There was plenty of opportunity for growth in 2022. Whether it be through internal initiatives or market engagement, below we relive some of the core moments that brought us together and celebrate our year with the Extel 2022 Wrap-Up… 

Out and About
As the world has opened up throughout 2022, we have had greater opportunities to connect with one another. A number of electronics design and manufacturing industry trade shows were attended and exhibited by the team both in Australia and the United States. In addition, there were several opportunities to explore new learnings and market intelligence. All of these factors have contributed to the growth of the team and our business.

Training and Development
This year, we have placed a lot of emphasis on training. Increasing our education program was necessary because of restrictions over the last few years. Team members spend a significant amount of time updating their IPC training, which is great to see. To align our day-to-day interactions with superior customer excellence, we had a large team undergo formal customer service training. Additionally, we launched a management and leadership program as part of our succession planning. In the coming 18 months, it will be exciting to see how the team develops and implements their learnings to evolve our customer experience.

Next Generation of Experts
We have worked with several universities in support of those completing their degrees in related fields such as Electronics, Design and Engineering. By bringing teams of students into our environment, they can experience firsthand the relationship between theory and practice. Additionally, working with graduates has provided the opportunity to help influence and grow our industry’s future talent through an intern program.

In the Media
As we see a significant push for Defence-related spending and a focus on manufacturing in Australia, we have welcomed our political leaders to our facility throughout the year. The team always enjoys seeing our Prime Minister, although battling with a 60-person media entourage made the welcome more challenging!

Major Upgrades to our Facility
We completed a factory upgrade program in the second half of this year. By doing so, we have increased our manufacturing footprint by 40%. Additionally, we added a new Boardroom and a new office administration area. In addition to being thrilled with the outcome, we also have the opportunity to double our team size. A significant equipment upgrade is scheduled for February 23 as a result of the expansion of the manufacturing space.

A grant from the Federal government supported the purchase of the new equipment as part of our Industry 4.0 project. Our participation in the government grant project is a great honour and privilege for us. Investing in new equipment will maintain Extel’s global competitiveness for the foreseeable future and we will have more for you to follow on this topic, so watch this space.

Electronic Design and Manufacturing Recertifications
It was the year of recertification in 2022. We owe a great deal of praise to the entire team for working tirelessly to ensure our standards – ISO 9001, ISO 13485, and AS9100 – were all recertified without any major deviations or nonconformances.

Looking Ahead
With great anticipation and excitement, we look forward to 2023. Over the next six months, many of the team members will be busy with our expansion program, which starts in February. The training program and skills program that accompanies this new equipment will be extensive. We look forward to bringing you all along on this journey as Extel continues to face growth, exciting times and great opportunities.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and safe New Year from the team at Extel.