Rubber manufacturer Derby Rubber has moved its operations from NSW to South Australia, with their new site opened by the SA Premier, Steven Marshall, on November 29.

The company supplies high-performance ballast regulator broom elements, which are used in new ballast bed rail track installations, and for maintenance of existing rail tracks. According to general manager of Derby Rubber, Michael Clayton, the business’s success meant that it had outgrown its Silverwater site.

“We have been fortunate enough to have experienced considerable growth over the life of the company and we’re certainly anticipating increased growth in the future. But we had outgrown our original site which was affecting our ability to achieve our vision and meet our customers’ expectations,” he said.

The company will now be based in Wingfield, north of Adelaide. Being located in SA, Derby Rubber hopes to break into new industries and grow its presence in rail, mining, food storage, and traffic classification sectors.

“We’re also excited about the emerging opportunities in SA across sectors such as defence, renewable energy and food production,” said Clayton.

In addition, factors in South Australia drew the company there.

“South Australia offered a skilled local labour force with manufacturing experience, more affordable real estate and strong support from both the local and South Australian governments,” said Clayton.

Since 1964, Derby Rubber has made products for the automotive industry and niche, specialised applications. Their window seals were used in the Sydney Opera House, as well as major projects such as the Snowy Mountains’ hydroelectric scheme. With the closure of automotive manufacturing in Australia, the company has diversified to supply products in a number of sectors both in Australia and overseas.