11 THE CHAMBERLAIN GROUP, the world’s largest manufacturer of automatic garage door openers, based at West Gosford has signed on to be first exhibitor at the inaugural Central Coast Industry Festival Expo, to be held from 1st to 3rd September this year. A global leader in smart access solutions for the residential and commercial sectors Chamberlain will showcase its market leading products, award-winning manufacturing capabilities, sustainability initiatives and career pathways. Chamberlain is a Central Coast and Australian success story behind the Merlin®, LiftMaster® and Grifco® brands. The Central Coast Industry Festival Expo is an initiative of Central Coast Industry Connect, a not-for-profit industry organisation for the advanced manufacturing and food/drink production sectors in the region. Head of Operations – Oceania, Graeme Sheekey, said collaboration and embarking on a lean manufacturing journey have been critical to the company’s success. “As part of that journey, we joined Central Coast Industry Connect, and they helped connect us with other local manufacturers. We learnt so much from visiting their facilities and then customising what they do for our operations.” Support for apprentices Mr Sheekey said that Chamberlain began focusing on developing skills in-house through apprenticeships in 2018 and will showcase the skills of their existing apprentices on day two of the expo, which will bring industry, schools and universities together to highlight the variety of careers on offer within the advanced manufacturChamberlain Group to be at inaugural industry festival expo Customers return to the Chocolate Factory as shop opens again after Covid M A N U FA C T U R I N G N E W S NEW PATIENTS Comprehensive checkup & clean Includes up to 5 x-rays No Gap (with health insurance) or $290 OFFERS (all patients) Free orthodontic consultation Free dental implant consultation Free cosmetic makeover consultation FINANCE We bulk bill the Medicare CDBS Zip Pay & Zip Money payment plans We partner with SuperCare General Dentistry | Emergency Care | Cosmetic Dentistry Orthodontics & Invisalign | Sleep Dentistry IV Sedation | Oral Surgery Wisdom Teeth Removal | Dental Implants | 3D CT Scanning 02 4323 1933 | www.vcdental.com.au Suite 10, 36-40 Victoria Street, East Gosford NSW 2250 OPEN 7 DAYS 40 YEARS LOCAL THE CHOCOLATE SHOP and café at The Chocolate Factory at West Gosford has reopened after two years of Covid lockdowns with customers, mostly from Sydney, returning in increasing numbers. The Chocolate Factory owner Andrew Yiasemides said it had been a tough time but production of Limar Nougat, marshmallows and other fine chocolate products produced at the West Gosford factory had kept the company running. Covid has had no effect on our manufacturing production which Mr Yiasemides said has been showing a 25% annual increase in recent years. “One of our major customers is supermarket chain Aldi which sells our nougat under our own brand name Nougat Limar across their entire supermarket network across Australia,” he said. “It is very unusual for Aldi to sell products under any brand other than their own, however we have developed a strong relationship with them since they approached us almost ten years ago,” he said. Mr Yiasemides said that they had been developing a growing market in the USA prior to Covid however supply chain issues and the huge shipping cost increases had killed it off. Meanwhile he has developed a new automated production technique to continuously chocolate coat marshmallows and this product along with all their marshmallow products is now their fastest growing product. Now that we can see clear air we are ramping up our retail business with our Shop and Café now open 7-days. “We have an online membership of over 13,000 people and we have just appointed Missing Link Social Media marketing agency to expand reach into the online market as well as to bring more people into our shop,” he said. The Chocolate Factory and Shop employs up to 25 staff. The Chocolate Factory owner Andrew Yiasemides Graeme Sheekey ing, food, beverage and agriculture sectors Mr Sheekey said Chamberlain is on track to become a zero-waste facility at West Gosford by 2025, making it more attractive to the younger generation as an employer of choice. “The Central Coast Industry Festival is a great opportunity for Central Coast manufacturers to collaborate and showcase what we do,” he said. The Central Coast Industry Festival and Expo will be held at Mingara Recreation Club, Tumbi Umbi from August 22-September 3. To learn more about the festival and expo or express interest in being an exhibitor, contact festival organiser Alex Blow at alex@centralcoastfoodalliance.com.au. CENTRAL COAST BUSINESS REVIEW JULY 2022
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