spent together leaves Ronnie wondering what could have been with the one who got away.

It took Marion about four years to write the script with co-writer and partner Lee Sellars, who Marion says brought truthfulness to the male perspective of the story.

Eddie Izzard plays Henry in film The Flip Side.

She points out The Flip Side is a comedy drama rather than a romantic comedy, and that her intention was to reflect women’s lives on screen.

“It’s a comedy drama and it’s about how women work out where they are in their lives and giving themselves permission to be happy and finding their own state of grace in the kind of complicated lives we live as modern women,” Marion says.

About 70 South Australian cast and crew were employed for the film, shot at locations including Callington, Port Adelaide, Macclesfield, Happy Valley, Croydon, Semaphore Beach, Tonsley, Adelaide Airport and Clarence Park.

“I always like location in film … I like having the environment of where the characters live front and centre and I don’t apologise for that.

“So this is an Adelaide couple who live in SA and I wanted it to be very specifically about that.”

SA’s landscapes haven’t only unfolded on the silver screen as a result of The Flip Side hitting theatres, but they’ve also been shared across social media too.

While filming in Elizabeth, Vanessa Guide, the French actor who plays Sophie, snapped an image of a garden outside a unit in the northern suburbs and shared it with her 36,000 Instagram followers.

“She posted this photo of a classic Australian native garden with beautiful flowering natives,” Marion says.

“I asked her, ‘where is that!’ and she pointed across the road.”

While The Flip Side is Marion’s first feature film, she has made six short films and built her career in the realms of film financing, film sales and consultancy.

Growing up in Adelaide, Marion moved to the UK at the age of 27, living between London and Sydney for the next 20 years of her life.

In 2012 she returned home to Adelaide with a desire to create her own work, knowing that it had to be done here at home.

“I really believe in writing what you know and being in a place that you’re really connected to,” Marion says.

“The greatest benefit of working here is that it’s so easy logistically and physically … everything is within an hour, the actual making of the film and moving large groups of people around is a lot easier than Sydney or Melbourne.”

Marion admits the film industry is a tough gig to crack and that “any film that gets made now is literally a miracle”.

But she says the energy of SA’s creative industries is promising for the local film sector.

“I think we’re in a moment of great productivity and great positivity,” she says.

“It feels like a very good time to be a filmmaker in SA.”

Read more stories about South Australia’s creative industries here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

There’s a new way to shop local with Shop South Australia

One online place where South Australian gin, chocolate, wine, jewellery, skincare, clothing and homewares can all be found? We know. Legendary idea.

Brand South Australia is proud to launch the new look of its online marketplace, Shop South Australia, in celebration of the abundance of talented makers and producers we have right here in SA.

The overhauled marketplace is home to a collection of more than 300 local goodies and gifts from over 65 brands.

You’ll recognise a few, from the legendary Fruchocs makers Robern Menz and chocolate heroes Haigh’s Chocolates, to the warm and snuggly woollen quilt and pillow makers, Mini Jumbuk.

Other brands include Ambleside Distillery from Hahndorf, McLaren Vale’s Fox Creek, fashionista Naomi Murrell, botanical beauty company Yard Skincare, and East End Flower Market.

There are goodies and services for her, him, the home, kids, babies and everyone in between.

Just a few of the goodies that can be found on Shop South Australia.

Shop South Australia is a product aggregation site, allowing users to browse for local products and services before being prompted to purchase directly from the vendor’s website, ensuring profits remain with the maker.

Brendan Carter, owner of Gumeracha’s Applewood Distillery and wine label Unico Zelo, says the marketplace will help grow awareness of the great products that hail from SA.

“To have our meticulously crafted products sitting alongside some of the best in the state is a brilliant opportunity,” he says.

The local shopping ethos of Shop South Australia aligns with Brand South Australia’s popular I Choose SA program, which encourages South Aussies to support local jobs by buying from local businesses, retailers and suppliers.

After something special? Visit Shop South Australia and don’t forget to use the #shopsouthaustralia hashtag on social media when snapping your purchases!

Shop South Australia is home to a unique collection of over 300 South Australian gifts and goods from more than 70 local makers & producers. Choose local and Shop South Australia.

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by brandsa2018

Top 15 Regional Showcase finalists announced

We brought you the story of the outback cop and her gang of joeys, seaside bakeries and teenage entrepreneurs.

