Wirtgen riled by political no-shows
The Australian head of German multinational Wirtgen has criticised political leaders for staying away from the opening of a $70 million company facility today.
Wirtgen Australia chief executive Paul Hockridge said efforts to get Premier Colin Barnett, State Treasurer Mike Nahan or Federal Finance Minister Mathias Cormann to attend the event were unsuccessful.
"For whatever reason, we couldn't get them," a disappointed Mr Hockridge said. "We gave up in the end.
"We've invested hundreds of millions of dollars here in the last six or seven years. It's a really positive story in really quite a depressed market.
"Every road you drive on in Perth would have had a Wirtgen work on it."
Wirtgen Group president Stefan Wirtgen will open the 47,000sqm South Guildford complex in front of 300 guests after flying in from Germany.
A spokeswoman for Mr Barnett said he had sent his apologies because of prior engagements. The Premier had not been asked to officiate at the event.
Dr Nahan is understood to be tied up in Expenditure Review Committee meetings in preparations for the State Budget. Senator Cormann has parliamentary commitments in Canberra.
Wirtgen is a family-owned road building and mining equipment maker with about 6500 employees, including 170 in Australia.
Its surface mining machines are used at Pilbara iron ore mines operated by Fortescue Metals Group and BC Iron.
Mr Hockridge said while the decision to invest in the sales, service, parts and training facilities was made in better economic times three years ago, Mr Wirtgen had no regrets.
"He said, 'looking at it now, given what it means to Australia, New Zealand and Australasia, I'd take exactly the same decision now'. It's a long-term decision.
"When some of our competitors have been retreating or retracting we've been expanding which is the Wirtgen way."
