28 March 2024

Whitehaven Proud to work with Indigenous business Many Fabrication and Engineering

Local Gunnedah business, Many Fabrication and Engineering, was recently named a finalist in the Indigenous Business category for the prestigious Australian Small Business Champion Awards. The 100% Indigenous-owned business is a long-term supplier to Whitehaven Coal.

Established by Glenn and Katie Many in 2013, Many Fabrication works with local suppliers and prioritises Australian-made materials and products wherever possible.

Many Fabrication’s commitment to supporting local suppliers aligns with Whitehaven’s approach, which is focused on promoting local prosperity, building local community capacity and ensuring our regional towns thrive. Whitehaven believes that forming partnerships with local suppliers is crucial to achieving this.

Bob Sutherland, Whitehaven’s Manager, Aboriginal Community Relations, said Many Fabrication exemplifies the importance of supporting local contractors as part of the company’s Indigenous procurement strategy.

“Supporting local contractors in Indigenous procurement initiatives is crucial for driving economic growth, respecting cultural and environmental values, and fulfilling our social responsibilities,” he said.

“By working together with local Indigenous businesses, we can help to build a more inclusive and sustainable local economy.”

“Whitehaven is proud of the role we’ve played in supporting Many Fabrication, which forms part of our long-term commitment to local and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment and procurement.”

Many Fabrication not only services Gunnedah and the surrounding regions, but it is expanding across NSW and demonstrating its ability to quickly embrace change and stay ahead of the market.

Owner, Glenn Many, said the company has put a big focus on embracing and harnessing the power of cutting-edge solutions as it scales up its operations.

“From advanced automation systems to state-of-the-art data analytics tools, we’re investing in technologies that not only streamline our processes but also enhance our capabilities,” Glenn added.

“We’re very grateful to Whitehaven Coal for their ongoing commitment and support. It’s great to see large companies in our region backing local businesses and establishing long-term partnerships.”

Many Fabrication is one of 16 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses that Whitehaven worked with in FY23, with a combined spend of $14.4 million across the year.

Whitehaven’s commitment to supporting Indigenous business is formalised through our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which includes ambitious but realistic targets that the company continues to make steady progress against.

For more information, please refer to Whitehaven’s Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan.

Back to News