More than 100 of our 2018 Regional Showcase stories, written by our pool of regional journalists and shared here on Brand SA News, have uncovered tales of success, creativity, and overcoming diversity.

Now we bring you the Top 15 Regional Showcase articles, decided with the help of you – the general public – as well as program sponsors, local councils and Regional Development Australia (RDA).

All pockets of regional South Australia have been covered, from far north in the outback down to the Fleurieu, over to the east on the Limestone Coast and stretching to the west on the Eyre Peninsula.

The Top 15 stories are now in the running to win one of three 2018 Regional Showcase awards, announced at an annual celebration evening on October 26 at The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend.

One of the accolades, the People’s Choice Award, has been decided by your votes – 5500 of them – throughout the month of August.

The Business and Community awards judged by program sponsors, local councils and the RDA, will also be announced on the night.

Brand South Australia CEO Karen Raffen says this year’s program is shaping up to be another success.

“The number of votes received shows that people are passionate about the great work happening in our regions,” she says.

Tickets to the celebration evening are on sale now. Visit www.regionalshowcase.live.

TOP 15 REGIONAL SHOWCASE FINALISTS

Max Cranes

Port Augusta-based business Max Cranes is reaching new heights with a move to welcome the largest telescopic crane in the southern hemisphere to its fleet.

The mobile crane will allow the Upper Spencer Gulf business to expand its capabilities in construction and maintenance of wind towers.

Max Cranes, co-founded by Mark Kuhn in 2002, has experienced upward growth in its workforce in the last 18 months as the infrastructure, mining, energy and resource sectors in SA surge forward.

Read the story.

Max Cranes Brinkworth Progress Association

This Mid North community group has worked hard in recent years to beautify the sleepy town of Brinkworth, raising money for the upgrade of visitor amenities, the town hall, camping grounds, playgrounds and walking trails.

Brinkworth had a population of 401 people in 2006, plummeting to just 188 in 2011, before creeping back up to 285 in 2016. Could it be the efforts of local volunteers drawing people back in? Read the story.

Carolyn’s Chemo Caps

Strathalbyn woman Carolyn Mugford is behind Carolyn’s Chemo Caps, special headwear for women who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy.

In the past five year’s she and her team of volunteers have made and delivered 10,000 chemo caps to oncology units in hopsitals across SA and VIC.

Carolyn made her first chemo cap in 2011 to hide her bald and sensitive scalp while undergoing cancer treatment herself. Read the story.

C3 Church Adelaide Hills

The Hahndorf Christkindlmarkt, run by the C3 Church Adelaide Hills, has drawn 90,000 visitors to the old German town’s main street to enjoy a European Christmas market atmosphere.

Now in its seventh year, the Christkindlmarkt held every December is run by volunteers. Read the story.

Clare Valley Enterprises

Clare Valley and Barossa Enterprises is the largest regional employer of people with disabilities, with its workers constructing custom made wooden labelled boxes for the wine industry.

Now the Clare Valley side of the business is looking to double its output and its workforce, following the opening of a new workshop there. Read the story.

Cowell Electric

Eyre Peninsula business Cowell Electric has managed power station and distribution networks for decades, providing thousands of customers in more than a dozen remote towns with electricity.

Cowell Electric has gone through ups and downs in its time, but in 2016 celebrated a major win – a $20m State Government contract to supply electricity within the APY Lands.

Recently, it was reported that the business has been taken over by local engineering and construction group Ahrens with managing director Sue Chase leaving the company for which she had helped create new fortunes. Read the story.

Goolwa Bakery

The Goolwa Bakery on the Fleurieu Peninsula is chasing new ventures by preparing to export its pies and pasties to Asia.

Owner Ben Hage will send batches of pepper pies and pastries to Singapore in 2019, and is also in discussions with a Singaporean grocery retailer.

It’s a big move for the country town bakery which has fed hungry locals and tourists in Goolwa for 105 years.

Read the story. 

Flinders Machinery in Booleroo Centre has diversified its services.

Flinders Machinery

This family-owned business in Booleroo Centre in the state’s Far North is striving to help fire up the local economy by expanding its services and supporting job creation.

While two mechanic workshops and two bank branches have shut their doors in the past five years, Flinders Machinery has helped pick up the slack, extending its workshop to allow for servicing of the town’s vehicles.

It also takes on a small number of apprentices. Read the story.

