National

Leading disability employer sold, saving jobs

Feb 4, 2026

The SA headquarters of Bedford Group — The nation's second-largest disability employer has been sold, staving off job losses. -AAP Image

The jobs of 1250 supported workers have been secured after the sale of major disability employer Bedford to an NDIS service provider.

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The Disability Trust has taken over Bedford, which needed a rescue package from the South Australian government in July last year to stay afloat.

The nation's second-largest disability employer has 22 sites across SA and had supported more than 1400 people living with a disability.

In November, Bedford formally entered administration, with 540 unsecured creditors and outstanding debts of about $18 million.

Since then, there have been more than 100 redundancies and Premier Peter Malinauskas said it had been "absolutely critical" that the administrator made decisions to get the company on a sound financial footing.

Former Bedford CEO Myron Mann resigned over the company's collapse, caused by losses of $20 million since 2021.

Mr Malinauskas said the company had been in "big trouble".

"The financial distress was terminal, and we had to make a decision as a government, do we step in or step away?" he said.

"When we say that 1250 jobs have been saved, it just sounds like a number.

"But when you see the joy and the relief amongst all the people that work here, that this chapter of administration has ended and a new beginning has started, it's all worth it."

The state and federal governments provided almost $40 million to support the sale through the administration process, staving off liquidation and the imminent collapse of Bedford, which has been in operation for 80 years.

It offers specialised employment, NDIS training, skill-building, and social programs, as well as manufacturing commercial products like furniture and providing services such as landscaping and recycling.

The Disability Trust is a registered NDIS services provider and serves clients in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Queensland.