AIS Water reports 30 per cent spike in business despite lockdown

AIS Water has reported an upward trend representing an increase in business of 30 per cent, in defiance of expectations due to the effects of Covid-19. At the same time, CEO Elena Gosse has called for more support of local manufacturing.

Gosse puts the increase down to the fact the Queensland-based manufacturer was well placed to take advantage of the public pool closures – a time when many commercial pool operators decided to use the downtime to upgrade their pool facilities and water disinfection technologies.

“We weren’t preparing for a pandemic, but we were certainly well placed when it did hit,” she says. “AIS Water has operated debt-free for more than 25 years and we own all of our facilities. As an essential business we are very proud to play a role in supporting our customers and the Australian economy to recover through this fragile period.

“As the world’s economy continues to recover and demand for our product grows globally however, we must be ready to meet this demand. We have the capacity to triple our production capacity and create new jobs right now, but we need help to do it. There has never been a better time for the Australian manufacturing industry and government to work hand in hand.”

Local manufacturing

Gosse says that this recent experience will help to reinforce the importance of keeping Australian manufacturing strong.

“We have seen time and again, when countries do not manufacture their own goods, they are left susceptible not just to what is happening in the Australian economy, but also the world economy,” Gosse says.

“As a country impacted by Covid-19, Australia quickly found itself in a position where we needed face masks, sanitiser, resuscitators and a host of other products which were being manufactured overseas. Then there was a rush to find ways to manufacture these products locally so they could get to market efficiently and quickly.”

She calls on the government to further support and develop manufacturing industries in Australia.

“Rather than bail out foreign owned businesses, all levels of government must now focus on supporting local manufacturing. Without this, manufacturers in many sectors will not survive or will continue to compete with low-cost, overseas producers - which in many cases generate inferior products.”