AL‑KO Australia’s Managing Director, Sven Mannfolk, said he was delighted to see the company inducted.
“AL‑KO has a long history of success and is committed to continuing its manufacturing operations in Australia. At a time when many others are scaling back their operations with the threat of cheaper imports, AL‑KO has recently invested in a new multi-million dollar Recreational Vehicle Technology Centre, creating jobs and exports” 
AL‑KO was one of just 7 companies inducted into the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame this year. It joins a variety of other successful Victorian manufacturers including past winners such as Toyota, Kraft, Visy, Bluescope Steel, Masterfoods and Jayco Corporation.
The announcement was made at an awards ceremony in Melbourne on June 6, hosted by the Victorian Minister for Manufacturing, Exports and Trade, The Hon David Hodgett.
AL‑KO has a history spanning back to 1946, when Hornby Engineering commenced producing axles in South Melbourne, growing to become the market leader.
In 1988 the German AL‑KO Kober Group acquired the company, which signalled the start of a new era – including the completion of a 10,000m2 Victorian facility in 2005. Following two decades of significant growth, in 2012 AL-KO further expanded its facilities at Dandenong South with the addition of the ISO 9001 accredited AL-KO Recreational Vehicle Technology Centre.
This purpose built facility has enabled AL‑KO to evolve its capabilities to include high-tech electronics, resulting in the Australian development of AL‑KO’s new Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Technology – considered to be the most significant breakthrough in safety ever released for Australian caravans.
The AL‑KO ESC has a worldwide patent and strong export potential, particularly to the high volume U.S. market.
AL‑KO’s Recreational Vehicle Technology Centre is also home to local production of AL‑KO motorhome chassis, the Sensabrake brake actuation system for large boat trailers, and will be the hub for development of future high-tech products for the Australian caravan & RV industry.
