This month, The Wrigley Company Pty, Ltd celebrates the sixtieth birthday of its Asquith factory. The factory, located in Sydney’s Upper North Shore area, produces some of Australia’s most well-loved confections such as SKITTLES®, EXTRA®, ECLIPSE®, and JUICY FRUIT®, with the help of more than 170 Associates.
Opened in 1958, the Asquith factory has long been considered a leader within the Wrigley network. In the past decade, Wrigley has invested over $80 million into its Asquith facilities to ensure it remains a proud and productive Australian manufacturer. Projects have included building an energy efficient warehouse, installing a 540,000L 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 ranking as the #1 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, Ross 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 added, “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.”
General Manager, Andrew Loader, said: “As we celebrate this important milestone I’d like to thank the many people who have worked here over the last six decades. It’s our Associates who have made this site the successful and vibrant Australian manufacturing hub that it is. We are incredibly proud to be a member of the Asquith community, and I can’t wait to see what the next sixty years brings.”