OPS Australia is based in the bush; we are part of the bush and we are working to benefit the bush.
OPS was created to meet the needs of graziers in our region as other products on the market were not meeting their needs. OPS filled this gap so our primary producers could work more efficiently.
OPS Australia was created out of need; Keith Gordon purchased a mob of sheep only to find them brutalised by a pack of wild dogs.
Keith phoned Andrew Barton and asked, “Can we build a system that detect wild dogs and stop them killing sheep?”
Andrew’s reply was the trigger that formed this local start-up. What followed is an intense journey of development, testing and delivery.
And the rest is history.
We commenced developing ag-tech products, starting simply, but with big plans. We were initially based on Keith Gordon’s properties “Parkdale” and later “Campsie”. With much of our early product development and testing occurred in these properties.
We formed a steering committee of local primary producers. They provided valuable feedback on emerging products and suggested new products to be developed. Today our product list contains nearly forty products. We meet with the steering committee twice a year where we provide updates and ask for priorities on product development.
In January 2022, OPS secured large commercial premises (the former Longreach Leader building) in Longreach. This Longreach facility is our National Operation Centre (NOC). Moving into this larger facility has allowed OPS to significantly ramp up our delivery volumes. The growth of OPS Australia is now managed from this building along with being the core technical hub for the OPS solution.
The OPS team provides priority to employing western Queensland resources. Additionally, we provide a focus on training and skilling these resources with opportunities that would not have previously been possible in the western region. More than 60% of the OPS team are based in western Queensland. This count does not include the teams within our ag-tech industry partners.
OPS creates opportunities for local youth who are interested in various types of technology and encourage them to get involved in ag-tech. We have an impressive group of high school students who work casually within OPS. Each of these students contribute to OPS in many and varying ways.
Today, in 2022, OPS has many focus areas. Firstly we are installing ag-tech solutions to a growing number of customers. Secondly, our suite of products continue to grow through strong ongoing product development. Thirdly we are recruiting and training new team members and finally we are refining our internal business systems to support this rapidly growing business. All happening in western Queensland.
