The owners of R.M. Williams have revealed that they are planning to expand its factory in Adelaide to ensure that all products are 100 per cent Australian made.
Andrew 'Twiggy' and Nicola Forrest hope to reach a target of all products being made Down Under once the expansion is complete.
"I want to drive for Australian made only, and that's our vision and we're going to do that as soon as we possibly can," he said.
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"The timeframe is as soon as possible.
"We're yet to determine how big the challenge is, we don't even have a Tafe which can provide the skills here in South Australia, so we've really got to start at ground floor.
"We're prepared to start at the ground floor and work our way up until Australia's got the skills back again."
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Visiting the factory in Salisbury for the first time since they purchased the brand in October last year, the Forrests said it was clear that a more efficient space was required after talking the factory's 400 workers.
Nicola said "There's a backlog since Christmas. They're making 1,200 boots a day here.
"It's an extraordinary production line and they all say they need more space, so it's obviously something we're going to have to look at."
"We're very new to this so...the most important thing is to listen to the people that are here."
Nicola added that they were planning to implement a new strategy that would benefit the staff.
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"They're the ones that have worked here, they know where the opportunities are and where they've been held back in the past, so there are all sorts of ideas floating and I'm really looking forward to being able to spend more time back here to discuss that and make a strategic plan," she said.
R.M. Williams was founded by Bushman Reginald Murray Williams 88 years ago, before being sold offshore to LVMH Group in 2013. That company owns luxury brands like Louis Vuitton.
LVMH Group merged into a private equity firm L Catterton several years later, and despite attempts to market R.M. Williams to an overseas audience, L Catterton put it up for sale in mid-2019.
Featured Image Credit: InstagramTopics: Australia