When Bickford’s was looking for a home for it’s state-of-the art production plant the famous South Australian company knew location would be a major factor in its success.

Bickford’s Group Operations Manager George Kotses says the family-owned business decided on the City of Salisbury in 2006 because the area is a hub for food industry businesses, which makes distribution and production more efficient.

“There are certainly advantages to being here – this northern area is close to all of the major retail distribution centres,” says Kotses.

“It is a major hub for all the retailers, and there is a big cluster of all the food and beverage industries. It’s a very efficient location from an infrastructure and supply chain perspective.”

The Kotses family isn’t alone in picking Salisbury as a place to do business.

The Salisbury area has 6,818 actively trading businesses, providing over 53,000 jobs, and has the fourth largest Gross Regional Product in the state.   The City of Salisbury has identified food and beverage manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, defence, cybersecurity and space as key and emerging industries to attract to the area.

The latest Salisbury economic report shows a 1.3% drop in the unemployment rate within the city –from 9.1% to 7.8% in just 12 months, despite the closure of the GM Holden in nearby Elizabeth South in 2017.

The value of development applications assessed by Council has  increased by 50%, with $250 million worth of projects to commence development in the area.

Kotses says that besides the great location, the leadership of the council has helped Bickford’s develop their business.

“They are proactive as a Council and are very supportive when it comes to business,” says. Kotses.

“They certainly support development, which we have been striving for, ever since we established here in 2006.

“There is a culture within the Council where they want to be innovative, so they are supportive of all business in general.”

VeroGuard Systems, a cyber security company, needed a location with access to skilled workers and proximity to the defence industry for its South Australian base.

“What was important to us when we were making a decision about a location for our production facility was the area,” says Co-CEO of VeroGuard Systems, Nic Nuske.

“We wanted to be able to find the right kind of environment within the precinct that suited our industry, and the defence industry is established so strong in Edinburgh, that this area was ticking the box.”

VeroGuard Systems was also able to tap into a pool of workers with pre-existing advanced manufacturing skills.

“We had a requirement for advanced manufacturing and technology skills, and an ecosystem that supports those demands. A significant number of organisations that were having to adjust after the closure of Holden meant that we were going to have very good access to those skills,” says Nuske.

Nuske says another priority was to seek out a council that would be proactive in supporting their service.

“The Council have lived up to our expectations,” says Nuske. “They have given us commitment, escalation pathways, and most importantly, advice on the area.

“They actively seek us out just to make sure we have everything we need, and that we were also engaging with other organisations and communities in the area.”

Solstice Media has partnered with the City of Salisbury to produce a series of articles detailing the key industries and opportunities emerging from the region.