Hills Holdings criticises South Australian Government's lack of support to manufacturing, will use election year lever Managing director Ted Pretty. Pic: Ben Macmahon. ONE of South Australia's largest employers Hills Holdings has again slammed the State Government's lack of support and interest in ensuring future manufacturing investment and jobs remain here. Managing director Ted Pretty said other states were aggressively targeting businesses in sharp contrast to the "hollow words" about advanced manufacturing in South Australia. This state needs to aggressively target businesses. If it doesn't, that's fine. There's only so many hours in the day I can spend on that kind of lobbying. If not, then we will look elsewhere. Mr Pretty said it was not about relocating the business, but about finding the right encouragement and support for future activity around innovation and investment and jobs. If the government could find $50 million to stick in the automotive industry, I think they can find a little bit to support new industries. "I am not going to be apologetic about ensuring some support for us in an election year," he told shareholders when asked to clarify recent reports about the company being wooed by interstate governments. Mr Pretty said it was not about handouts, it could be simply be things like 3-4 years of payroll tax relief. And we have never asked for a dollar without saying we are prepared to match it. He said other states had offered asistance related to relocation, developnment funds, co-funding research, and in other basic incentives around state taxes. Some states react only when a large foreign company rattles the cage and says they are going to leave Australia. They don't have the same intensity around Australian companies. Hills has been here for 67 years. We have made direct and indirect contributions in taxes and license fees and jobs to the economy. If I was SA Government, I'd come banging on my door and saying what can we do to help. Manufacturing Minister Tom Kenyon said he was appreciative of what Hills was doing and the direction it was heading in with the restructure, but the government did not have ``bucketloads of cash to hand out. He said he would give thought to other options like incentives and support. "Hills is and will be an important player in this state and Mr Pretty has to make his own decisions but SA could not be expected to match the bigger budgets of other states," Mr Kenyon said. Mr Pretty was speaking at a special meeting of shareholders to update them on the restructure and future direction of the business, which employs close to 2000 people. He informed shareholders he will be meeting with new Manufacturing Minister Tom Kenyon next month - after a number of meetings with other state government officials - to increase the pressure on government in an election year.