‘Transformative’ is how innovator Ryan Norris describes the Greater Whitsunday region of northern Queensland.
“Transformative, almost to the point where it’s so true you don’t want to spread the word!” says the CEO and founder of Vayeron, a Mackay-based company which develops and sells smart technologies for industry.
As a consulting engineer working on conveyor systems in Queensland mines, Ryan Norris got a brilliant idea – an idea he turned into a cost-saving prototype during two years in Sydney. But it was only when he brought his business back to its regional roots, that it took off globally.
“I don’t want Mackay to become another mega city, but if people did cotton on to the fact that Mackay is such a liveable place, with so much opportunity in the region, there’s no reason why there wouldn’t be an influx of people,” Ryan says.
He likes Mackay because it’s “a quaint, big country town with a small-city vibe” and is close to his customer base.
“I think world-class multinational companies can be grown and headquartered here in Mackay, especially with our region’s three main economic drivers of mining, agriculture, and tourism. That’s what we hope to do with Vayeron, maintain our headquarters here and operate internationally,” he says.
