Canberra timber manufacturer shuts 62-year truss division
CRT Building Products is closing its timber truss factory after 62 years. This cuts 20 jobs.
CRT Building Products closed its timber truss factory at Mitchell in Canberra. The closure ended 62 years of production and cut 20 jobs.
The company still employs more than 30 people elsewhere. General manager Richard Gianatti said high timber costs from the 2019 bushfires made the unit unprofitable.
Rising interest rates have cut home-buying demand. The ACT Government has favoured tall apartment blocks over standalone homes.
Cheaper steel products that did not exist in 2019 also took business away. Canberra's timber frame market has changed fast.
It was 95 per cent timber-based before. Now it faces large steel operators that entered in recent years.
- 62 years
- Years in operation
- 20
- Jobs cut
- More than 30
- Remaining employees
- 1964
- Founded
Why it mattersJob losses in Canberra's manufacturing sector show the construction slowdown is hitting local employers.
AustraliaCanberra home builders will need to source timber trusses from interstate suppliers or switch to steel alternatives, likely increasing costs.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 18 h ago
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