Geelong Disabled Peoples Industries (GDPI) celebrated 50 years of helping locals find work last Friday.
The group now employs more than 80 disabled people, plus administrative and supervisory staff, said chairman Michael Duff.
“Today we are at the fore as far as recycling goes,” he said.
“The City of Greater Geelong Council has put great faith in us and we have run the resource and recycling centre in Douro Street, North Geelong, for the last 20 years.”
Mr Duff addressed about 150 past and present board members, staff, suppliers, contractors and others at the Novotel Friday night.
Geelong West Rotary Club members Alf de Forest, then manager of Grace McKellar House, and Murray Mitchell, led efforts to help disabled people find work in the ’60s.
GDPI’s first committee, comprised largely of Rotarians, opened the doors at Geelong West in 1967, employing six disabled people, Mr Duff said.
The first employees repaired wooden soft drink crates and within a short time Alcoa, Ford and Donaghy’s rope works provided additional work, he said.
“With today’s society all about consumables and waste” the group has moved into e-waste, scrap metal, green waste, furniture, cardboard, plastic and bric-a-brac, Mr Duff said.
“The list is almost endless and our factories in Baxter Road and Slevin Street North are at capacity.
“Godfrey Hirst Carpets is also giving us loads of work de-spooling wool and nylon and this employs a fair number of our people.”
Three disabled people have been with the group for 40 years, while another 14 have worked there between 35 and 25 years, Mr Duff added.
Today the board consists past and present Geelong West Rotary members.
Mr Duff made special mention of GDPI supervisors who he said had served as teachers, mentors, bosses and friends to “our people.”
