Five years ago, Howlong pet food manufacturer Cool Off was doing extremely well but had not yet cracked the export market.
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Now this shining success story sends half of its fresh and dried meat products overseas.
It has been doing so well that Killen Trucking, which generates 90 per cent of its business through Cool Off, was able to make the decision to expand and relocate from Bendigo.
The success also of the business VK Logic Engineering certainly gave a lot of credence to the decision then to seek funding for the Howlong Industrial Export Precinct through the federal government’s Building Better Regions Fund.
When Cool Off revealed earlier this year that the application would be made, it pointed to the need to help meet the $13 million cost of its fourth factory upgrade since opening in 2000.
It was a strong case. As Cool Off chief financial officer Andrew Kearney said, 60 jobs would be created at the business and up to another 50 in the estate.
Clearly that was more than enough to get the proposal over the line at the first attempt, which in itself is a tribute to what is happening in Howlong and to the government in having the good sense and initiative to recognise that very fact.
In doing so, she rightly recognised the enormous effort made by the Howlong community to achieve the grant that, she says, will create an “enormous boost to local employment opportunities” for a small town “traditionally reliant on jobs from larger local centres, such as Albury”.
This is a tremendous result for the people at Cool Off and the other precinct businesses, for the people of Howlong and for the region.
It is no understatement to say this is crucial for the club as it means it will now be able to begin a $6.2 million redevelopment, targeting both improved education for students and better facilities for racegoers.
The securing of money through the Building Better Regions Fund is extremely welcome and a tremendous vote of confidence in the Border and North East.