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 Division
VATMI Industries was formed originally 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 the VATMI 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 1960s. 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 the operations 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 now employs 65 people.
In 1992, the Heidelberg division relocated to Preston, then in 2001, moved to Keon Park.
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, relocated to a new purpose built site in Kew.
VATMI Industries currently employs around 350 people with a disability and approximately 70 staff. Its honorary Board of Directors is chaired by Mr Chris Gibbs.
Recycling Business
Sandhurst Bendigo
Sandhurst Enterprise Recycling (SER) dates back to 1984 in providing Recycling and Sortation services to the communities within the City of Greater Bendigo.
SER was instrumental in initiating a monthly kerbside collection program in 1984 which yielded 504 tonnes of product for recycling.
In 1985, Industrial cardboard collection services commenced and SER established its first dedicated recycling plant at Collins Street, Kangaroo Flat.
In 1989, after rapid growth, SER relocated to Mayfair Park Industrial Estate and commissioned a new sortation plant.
In 2005, SER received a new purpose built facility in Bendigo. The facility features state of the art specialised processing equipment such as trommels, eddy current separators, bounce conveyors, air classifiers, steel magnets and baling presses.
Wangaratta
In 1955, the Wangaratta Recycling Centre (WRC) was open for business trading as the Wangaratta Bottle Company and was located at 120 Greta Road, Wangaratta.
In the past fifty years, it has evolved into the business as it is known 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.
WRC was the company that instigated kerbside recycling in the Rural City of Wangaratta, Shore of Yarrawonga and the old shires of Myrtleford, Bright and Mt Beauty, now known collectively as the Alpine Shire.
In 2003, WRC was sold to VATMI Industries and continues to provide kerbside recycling.
Stawell
In 2005, VATMI brought VicWest Recyclers in Stawell and employment still continues for approximately 17 supported employees.
