A toast to jobs - Regional development grows - The Wimmera Mail-Times September 27th 2004

Cheers- Peter and Chris Carthew, front, with employees Derek Lister, June Walker, Heather Evans and Leanne Cunningham. The company has created 120 jobs in the past two years.

Ararat electrical harness manufacturer AME Systems is toasting its success in regional Victoria.

The company has created 120 jobs in the past two years.

Minister for State and Regional Development John Brumby has released figures that show investment in provincial Victoria has almost doubled in two years, reaching $1.03 billion in 2003-2004.

Major investments in regional Victoria in the past financial year include AME Systems’$1 million extension of it’s plant which created 50 jobs.

AME Systems employs more then 240 staff at its Ararat factory and at a finishing and distribution centre in Melbourne.

Transport Minister Tim Holding inducted AME Systems into the Victorian Hall of Fame in May.

The Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development compiled the new figures.

A region by region breakdown of the figures shows 13 new investments worth $117.90 million in a Western region which includes Ballarat and Horsham.

The investments created 224 jobs and generated $102.7 million in exports.

Another major investment in the past year included Iluka Resources’ $270 million investment in the Murray Basin expected to generate 250 construction jobs and 150 ongoing jobs.