Roband - Company Overview

One of Australia's leading suppliers of food service equipment, Roband Australia is a company that combines 55 years of market and manufacturing experience to provide its customers with top quality products.  Based in Cromer, New South Wales (just north of Sydney), Roband is a fully Australian-owned organization.  And it's family-owned, as well.

Roband Australia fulfils many functions, from manufacturing to sourcing to selling with an extensive dealership network throughout Australia.  Many of its products are available internationally as well, through overseas distributors.  Locally, Roband manufactures its flagship brand of countertop food service equipment, along with its Austheat brand of freestanding electric fryers. 

In order to enhance its portfolio of products available to the Australian market, Roband Australia also sources complementary product lines such as Robinox kitchenware and tableware, Ryno stainless steel benching, Noaw food slicers, Förje cookware, and world-famous Vita-Mix blenders.

Roband employs about 70 people in its Cromer factory, and started in 1962 by making its now-iconic milkshake makers for the emerging café industry.  Then-owner Lynn Carson's vision of the business was to manufacture all styles and types of catering equipment for Australian food service businesses. 

Andrew Carson is son of the original owner, and part-namesake of the company, along with his brother Robert, who left the business early on to pursue his dream of being a chef.  In 2011, Andrew moved the factory in Cromer to a nearby 6,500 square metre industrial shed, and transformed it into a completely state of the art manufacturing facility.  One of the great improvements to productivity that they've enjoyed is the high-tech laser stainless steel cutter, which has significantly improved employee productivity.  Most assembly of components, including that of refrigeration and electronics, is done there on site.

One of the interesting things about Roband Australia is that spare parts for equipment built even 20 years ago can still be purchased today.  And many eateries are still using this kind of robust Australian made equipment.  Indeed, of all the manufacturing companies exhibiting at HOST 2011 in Italy, Roband was the only Australian one.  Since then, there has been quite a bit of interest in their products.