History

VATMI Industries is a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee.  While the company has no shareholders, it does have many stakeholders interested in the company's success and growth in the provision of real employment opportunities for people with a disability.

Packing Divisions

VATMI Industries began life as the Victorian Aid to the Mentally Ill. 

A joint initiative in 1958 between the Victorian Mental Health Authority and the Victorian Employers Federation (now VECCI) underpinned VATMI's establishment.

By providing challenging and rewarding therapy, we assisted the rehabilitation of patients within psychiatric hospitals and provided paid work to some 40 hospitals throughout the state.

VATMI Industries opened its first workshop in Collingwood in the mid-1960's.  The Collingwood workshop employed 20 people with disabilities.

In 1972, VATMI opened a second workshop in West Heidelberg.

In 1979, VATMI moved from Collingwood to Hawthorn and in the same year, VATMI took over opertions of the Castlemaine Community Works Centre and merged the Castlemaine workshop with Sandhurst Enterprises in Bendigo in 1986.  Sandhurst operates a packing and assembly business, as well as providing a kerbside recycling service to the City of Greater Bendigo.  Located at the Mayfair Park Estate, Sandhurst employs 65 people.

The Heidelberg division relocated to Preston in 1992 and subsequently moved to the Keon park site in 2001.

In 1997 VATMI established a packing business at Hawthorn to provide specialist packing services to the confectionery and food industries.

In 2005 VATMI merged with Network Q and along with the Hawthorn division will relocate to a new purpose built site in Kew in late 2005.

VATMI Industries currently employs around 350 people with a disability and approximately 70 staff.  It's honorary Board of Directors is chaired by Mr Chris Gibbs.

Recycling  (Sandhurst & Wangaratta & Stawell)

Sandhurst Bendigo

Sandhurst Enterprises history dates back to 1984 in providing Recycling and Sortation services to the communities within the City of Greater Bendigo.

S.E.R. was instrumental in initiating a monthly kerbside collection program in 1984 which yielded 504 tonnes of product for recycling.

Industrial cardboard collection services commenced in 1985 and S.E.R established its first dedicated recycling plant at Collins St Kanagaroo Flat.

After rapid growth S.E.R. relocated to Mayfair Park Industrial Estate in 1989 and commissioned a new Sortation plant.

2005 marks the 21st anniversary of S.E.R operations and the year will prove to be the start of a new era.

The planning and construction of a new 5000 sq/metre Resource Recovery facility will incorporate a safer working environment, new offices and staff amenities, increased storage/processing space and an integrated fully equipped sorting system.

Importantly this move will position S.E.R. to :

  • Efficiently process the increase in recycling volumes coming from Bendigo's growing population;
  • Service the growing demand for the industrial/commercial collection services S.E.R. offers;
  • Allow S.E.R. to investigate future opportunities to develop new resource recovery services and product lines;
  • Provide a unique education experience for school excursions and the residents of Bendigo;
  • Enhance employment and training opportunities for people with a disability.

In the 2004/05 financial year S.E.R. will process 12,000 plus tonnes of recyclable products.

Wangaratta

Wangaratta Recycling Centre was open for business in 1955 trading as the Wangaratta Bottle Company and was located at 120 Greta Road, Wangaratta.

In the past 50 years it has evolved into the business it is known as today.

The company has seen the transition from deposit packaging to one way packaging and as a result has been a major force in North East Victoria in the instigation, continuation and improvement of kerbside recycling to make Wangaratta and district a 'yardstick' for other companies.

W.R.C. was the company that instigated kerbside recycling in the Rural City of Wangaratta, Shire of Yarrawonga and the old shires of Myrtleford, Bright and Mt. Beauty, now known as the Alpine Shire.

In the year 2000 the present owners of the time Danny & Heather Potter shifted the business to its present site at Kerr St as they knew that the Greta Rd site was limited for the ever increasing volume of recycling product.

From the initial black tub system to the current M.G.B. system now in place, this company has had to implement many changes to service the current Rural City of Wangaratta contract.

On the 2nd September 2003, Wangaratta Recycling Centre was sold to VATMI Industries.

Stawell

In late 2005, Vatmi bought the business of VicWest Recyclers in Stawell, ensuring the continued employment of 17 supported employees.