Wade Mellish from Holmwood Highgate

Holmwood Highgate has evolved from a simple family operation on the outskirts of Brisbane back in the 1950s, to becoming one of Australia’s leading manufacturers of bulk liquid tankers.

Wade Mellish joined Holmwood Highgate directly from university in 1999. Now Wade is the company’s Chief Operating Officer managing Military and Commercial Programs.

As part of this, Wade is helping oversee the production of over 340 liquid modules and integrated tankers for the defence industry—the first major subcontract to be awarded under the Land 121 program to a Queensland company.

The design and construction of these modules means that fuel and water can be transported for a variety of military operations including forward deployment and critical missions as well as aiding disaster relief, peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.

For Holmwood Highgate, joining the defence industry supply chain meant a new, stable revenue stream and more jobs for Queenslanders, like Wade.

‘We have incredibly high-quality production capabilities in our Logan facility, but most importantly our team are experts in their respective fields,’ Wade said.

‘From welding, hydraulics and engineers to spray painters—our staff are trained to be the best at what they do. We also support apprenticeships to ensure that we have properly trained staff for the future and provide jobs and career opportunities for our local community.

“Our Queensland roots run deep and we believe that keeping jobs local will not only see us through into a bright future, but assist our economy’s continued growth and prosperity.’

Wade is just one of the faces of defence industries in Queensland. This sector provides thousands of jobs for Queenslanders, so we’re helping it grow even stronger.