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Deals of the Week 7:09PMTuesday, November 11th, 2025 In the know quiz Set your local weather Breaking News Courts & Law Courts & Law Courts & Law Courts & Law South Australia Western Australia Northern Territory Breaking News North America US Politics South America Middle East UK Politics Health Problems Mental Health Inspiration Weight Loss School Life Restaurants & Bars Food Warnings Relationships The Sealed Section Family & Friends Fashion Shows Fashion Trends Face & Body Cosmetic Surgery True Stories Lifestyle Videos Travel Ideas Short Breaks Food & Drinks Destinations North America New Zealand Middle East Central America South America Travel Advice Tips & Tricks Accommodation Australian Holidays Northern Territory South Australia Western Australia Travel Videos Entertainment Celebrity Life Hook Ups & Break ups Celebrity Photos Celebrity Kids Celebrity Deaths Celebrity Style What To Watch Morning Shows Current Affairs Upcoming Movies Movies Reviews Music Festivals Books & Magazines Golden Globes Entertainment Videos Social Media Mobile Phones Home Entertainment Archaeology Environment Climate Change Sustainability Natural Wonders Motoring News On the Road Technology Videos Cost of Living How to Save Salary Secrets Personal Finance Superannuation Australian Culture Power & Influence Inside Parliament Gig Economy Breaking News Manufacturing Other Industries Australian Economy World Economy Interest Rates Federal Budget Australian Markets World Markets Australian Dollar Cryptocurrency Real Estate Sydney & NSW Melbourne & VIC Adelaide & SA Cricket Live Scores V8 Supercars Sports Life American Sports Paralympics Horse Racing Expert Opinion More Sports Sport Videos Sales & Deals Home & Appliances Health & Wellbeing Manufacturing Lovells Group boss says Aust is wrong to give up on making things Lovells Group chief Simon Crane reveals why Australian manufacturing matters after 95 years in business, warning the nation risks losing crucial skills and prosperity. Simon CraneComment November 12, 2025 - 5:00AM Share via Email Share on Facebook Share on Whatsapp Copied URL to clipboard Why Australia's luck is running out Australia has always been known as the “lucky country”. But now, that luck seems to be running out. For decades we’ve been propped... As a manufacturing family, we’ve backed Australians for 150 years. The merits of backing Australian manufacturing – and why people might do so – have been questioned by a few commentators lately. It’s not my job to give hot takes on the issues of the day. But I’ve spent my life in the industry, my family has been in manufacturing since 1855, and here’s my perspective. I own and run Lovells Group, which turns 95 this year. We make suspension, haulage and other products for transport, mining, rail and defence customers worldwide. Our core business is highly-engineered suspension and spring-based systems. We employ over 120 highly-skilled staff and support around 200 retail and distribution partners globally – conservatively we keep 1,000 Australians employed. Lovells Managing Director Simon Crane. Picture: Supplied I’m not here to ask for government support or a pat on the back. I just ask that people understand why manufacturing businesses like mine matter to the nation’s economy, people’s livelihoods, the nation’s prosperity and our place in a global market. This is an industry Australians – and many commentators – misunderstand. There was a brief period where it was different. In 1942, with the threat of war at our door, the strategic merits of manufacturing became obvious. We got good at it, then largely gave up about 30 years later. Perhaps, as one chief scientist said, it was because we “turned a rusty hill into GDP”, or maybe it was complacency. Regardless, manufacturing’s share of GDP has slid from around 25 per cent in the early 1970s to 5.1 per cent today. Australians have an agrarian heritage alongside city-dweller tendencies. Manufacturing is something you don’t see often in metropolitan centres – today it’s now a mix of highly-innovative small manufacturers, a few medium-sized businesses like Lovells, and a couple of large ones. Simon Crane with colleagues at the opening of R & D facility in South Australia. Picture: Supplied Lovells Group turns 95 this year and is a world leader in manufacturing suspension and premium springs components. Picture: Supplied One thing all manufacturers share is that we provide jobs for everyone. From world-class engineers, designers and researchers to production staff, technicians, marketeers and more – manufacturing has a place for all. It’s one of the few industries where talent and opportunity meet at every level. For me, one of the great joys is seeing what it offers Australians who might otherwise have limited prospects. Engineering talent is crucial for any modern manufacturer, yet Australians are not choosing engineering degrees – our graduation levels are the sixth-lowest in the OECD. Sadly, many bright graduates head overseas for opportunity because we have talked ourselves into believing we can’t be a nation that makes things. Training world-class talent only to see it leave is no different from exporting raw resources to be value-added elsewhere – it’s madness. We are ceding prosperity elsewhere in the world. MORE FROM BACK AUSTRALIA ‘15 years’: Last chance to save Aus way of life World-class motor tech you didn’t know were Aussie At Lovells, we have some engineers designing new products and others designing the processes and machinery to make them. We also build nearly all our own equipment – which requires highly-skilled engineers and tradespeople. My late father once told me manufacturing is good for society in its own right. I didn’t get it at first. The reality is manufacturing offers stable, well-paid jobs, ongoing training, and a social workplace where lasting careers and friendships are built. It provides a job for everyone, prosperity for the surrounding region, and global relevance for our nation. He was right! With a proud history, Lovells employs more than 120 highly-skilled staff. Picture: Supplied Simon Crane said the key to their continued success is their ability to continue to innovate. Picture: Supplied But to stay at the top, we must innovate. This is where old stereotypes hold back perceptions and career interest. At its core, Lovells heats and bends steel – preferably steel made here – but if we fail to innovate, we become obsolete. That’s why we’re investing $12 million in a new engineering, manufacturing and retail centre in Newcastle, New South Wales, complementing our nearby production facilities and our R & D hub in South Australia. The site will feature advanced testing labs, dynamic-stability analysis and electro-technology development, bringing together engineers and designers under a near century-old legacy. It will also drive our next generation of fast-charger products for electric vehicles, trucks and buses. The electrification trend is clear. While we use just 0.6 megawatts of power today, we rely on around 8 megawatts of natural gas – an inefficient, costly way to heat metal. Our engineers are developing some of the world’s largest electric induction heaters, offering precise heat, cutting gas use, and creating a new exportable technology. This is where Australia’s future lies – in high-value, locally-relevant but exportable technologies developed by Australian-owned companies, not outposts of global entities. We will never win on cost, so we should never join the race to the bottom. At Lovells, we compete and succeed on value – it’s why our products are trusted by defence forces, emergency services and customers worldwide. We’re capable and we are good at what we do, and we take pride in delivering quality and it’s why we’ve been able to support the nation through good times and bad. Simon Crane with staff at opening of the R & D site in South Australia. Picture: Supplied Meanwhile, Australia remains complacent, relying on a third-world export mix of iron ore, coal, natural gas and gold. We’d be fools to think digging and shipping this forever will secure our future. It frustrates me to see our natural resources sent overseas to be value-added when we’re capable of doing it here – we just need conviction. I was fortunate to build a business essentially from the ground up, but doing the same today would be far tougher. This is where the opportunity to build more mid-sized, multi-competency manufacturers resides, and we must back them to grow and stay onshore. That means focusing on global niches where we can truly compete – Lovells is proof, as the largest manufacturer of our kind in the southern hemisphere. Australia can create world-leading manufacturers. Rode microphones, crafted in Sydney’s Silverwater, capture the voices heard on podcasts globally. Finisar, in Rosebury, makes optical components that carry much of the world’s internet traffic. And ANCA CNC Machines in Victoria produces precision machinery used to make everything from iPhones to jet engines. Together, these companies employ thousands of Australians and export our knowledge and products worldwide. It’s important to remember that just because you can’t kick your toe on it doesn’t mean it’s not vital. Copied URL to clipboard Why country towns are struggling Australia used to be a production powerhouse. But today, manufacturing is at a record low, and we... Some commentators, including economist Saul Eslake, have suggested a larger manufacturing sector would lower living standards. They miss the nuance. Hi-tech powerhouses like Singapore, Japan, Germany and South Korea show prosperity and a high share of manufacturing can coexist. Resource-poor nations like Slovakia and Sweden also prove that wealth can be built on diverse, exportable products. Australia may be naturally blessed, but we need more people to see the value in manufacturing, its ability to solve problems, provide meaningful careers, and move society forward. More Coverage ‘The lowest’: Australia’s global shame Harrison Christian Aussie inventions that changed the world Maddison Brennan-Mills Pundits are entitled to their opinions, but after a life in manufacturing, I’ll offer my experience – and my father’s words – against their theories any day. Simon Crane is Managing Director of Lovells Group This article is part of the Back Australia series, which was supported by Australian Made Campaign, Harvey Norman, Westpac, Bunnings, Coles, TechnologyOne, REA Group, Cadbury, R.M.Williams, Qantas, Vodafone and BHP. Read related topics:Back Australia Join the conversation (0 Comments) Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Join the conversation, you are commenting as More related stories ‘Ghost Shark’: Australia’s wild new weapon The first 5.8m undersea “Ghost Shark” vessel, designed to uplift Australia’s lethal capabilities deep underwater has just rolled off the line in Sydney. Manufacturing Mining billionaire’s economic warning Mining magnate Andrew Forrest says Australia has a ‘fantastic’ future in manufacturing, but only if business and political leaders avoid this one big thing. Manufacturing ‘The lowest’: Australia’s global shame It was once a poster child of Aussie industry. But the sights and smells of Burnie the industrial powerhouse are now a distant memory. Registration In The Know Quiz Newsletters Competitions Welcome to news.com.au Code of Conduct Help and Support General Feedback Advertise with us Standards of Practice Licensing & Reprints Our News Network The Daily Telegraph The Courier Mail Our Partners realestate.com.au CODE Sports A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out.Sometimes our articles will try to help you find the right product at the right price. We may receive payment from third parties for publishing this content or when you make a purchase through the links on our sites. 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