Drake-Brockman Building and Construction and Esperance Smash Repairs are winners in Round 7 of the WA Government’s Regional Economic Development Grants.
A spokesperson from the Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission said the RED Grants program was all about investing in locally driven projects to stimulate economic growth in the regions.
“Successful projects in Round 7 will diversify the tourism offering in the Goldfields-Esperance region and support regional job creation and training pathways in the civil construction, manufacturing and disability sectors,” they said.
In response to receiving a $250,000 grant, Drake-Brockman director Michael Drake-Brockman said he aimed to increase access to carpentry services with a new carpentry and wall framing workshop in Esperance.
“The new workshop will create more employment opportunities and provide hands-on experience in a broad range of works in cabinetry and wall framing,” he said.
“This will make us more efficient and broaden our capabilities in what we can offer and achieve in the building sector for commercial and residential projects.”
Esperance Smash Repairs managing director Melisa Rowe said a $145,000 grant would be used to purchase and install a new Automotive Downdraft Spray Booth, coupled with a compressor and power upgrade.
“The new booth will significantly enhance our productivity by enabling concurrent refinish jobs, thereby increasing our weekly job capacity and reducing turnaround times,” she said.
WA Regional Development minister Don Punch echoed the sentiments of the successful applicants and said the grants offered a unique opportunity for businesses and regional economies.
“Since the inception of this program, the WA Labor Government has invested more than $4 million dollars in 28 locally-driven projects in Goldfields-Esperance, helping to build a better region for the local community,” he said.
“Congratulations to all of the successful REDs recipients this year – the diverse range of projects reflect the robust, thriving, and innovative work happening across the region.”
