In a major move to join the rush to manufacture local HARDI Australia will be adding jobs and contributing to the region’s economy as the company increases factory output in Adelaide SA
No doubt the resurgence of local manufacturing in Australia for the current high demand in the agricultural market has been behind the decision for HARDI Australia to increase production levels at its Cavan SA headquarters.
The stamp of approval came from parent company EXEL Industries at a meeting in Paris France that confirms over the next five years, HARDI Australia will move toward ground-up design, development and manufacture of a specialist range of broadacre self-propelled sprayers at its Cavan site in Adelaide SA.
This step allows HARDI Australia to develop a Centre of Excellence in Adelaide for the design and manufacture of cutting-edge broadacre self-propelled crop protection sprayers, specifically for the local market.
The HARDI brand is synonymous with agriculture, and while originally from Denmark the brand has been a market leader in Australia for over fifty years. HARDI Australia was established as a manufacturing site in 1997 in South Australia and in 2002 HARDI acquired distribution businesses in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia to boost the brand.
Today, all manufacturing is based at a ten-hectare site in CAVAN in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. HARDI staff often remark that visitors to the factory regularly comment they had no idea this type of manufacturing was still done in Australia.
Since 2007 HARDI has been owned by EXEL Industries, the largest specialised manufacturer of crop protection sprayers in the world. And this is where local HARDI staff went into bat about the prospects of adding more factory output to the Australian division.
The subsequent decision by EXEL top brass to adopt the proposal put by HARDI Australia will see a dramatic increase in HARDI’s future manufacturing activities in South Australia.
Up to this point, local manufacturing has been limited mainly to HARDI’s market-leading range of trailed sprayers and assembly of French-manufactured self-propelled sprayer drive trains. But now, the move to increase local production will see more people employed by HARDI Australia as it continues to grow.
Even in the short term as news of increased model availability is realised, it is expected that additional staff positions for engineers, electronic specialists, innovation and importantly assembly and manufacturing personnel will considerably swell HARDI’s current team of one hundred and thirty people.
Another key element of the local plan expansion is that from 2024 HARDI will become the Australian distributor for the EXEL-owned Apache self-propelled sprayer, currently manufactured by ET Works in the US.
This move will provide HARDI with up to a further six competitively priced, mechanical drive sprayer models with product capacities that cater for a wide range of farm operations from 2460 up to 4,540-litres. And with an impressive selection of steel or aluminium booms ranging from working widths of 27 to 40m (90 to 132ft).
It’s fair to assume this model range will attract many new customers to the HARDI franchise. The Apache’s are at a budget end entry level to self-propelled spraying, models well renowned for their simplicity and reliability and have been sold here by an independent distributor with great success for a number of years.
The HARDI commitment
HARDI Australia CEO Bill Franklin took the opportunity to reiterate the achievements made by local staff, “We are especially proud of our contributions here in South Australia, where we’ve achieved remarkable milestones.
“HARDI’s GeoSelect® Selective Spraying Technology is receiving global acclaim as the next step to conventional camera sprayers.
“GeoSelect® was entirely developed in Adelaide and is now in the process of being commercialised globally. All Australians have a right to be proud that such cutting-edge technology has been developed here in our state.
“GeoSelect was further highlighted in the documentary series “The AgTech Revolution,” where our groundbreaking technology for precision farming, GeoSelect, took centre stage.
“Developed by our innovation team in Adelaide and manufactured locally, this technology has already made waves through the ACM network and discussions are underway for broader TV network coverage.
“Our flagship creation, the Rubicon, stands as the nation’s largest self-propelled sprayer with up to a 9000-litre product tank. When originally released, Rubicon earned the prestigious New Release Award at the Yorke Peninsula Field Days in 2017.
“Last year marked the launch of the Saritor Mallee 7000, a locally inspired update to our self-propelled sprayer range with a 7000-litre product tank. Distinguished by the revolutionary HARDI Integrated Vehicle Experience (HIVE) console system, it offers seamless and intuitive operation.
“At HARDI Australia, we’re proud of our roots and local impact. We embody the spirit of “global made local. Our team diligently assembles and manufactures the majority of our products on-site, supporting local jobs and contributing to the region’s economy.
“HARDI Australia is deeply ingrained in the local agricultural and economic fabric. Our commitment to local production not only fosters valuable manufacturing jobs but also ensures that more of the funds invested by farmers in equipment remain within the country.
“Our range of cutting-edge agricultural machinery, encompassing sprayers, nozzle technologies, and innovative farming solutions, has consistently driven productivity and efficiency across the region.
“With an unwavering focus on technological advancement and sustainable farming practices, we are dedicated to positively shaping the agricultural landscape.
“As we embark on a new strategic plan for HARDI, including relaunching the iconic Rubicon and introducing a new sprayer in 2024, we are committed to contributing to the growth of Australian manufacturing and employment opportunities in South Australia,” HARDI Australia CEO Bill Franklin concluded.