Hafeezullah Haidari

Naracoorte man Hafeezullah Haidari runs a small Indian restaurant in Naracoorte. He came to Australia in 2013 after fleeing persecution in Pakistan.

He has rebuilt his life in the South East, and aside from running the restaurant, he gives back to the community that took him in by cooking free meals for the local CFS during bushfires, and also trains local students in hospitality.

Read the story.

Little Local Co

The Little Local Co coffee shop in Tailem Bend has finally brought good coffee and homemade baked treats to the transforming town.

Run by Amy and Neil Chinsami, the couple are preparing to open a second Little Local Co establishment along the main highway soon.

They draw inspiration on their Aboriginal and Fijian backgrounds, incorporating ingredients such as wattle seed from the Coorong and Raukkan areas into their cold brew. Read the story. 

Amy and Neil Chinsami of Little Local Co. Photo by Glenn Power.

Paulett Wines

Paulett Wines in the Clare Valley established its Bush DeVine Café and planted a native sensory bush garden to create a point of difference.

The family-owned business not only knows how to make a good drop, but they also incorporate native bush tucker produce into the café’s dishes.

The extension of their business cafe has also allowed them to support youth employment. Read the story.

Ryde Clothing

Renmark teenager Nathan Woodrow runs his own clothing label, Ryde Clothing, inspired by his love for skating, mountain biking, and wake boarding.

It took one magazine interview for word to get out about his label a few years back and now Nathan has sold more than 1000 units across the country.

He sketches the designs himself before screen printing them onto fabric from his home studio – a shipping container in the backyard. Read the story.

Renmark entrepreneur and streetwear designer Nathan Woodrow.

Susan Pearl

Susan Pearl from the Far North town of Blinman is an example of selflessness at its best.

Susan is the historic copper town’s first responder, meaning that if there is an accident or medical emergency, she’s the one on scene until an ambulance crew arrives.

Susan is also rostered on in Hawker and Port Augusta, and splits her time between the medical services and running tours at the Blinman Heritage Mine. Read the story.

Tumby Bay Progress Association

The Tumby Bay Progress Association celebrated the unveiling of a stunning artwork painted on the town’s giant grain silos in April this year.

Painted by Argentinean artist Martin Ron over five weeks, the mural has become a tourist attraction and joins a number of other silo artworks that have recently popped up across SA and VIC.

The progress association ran the project, officially launched in conjunction with the Colour Tumby Art Festival. Read the story.

Tumby Bay locals gather with Martin Ron at the silo mural. PHOTO: Robert Lang Photography.

Senior Constable Tiffany Greig

Senior Constable Tiffany Greig is stationed at the most remote police station in SA, 1200km from Adelaide in the red sandy town of Murputja in the APY Lands.

It’s not unusual to spot a rescued joey in the back seat of her patrol vehicle, as Tiffany takes in injured wildlife and is also followed around by a pack of cautious yet friendly wild dingoes.

Tiffany is also a bit of social media star with thousands of Instagram followers and once appearing on Channel 10’s The Project. Read the story.

We’re still on the hunt!

Just because the Top 15 has been announced doesn’t mean our story gathering is finished!

Regional Showcase is ongoing and we’re on the lookout now for more cracking regional yarns for inclusion in next year’s program.

Got an idea? Click on the link below to put forward your story suggestion.

Got a good story? Nominate a story from your region.
Click here to nominate >>

These inspiring regional stories are made possible by:

Major Partner[logooos_saved id=”5491″]Program Partners

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Header image courtesy of SATC, John Montesi, scenery along RM Williams Way, Clare Valley.

by brandsa2018

Norseld drives world-first diamond-like carbon coating solution

Medical laser company Norseld has established what it believes is a world-first method for creating a thin diamond-like carbon coating at room temperature.

The Adelaide CBD business has been developing the revolutionary thin film coating using its laser platform CoolDiamond DLC for future use in the defence and aerospace industry.

Norseld managing director Peter Shute says the company’s industrial laser is used to create the film at room temperature and is able to be coated onto any material including silicon and plastic.

The coating solution is designed to withstand corrosion, abrasion, scratching, sand, salt and oil, making it a sound choice for the military and defence industry.

Peter says other methods to create diamond-like coatings have existed for some time but were only able to be produced under extremely high temperatures.

