Holden wins $2.03 supplier grant

…this time to further relationships with its component and materials suppliers.

The $2.03 million confirmed yesterday by federal Innovation and Industry Minister Senator Kim Carr is under the Automotive Supply Chain Development Program. It came less than a week after he visited Holden's plant at Elizabeth to hand over $39.8 million from the Green Car fund to help develop a more fuel-efficient Commodore.

The grants follow the $149 million of federal taxpayer's money that went to Holden over three years to help get the Cruze small car into production at Elizabeth.

Senator Carr yesterday also announced $1.16 million to Ford and $2.37 million to Toyota along with the $2.03 million to Holden “to foster even closer collaboration with their own key suppliers.'”

He also handed $125,000 to Futuris which has a manufacturing facility at Edinburgh Park next to Holden's to supply it with car interiors, this grant so Futuris can better relate to its suppliers.

Holden corporate affairs spokeswoman Shayna Welsh said the new $2.03 million funding would be critical to strengthen the local supply base important to the future of the industry.

“Thanks to the grant, we can keep on a dedicated in-house supplier development team,'' she said of the Holden unit that had worked hard with suppliers to improve their daily operations.

That in turn had helped the suppliers be more competitive and secure more local work.

Senator Carr handed over $4.09 million to the Advanced Automotive Technology Cooperative Research Centre to mentor and support firms in the auto supply chain.