Griffith-based high-tech manufacturer Flavourtech has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of a pandemic, managing to keep every one of their more than 50 highly trained staff members depsite the factory's closure in August.
The business's resilience and innovation has been celebrated as part of a Remarkable Exporter's showcase run by Austrade and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The showcase is being run this year as the Australian Export and Investment Awards were not able to proceed due to the pandemic.
Established in 1987, the award-winning global technology manufacturer specialises in aroma recovery, extraction and evaporation solutions for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
NSW Treasury's Executive Director Trade Kylie Bell congratulated Flavourtech on their extraordinary display of resilience and innovation.
"NSW is home to some of the most adaptive and successful exporting businesses in the world. Flavourtech is a world leader in its craft, exporting high-tech machinery to more than 60 countries," Ms Bell said.
"Helping businesses succeed in the global marketplace is a cornerstone of the Government's strategy for recovery and it is more important than ever to celebrate businesses - big or small - who have persevered or pivoted into export markets."
Flavourtech General Manager Leon Skaliotis said while the pandemic caught everybody by suprise, the company had been resilient and as a result, had achieved things they thought could never be achieved.
"Ive always been a bit of an optimist. We're getting on with the job and instead of just sitting there and worrying, we're getting things done and getting ready for when things improve," Mr Skaliotis said.
"Typically, half of our staff travel because they are salespeople or engineers that are installing, servicing and teaching the customer how to operate our equipment. When the travel ban hit, the revenue stopped, and we had to find new ways to conduct business.
"As many of our customers are from non-English speaking countries, we created picture manuals using photos to teach clients, and we sent video camera goggles to clients so our staff could see the machinery through the client's eyes."