“What we do is use our industrial laser to create the film at room temperature,” he says.

“Because our industrial laser is scalable, we can scale that (coating) to a very large extent, and then you can start to coat things like big parts of aeroplanes that you can’t put in high temperature environments.”

A single layer of DLC provides protective properties and anti-reflective performance.

“Nobody else can do this because there is no other scalable industrial laser of this type in the world.

“From a research point of view people have been using lasers to create diamond films for many years, but they are very small scale and slow and not able to be commercialised.

“Our industrial laser has this very unique capability of scaling up.”

Peter says the defence industry was an “obvious choice” for CoolDiamond DLC to target and that the company is currently trialling the film solution with a number of defence primes (major defence companies).

“There is a nice fit with the fact that we’re located in South Australia and that a number of primes are based here, there is so much going on,” says Peter, who has a background in medical devices and orthopaedics.

SA is considered the defence state of Australia, particularly since securing the majority of works within the Federal Government’s $90 billion naval shipbuilding program.

“Defence is a bit like the medical device industry in that it’s ultra controlled with many regulations … we (Norseld) are a medical device manufacturer primarily, so we can slip straight over into the mindset of what is required for the defence industry.

“So that is an advantage in that respect as well.”

The diamond-like carbon coating also holds potential for the world of retail eyewear, including sunglasses and ski goggles, as well as the medical devices industry.

“Luxottica, the world’s biggest sunglass maker, is interested in being able to coat on plastic for wear protection,” Peter says.

“The other thing is diamond-coated medical implants like pacemakers and stents and anything else that floats in the body. The body doesn’t reject diamond because it sees it as one.

“As you start to think about what might be possible, your mind boggles.”

Peter says the advanced manufacturing solution is still in implementation stages and is in the process of being “scaled up”.

Norseld was established in Adelaide more than 30 years ago, growing to design, manufacture and export laser systems to 30 different countries.

It has 20 staff and exports 90% of its products which include laser platforms used in the medical industry.

Peter says SA is a leader in Industry 4.0 and is renowned for its leading-edge advanced manufacturing solutions.

“I think we’ve become very good at understanding where our strengths lie and capitalising on them,” he adds.

I Choose SA for Advanced Manufacturing stories are made possible by City of Salisbury:

Industry in focus: Advanced Manufacturing

Throughout the month of September, the state’s advanced manufacturing industry will be under the magnifying glass as part of I Choose SA.

As SA transforms away from traditional manufacturing processes, innovative and sophisticated products and services are taking their place, creating new jobs and investment opportunities for the state. Read more stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

Local produce an inspiration for sweet success

Seasonal produce has that something extra. Extra sweetness, extra crunch, extra flavour.

And when you hand craft it into a delicious filling and cover it in quality chocolate – well, that is something extra special.

Alex Crawford, aka The Sugar Man, is doing just that – creating hand-crafted chocolate bars in the Adelaide Hills with fillings which take inspiration from local, seasonal ingredients.

Think apple pie flavours with crisp Pink Lady apples and pieces of pie crust covered in 34% white chocolate, or a peanut butter filling using locally ground peanuts and a pinch of Murray River pink salt, encased in single origin Ghana milk chocolate.

Alex, who closed his wholesale patisserie business late last year, has always been a lover of local, seasonal food.

However, taking this philosophy to a range of chocolate bars is certainly something new.

Have you seen The Sugar Man? Photo by Meaghan Coles.

Alex is creating new bars each season, being inspired by the produce that is available in the Adelaide Hills and wider areas.

“The Pink Lady apples have been sourced from fourth-generation apple growers in the Adelaide Hills,” he says.

“I have also just released an Espresso Martini flavour using Espressocello from Applewood Distillery at Gumeracha and locally roasted coffee beans from Caffiend in Hahndorf.

“The espresso filling is covered with a Mexique 66% dark chocolate which has bitter and fruity notes. It took a little while to find the right chocolate to cover this one, but now that I have it, the balance is perfect.”

The Sugar Man bars are made to order, so when you buy a bar you can be sure that it was produced in the very recent past.

Depending on the filling, the chocolate bars have a best before date of around two to three months.

The Espresso Martini chocolate made with Espressocello from fellow Hills business Applewood Distillery. Photo by Britt Natolo.

One of the foundation ingredients for the chocolate bars is butter, and Alex sources his from The Dairyman in the Barossa Valley.

“It is superb butter,” Alex says.

“It is churned and handmade in small batches from the cream of grass fed Jersey cows. I am lucky to be surrounded by such talented and hardworking producers who take pride and interest in their work. It makes my job a lot easier.”

Some of the flavours Alex has created so far include Fairy Bread, Coffee and Doughnuts, Sticky Date Pudding and Orange Marmalade on Toast.

The Apple Pie chocolate is made using Pink Lady apples, pie crust and white chocolate. Photo by Britt Natolo.

The marmalade flavour was created using oranges from Alex’s grandmother’s tree, with sourdough bread from Dough bakery.

“It is all about balance of texture and flavours,” Alex says. “The ratios have to be right.”

And just like with all artisan pursuits, there are no shortcuts.

“Chocolate is temperamental,” Alex says.

“It takes time and patience to complete each step, but people are going to buy the product, so it has to be perfect.”

The Sugar Man chocolate bars are available at Fred Eatery, Aldgate, The Smelly Cheese Shop, Adelaide Central Markets and Banana Boys, Mitcham.

An online store and dedicated retail outlet will be appearing soon – stay tuned.

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by brandsa2018

Inside Adelaide’s laneways: Gresham Street

We recently kicked off a series here on Brand SA News to explore the hidden gems of our city – the laneways of Adelaide.

They are the veins of the CBD, pulsating with life and energy, and the place that many businesses – including bars, cafes and restaurants – call home.

Exploring these hidden locations has become a favourite pastime of locals and visitors alike, so we thought it timely to start casting a spotlight on each of them.

First we explored and brought you the best of our west end friend, Bank Street.

Next up: Gresham Street.

Gresham Street may not be the most famous of Adelaide’s laneways, but it’s the go-to location for locals in the know.

Connecting North Terrace to Hindley Street, it’s home to a few key hot spots to eat, drink and play, as well as some striking artwork by one of Adelaide’s best-known street artists.

Let’s take a stroll down Gresham Street and discover what it has to offer…

La Buvette is a slice of Paris in Adelaide.

La Buvette Drinkery

This chic wine and aperitif bar is a little bit of Paris in the heart of Adelaide.

Understated yet sophisticated, it lives up to its name (‘La Buvette’ loosely translates to a bar you frequent for wine and snacks with friends).

The wine list has both local and French natural varieties and the menu features authentic specialty French bites.

Bibliotheca is a bar for book worms.

The Bibliotheca Bar and Book Exchange

Books and booze – could there be a better combination?!

The Bibliotheca Bar and Book Exchange is a small European-style bar focusing on spirits from around the globe, classic cocktails and books.

Lots of books. Find a cosy spot and curl up with a cheese board or charcuterie and enjoy a chapter or two.

This laneway watering hole is all about moonshines, blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll.

Mississippi Moon

Created as a homage to the old-world dive bars of south-west America, Mississippi Moon offers a variety of premium spirits, beers and wines.

Its strong southern Americana feel carries all the way through from the décor to the specialty cocktail list – moonshines, whiskeys and sours – and the blues, jazz and old rock ‘n’ roll music played.

A childhood pastime can be revisited at Empire Pool Lounge.

Empire Pool Lounge

Having recently moved from its previous location of 17 years in the west end, Empire Pool Lounge now calls number 2 Gresham Street home.

Combining both social and competitive play with great music in a relaxed atmosphere, Empire Pool Lounge is something of an Adelaide institution.

With areas for hire, Empire is perfect for after work drinks, parties or simply meeting up with friends.

Vans the Omega brings colour to the streets.

Street art by Vans the Omega

Internationally renowned street artist and Adelaide local, Vans the Omega, was commissioned by Splash Adelaide – an initiative from the Adelaide City Council – to make lesser known pockets of the city more vibrant.

And so, Gresham Street was chosen as the location for this portrait of Adelaide fashion and lifestyle blogger, Sonia Bavistock (AKA Sonia Styling) … yes, me!

Quite the privilege to have been painted by one of our state’s most talented artists and immortalised on the side of a building along Gresham Street.

Header image courtesy of SATC, featuring La Buvette and Bibliotheca.

Sonia Bavistock is a fashion and lifestyle blogger and also has her own social media management and copywriting business. Sonia is passionate about all things South Australia and can often be seen dining out with a glass of wine in hand.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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