DECO Australia celebrates 20 years of timber-look aluminium
From a humble start-up specialising in aluminium woodgrain finishes, today we are so proud to be recognised as an Australian leader of timber-look aluminium building products.
Founded in 2004 by Ross Doonan, following an extensive career in engineering, industrial automation, product design and building products including aluminium windows and doors, DECO endured a range of challenges.
Building the DECO business into what it is today has been hard work comments Ross. “We had to do an enormous amount of work to raise awareness in the market of the availability of this new finishing technology. Then in 2007 the global financial crisis hit and the phones stopped ringing, so we had to batten down the hatches to survive”.
More recently, the company has been fighting local and international copycats to ensure their Australian-made patented product lines are defended.
Operating as a finishing-focused business, it didn’t take Ross long to identify the opportunities in this niche timber-alternative market he’d carved out for DECO.
“We were finishing other company’s aluminium profiles, and our customers were asking us if we could supply finished aluminium profiles. So, I set to work creating products and systems that would meet the needs of our customers in terms of easy and fast installation, together with high durability and aesthetic values.” says Ross.
The company launched their first timber-look aluminium product into the market in 2006 with their aluminium decking system, DecoDeck®. Shortly after came DecoClad®, their unique patented aluminium cladding system profile. Next the innovative two-piece DecoBatten® patented profiles, which have now become the company’s signature product line thanks to the ongoing current design trends.
Today, DECO continues to experience strong growth and employs around 120 people as well as boasting over 12 product lines and a wide selection of aluminium finishes across their natural timber-look DecoWood® colour range, as well as DecoVogue™ concrete, stone and rust-effect finishes, DecoUltra® anodised finishes and a series of contemporary DecoCoat® solid powder colours.