MEAT AND GREET

Premier Mark McGowan says he is keen to help South West meat processing facility Ryan’s Quality Meats get into the export market as the company looks to expand into South East Asia and create more jobs in the region.

Mr McGowan was in Bunbury yesterday to make two funding announcements for upgrades at Bunbury Senior High School and the Stirling Street Arts Centre.

He will continue his tour of the South West when he visits Harvey and Waroona today.

Mr McGowan took time from his visit to Bunbury yesterday to take a tour of the Ryan’s facility and said he was impressed with what he saw.

“(Bunbury MLA) Don Punch was very keen for me to visit because he is so proud of this local business that provides so many jobs and apprenticeships and is renowned for supplying high quality meats to the market,” he said.

“We are very keen to help Ryan’s Meats get into the export market because then they can employ more people and produce more income and therefore further enhance the economy here in Bunbury and the South West.”

Mr McGowan said the facility was a prime example of the importance of training local apprentices.

“I think they have got six apprentices at this location here so it is a great example to other enterprises of what can be done,” he said.

“The trades you secure here are the sort that is transferable anywhere in the State or the world so it is a good industry to get into.”

Owner Greg Ryan said he never expected to be able to showcase his facility in front of the Premier.

“It is fantastic that he is able to take time out of his busy schedule to be able to see us,” he said.

“I think it is great for us and great for the South West meat producing industry for him to show an interest in it.

“It shows that we are able to talk the talk and walk the walk which is important for our business.”

Mr Ryan said the long-term plan for the facility was to expand into the export market.

“Domestic is still our number one business at the moment but we are looking at different opportunities as they arise.”

Mr Ryan said he was proud of the training process the business had developed in recent years.

“We want to keep developing our apprentices and we want to keep training them,” he said.

“We think that what we are doing allows our apprentices to really add a lot of skill to their base and the industry.”

Bunbury MLA Don Punch said he was keen for the Premier to tour the facility to show him the impressive work it was doing with its training and apprentices.

“It is one of the facilities that is really supporting the industry, but it is also one of those companies that has got some really great plans about moving into export,” he said.

“It is a great success story and one of the many that we have in the farming sector in the South West.