THREE DECADES OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S PREEMINENT MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING BUSINESS
DRIVING MANUFACTURING FORWARD
Camco Engineering is celebrating three solutions. Glenn Bailey, CEO, reflects on the recent investments in new facilities,
Writer: Jack Salter | Project
DRIVING LOCAL MANUFACTURING FORWARD
three decades of time-critical engineering the company’s 30th anniversary and outlines facilities, equipment, and product lines
Manager: Cameron Lawrence
As Australia’s engineering industry continues to thrive, Glenn Bailey, CEO of Camco Engineering (Camco), is optimistic about the future of local manufacturing and the aftermarket sector.
“Governments of all persuasions are backing the industry, building capability, and developing talent to support advanced manufacturing projects,” Bailey explains.
“The speed at which we’re scaling capability and competing with alternate supply chains is tremendous. The energy transition and defence sectors now provide businesses like ours with genuine diversification opportunities – this is exciting for us
and the industry as a whole.”
Bailey joined Camco in September 2024. The company delivers innovative, time-critical engineering solutions to some of Australia’s largest mining, energy, and power generation businesses.
Based in Western Australia (WA), with major facilities in Canning Vale, Belmont, Welshpool, and Karratha, Camco is an industry leader in mechanical engineering, boasting some of the best machining and fitting capability in the country.
“Camco is all about delivering complex, time-critical engineering solutions. What it takes to keep our mine sites operating is staggering –agility is key,” Bailey says.
HOW DID YOU END UP IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION AT CAMCO?
Glenn Bailey, CEO: “My career began in finance, but my pathway since has been anything but conventional.
“After qualifying as a chartered accountant, I worked across several industries in analyst, commercial, and finance roles.
“WA’s economic landscape is shaped by several key lodestones that consistently attract capital and talent – the resources sector being one of them. So, I eventually joined Worley, where I spent the next decade working in seven different roles, which offered me a tremendous breadth of experience.
“My last three years with Worley were spent in China working as CFO for operations across China and India. I loved it there – the people, the food,
the history, and the sheer energy of the place. I still remember stepping off the plane in Beijing for the first time; the energy was palpable.”
“Eventually, Worley wanted to bring us back to Australia, but with two sons in high school, we weren’t quite ready to leave. I began looking for another opportunity and was fortunate enough to join Monadelphous – another great
“A client told me in my first week here – “If you deliver, we deliver”. This really resonated with me; everything we do is focused on what this statement embodies.”
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
Camco marked its 30th anniversary this year, a milestone reflecting decades of hard work and innovation since its founding in June 1995 by Bruce Cameron, Frank Fusco, and Vic Fusco.
“Bruce, Frank, and Vic worked tirelessly to build Camco, but I don’t think even they imagined it would grow to become WA’s leading mechanical engineering business,” Bailey reflects.
Australian company – as General Manager in China, overseeing their offshore fabrication business across China, the US, and later, Vietnam.
“We returned to Australia just after the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was approached by Camco a short time later.
“I could tell immediately Camco was a hidden gem – market-leading machining and fitting capability, Tier 1 customers, facilities across WA, a consistent record of growth and diversification, and most importantly, a supportive ownership group.
“Joining Camco required major shifts in perspective on my part – from major capital projects to the aftermarket sector, and from advocating for offshore manufacturing to championing local content and jobs.
“Having worked in both Australia and overseas, it’s clear to me we need both local and offshore capability. Each can play a complementary role in supporting Australian industry as it moves forward.”
“CAMCO IS ALL ABOUT DELIVERING COMPLEX, TIME-CRITICAL ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS. WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP OUR MINE SITES OPERATING IS STAGGERING – AGILITY IS KEY”
– GLENN BAILEY, CEO, CAMCO ENGINEERING
Frank once shared that the attributes he valued most were loyalty, hard work, and performance –qualities that defined Camco’s culture from day one and remain central today.
From humble beginnings in a small Canning Vale workshop, Camco has evolved into a major player supporting the mining, oil and gas, energy, and rail sectors and now employs over 550 people across 10 sites.
The Camco story is one of steady progress, technical expertise, and commitment to service,
and demonstrates what can be achieved through long-term vision, strong leadership, and a dedicated workforce.
