Despite the impact of bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturing at Beechworth Honey is up 90 per cent.
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The business showed off its new state-of-the-art creamed honey packing line yesterday when Senator Jane Hume was in town checking out the $100,000 investment from the federal government.
The business was one of two in the North East town to receive the grant from the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund.
Senator Hume said the $100,000 grants went towards Beechworth Honey's $440,313 creamed honey production line and to Bridge Road Brewers $200,000 project to expand its canning line.
"This was a $100,000 grant to help them modernise specifically their creamed honey packaging facilities and it has actually improved their productivity of their manufacturing facilities by 90 per cent," Senator Hume said.
"The Morrison government is committed to helping manufacturers, in particular in the regions that have been going through such a hard time, first with the bushfires and then with the disappearance of tourists from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"But companies like Beechworth Honey have been working to use this time effectively to improve their facilities so they can be part of that recovery on the other side."
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While admitting Beechworth's creamed honey is one of her favourite things, Senator Hume said the benefit of the new packing line meant the product could be sold across the country.
"Pop it on top of a muffin and you've got a few extra COVID-10 kilograms that I could have done without, but it is great to see how that particular product line is now going to be available for supermarkets which it hasn't been before," she said.
"Companies like Beechworth Honey that have been around for 20 years or so really are the backbone of economies for small towns and there are so many success stories in manufacturing just like this one."
Victorian Chamber of Commerce regional manager and Indigo Shire councillor James Trenery said businesses in the North East had been "hit hard" this year.
"Some in the Beechworth and Bright area dropping by 80 percent in that January period, so this sort of interest coming into north east Victoria is essential and it is great to see the Senator up here," he said.
"We survive on small businesses, they employ our kids, sponsor all types of different sports, so it is essential that small business gets up and going again."
The visit was part of the government's JobMaker initiative, but it isn't known how many jobs the two upgrades created.