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Sydney factory, and home of Skittles, celebrates 60 years

In November, The Wrigley Company is celebrating the 60th birthday of its Asquith factory.

The factory, located in Sydney’s Upper North Shore area, produces confectionary such as Skittles, Extra, Eclipse and Juicy Fruit.

Opened in 1958, the Asquith factory has long been considered a leader within the Wrigley network.

In the past decade, Wrigley has invested more than $80 million into its Asquith facilities to ensure it remains a proud and productive Australian manufacturer.

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Projects have included building an energy efficient warehouse, installing a 540,000 litres rainwater harvesting system, upgrading production equipment and expanding production capacity.

In addition to being the home of some of the top confectionery brands in Australia, the Wrigley factory is proud to have been consistently awarded as one of Australia’s best places to work.

This year it ranked as the number-one manufacturer in the 2018 Great Place to Work Awards, alongside its Mars Australia sister companies.

As a large scale employer for the Upper North Shore and Central Coast, many Associates have worked at the Michigan Ave factory for decades, some even recruiting their family members.

Ross Hannaford, the facility’s technical manager, has worked at Wrigley for 36 years, and on his advice, his two sons have since joined him as associates.

Reflecting on his career, Hannaford shared why he’s stayed with Wrigley for so many years.

“For every associate, there’s real pride in what we do. We are asked to run the factory like it’s our own business, so there is lots of autonomy and responsibility – which makes for a caring environment with a lot of mutual trust and respect,” he said.

“The business invests in you and your development, allowing you to grow and lead. It’s one of the reasons why I encouraged both my sons to work here. One has been here for eight years, and the other for two years.

“My eldest is currently undergoing management training to start moving toward managing a team. I’m excited to see what’s in store for their careers,” said Hannaford.

 

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