Ariarne Titmus launches Australian Made Week

Olympic swimming superstar Ariarne Titmus traded the pool for the driver’s seat this morning, behind the wheel of a custom-named, locally-made Volvo truck - ‘Arnie’, to officially launch Australian Made Week, celebrating Aussie toughness, resilience and the power of backing local makers and manufacturers.

Volvo Group Australia, who manufacture Volvo and Mack Trucks in Brisbane, hosted the launch - urging Australians to prioritise locally-made products.

Australian Made Week Ambassador Ariarne Titmus behind the wheel of an Australian-made Volvo Truck

“As a proud Aussie, I’m super excited to fly the flag for Australian Made goods and to recognise and celebrate the efforts and determination that it takes to be successful as a home-grown producer,” Titmus said.

Australian Made Campaign Chief Executive Ben Lazzaro said Australian Made Week and the government’s recent commitment of $20 million to encourage Australians to buy more Aussie products, was a timely reminder of the real-world impact of buying local.

“Australian Made Week highlights how choosing locally made products directly benefits our economy,” said Ben Lazzaro, Chief Executive of the Australian Made Campaign. “It’s a powerful way for everyday Australians to support local workers, businesses, and industries that keep our communities thriving.”

According to new research by Roy Morgan, 73% of Australians say they’re willing to buy more Australian-made products to reduce reliance on imports. A strong 72% are also willing to pay more for locally made goods.

“If every household spent just $10 more a week on Australian Made products, we’d inject an extra $5.6 billion into our economy and generate around 10,000 new jobs,” Lazzaro added.

Australian Made Chief Executive Ben Lazzaro, Australian Made Week Ambassador Ariarne Titmus, Volvo Group Australia President and CEO Martin Merrick and Volvo Trucks Australia Vice President Tom Chapman

For more than 35 years, the trusted Australian Made, Australian Grown green-and-gold logo featuring the outline of a kangaroo has identified products as authentically Australian – including the heavy-duty trucks manufactured by Volvo at its Wacol plant in Queensland.

Martin Merrick, President and CEO of Volvo Group Australia, said the business was committed to local manufacturing.

“We are proud of our 50-year heritage championing Australian innovation, engineering excellence and job creation by producing vehicles built tough for Australian conditions by Australians,” Merrick said.

Businesses bearing our unique country-of-origin certification represent approximately 40,000 jobs and generate a combined annual revenue of around $8 billion - with every single purchase of their products helping to support the cities, towns and regions where the goods are produced.

“Whether it’s skincare or safety equipment, curtains or campervans – we can all play our part in giving Australian businesses a true home-ground advantage,” Titmus added.

The Roy Morgan research showed 84% of Australians would be more likely to buy a product if they knew it was Australian-made.

Watch the launch video: