Kim Beazley AC has officially opened Matrix Composites & Engineering’s upgraded facility in Western Australia.
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Over the past 18 months, Matrix has poured $2.2 million into upgrading its Henderson facility, through the construction of a new large composite workshop and installation of a roto moulding machine.
During a tour of Matrix's facility, Beazley unveiled two plaques to mark the official opening of the workshop, as well as commissioning the roto moulding machine.
Beazley also visited Matrix's hydrostatic testing area, which is used to simulate deepwater environments down to 5,300 metres, and has growing applications in the defence sector.
At the event, Matrix chief executive Aaron Begley said the new investments would enable Matrix to build further momentum in its expansion into new markets.
“It is only through continuous investment and innovation over 40 years that Matrix has been able to build its position as a world-leading manufacturer and supplier of advanced composite materials and technologies based right here in WA,” Begley said.
"Our 20,000-square-metre composite manufacturing facility in Henderson, where we currently employ close to 140 people, is the only facility of its kind in Australasia and exports cutting-edge products primarily to global oil and gas markets.
“With these new investments, we can build on that position and also continue our push into adjacent growth markets such as transportation, civil and infrastructure, and defence being targeted under our diversification strategy.”
At 1,700 square metres, the new composites workshop will enable Matrix to undertake repair of corroded structures, reduce the weight of subsea structures, decrease maintenance requirements by reducing materials susceptible to corrosion, and allow Matrix to design more organic shapes rather than standard angular geometric profiles.