“The organisation we have grown into is a direct result of the incredible efforts of many, many people over the years. We have committed and engaged employees and a tenured management team; you can tell our people care about what they do and about the company,” Bailey recognises.
“Are we listening to our customers? Are we ready to react when they need
us? Are we working with them to improve equipment performance?” he asks.
“Our competitors do similar things, but we are absolutely determined to do them better.”
THE WAY WE WORK
As the business grew, a culture of care and accountability was encouraged and then codified in ‘The Way We Work’.
Safety is the foundation of this philosophy and instilled into all leaders and workers at Camco.
DEFENCE INDUSTRY QUALIFICATION
Camco recently hosted General Dynamics Electric Boat, Newport News Shipbuilding, and H&B Defence at its Canning Vale facilities.
These companies evaluated Camco for participation in the Defence Industry Vendor Qualification (DIVQ) and Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) programmes, which are working to accelerate the qualification of Australian suppliers into the US and UK submarine and shipbuilding industrial base.
Camco is part of the first cohort of Australian businesses benchmarked through these programmes.
“These programmes have matured into a proven model for preparing companies like Camco to compete in the world’s most demanding defence supply chains,” Bailey notes.
‘The Way We Work’ aims to change people’s mindset from seeing health, safety, environment, and quality as additional rules to fundamental elements of every job.
It’s more than a priority – it’s a value that shapes every decision, project, and interaction.
“We care enough about each other to speak up when we see something that looks or feels unsafe,” says Bailey. “We work hard to keep each other safe every day.
“By embedding ‘The Way we Work’ into our culture and processes, we are empowering our people to confidently deliver excellence.”
INVESTING IN FACILITIES AND CAPABILITY
A major milestone last year was the opening of Camco’s state-of-the-art Karratha facility – the company’s first expansion outside Perth.
This purpose-built facility strengthens Camco’s regional presence, creating local jobs and delivering manufacturing and
maintenance services in the Pilbara. The site adds 2,500 square metres (sqm) of workshop space, increasing Camco’s total capacity to 26,000 sqm.
“The response from our customers has been phenomenal,” Bailey says. “A shared commitment to developing
MAILAM UPKING ENGINEERNG LIMITED
Wear protection systems and services
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• Various Chemistries to suit applications
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o Fabricators of wearing components as per Customers design/ drawings
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o In situ reclamation services
o Drafting and FEA
o Steel Mill rolls refurbishments
MAILAM INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED
Manufacturers of High-quality Welding consumables:
• Steel Joining flux cored wires for all AWS specs
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o Approvals from all leading approving agencies internationally
o Proven track record for almost 35 years
WORKS:
the communities we operate in strengthens the entire sector.
“We now have 40 people in our Pilbara Division and continue to add machining, fitting, and welding capability to meet customer needs and support regional content and decarbonisation goals.”
Camco is also breaking ground on a new industrial development in Canning Vale – a 4,000 sqm workshop equipped with 150, 50, and 20-tonne overhead cranes in the main bay.
“This facility represents a step up from the typical 90-tonne dual-lift capacity at other sites and will unlock significant opportunities in the mining sector,” Bailey notes.
Recent investments include commissioning the largest dynamic balancing machine in the Southern Hemisphere, one of Australia’s largest floor borers, and advanced multifunction milling centres.
“OUR COMPETITORS DO SIMILAR THINGS, BUT WE ARE ABSOLUTELY DETERMINED TO DO THEM BETTER”
– GLENN BAILEY, CEO, CAMCO ENGINEERING
INNOVATION AND NEW PRODUCT LINES
Camco continues to diversify, introducing nearly a dozen new product lines in recent years, including chutes, loader and reclaimer buckets, magnetic separators, salt harvesters, belt splice stations, air classifiers, and cryogenic equipment.
“We innovate with our customers, solving problems together,” Bailey explains.
“We’re always looking for the next challenge – but we know what we’re good at.”
For 2026, Camco plans to expand its R&D capability and increase
capacity to support continued growth and diversification strategy.
“In addition to wind and defence, we aim to grow beyond iron ore into copper, lithium, gold, and critical minerals,” Bailey concludes.
Tel: +61 (8) 9455 2200
general@camcoeng.com.au www.camcoeng.com.au
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