The MIA Podcast 8 Episode with Graham Hill retired manufacturing CFO
In this episode, we are very lucky to be graced with the presence of Graham Hill, who was a part of the glory days of Australian Manufacturing. He’s seen it all, how the industry started and rose from the rocks and how Australia was heavily involved in manufacturing in the ‘60s.
Here are some of the things that we talked about:
- Graham started in 1958 and retired in 2006 as a trainee accountant then worked his way up to being a CFO
- Au manufacturing was very manual compared to today
- How impulse testing used to be done all the time in Five Dock
- How the gov’t often gave testing grants in the past
- How Drummoyne was filled with manufacturing factories in the past
- Au manufacturing was successful in the ‘60s because there were no goods coming in from other countries
- And because everything was locally made, the demand was very high
- The factories were just growing and growing from the 50s to the 60s
- What could help accelerate the manufacturing in Australia today?
- Labour costs in the ‘60s were not so much a big player in the industry
- China’s labour cost is rising
- How Australia’s products have always been known for quality
- Featuring Graham’s 52 year old power drill
And his success stories, experience in the manufacturing industry, and of course his answer to our main topic: Will Australian Manufacturing ever return to the glory days of the '60s?