The Story Behind Queensland's Bucket Hat Factory

Those ubiquitous fast-food bucket hats worn by young cricket spectators have done more than liven up our summers.  That are also a timely reminder that Queensland manufacturers are surviving in surprising areas despite increased competitions from cheap overseas imports. Hundreds of thousands of bucket hats are made each year at Kingston-based Oji Fibre Solutions Foodservice Packaging. 

HOWZAT FOR STYLE: Paper buckets have become a fashionable item of headwear at the cricket, as shown by these young fans.  Picture: Getty

Those ubiquitous fast-food bucket hats worn by young cricket spectators have done more than liven up our summers.  That are also a timely reminder that Queensland manufacturers are surviving in surprising areas despite increased competitions from cheap overseas imports.

Hundreds of thousands of bucket hats are made each year at Kingston-based Oji Fibre Solutions Foodservice Packaging (OjiFSFP), a sprawling factory that began life 30 years ago as Continental Cups.  The company, which is now a part of Japanese paper giant Oji, makes 200 million cups and bucks a year for fast-food chains, cafes and cinemas. 

The survival of Queensland Manufacturers such as Oji is under the spotlight with the State Government this month unveiling a 10-year advanced manufacturing action plan targeting increased international competitiveness and innovation.  OJIFSFP general manager Helen David said the factory, which employs 80 people in two shifts per day, had to be able to compete with low-cost countries such as China. 

“We looked at what China can’t do, and they can’t react quickly because everything has to be shipped over in containers.” Mrs. David said.  “They are good at long production runs, so we have decided to concentrate on short runs.” Oji, which took over the factory in 2014, has invested in new printing equipment to cope with an increasing number of small customized orders for cups and containers. 

The factory can now make as few as 500 Cups for special events or promotions.  “They are popular with car yards, law firms, conferences and even weddings.” Mrs. David said.  Such higher margin production runs only account for 7-8 per cent of annual turnover of 18 million, but Mrs. David hopes to expand that. 

OJIFSFP National Sales Manger, Andrea Fletcher, said he started as a roustabout at the factory shortly after it was founding 1985 by Brisbane businessman Ross Tisch, the then owner of ice cream maker Frosty Boy.  “Ross was not happy with the Paper Cups he was using for his soft-serve ice cream.  He started importing his own,” recalls Mr. Fletcher.   Mr Tisch was then approached by Hungry Jack’s founder, Jack Corwin, who put in a big order of Cups for his fast-food franchisees.  “Ross then decided to start his own factory, importing Paper Cup Manufacturing machinery from the US.”

In the early days, the factory made as few as 50 boxes of cups a day.  It now produces half a million a day for clients including KFC, Donut King, Jetstar and Lavazza.   Glen Norris

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