Deco Australia, one of the leading aluminium building products manufacturers, has revolutionised the aesthetics of aluminium in the region by introducing a cutting-edge sublimation process from Italy to the Australian market by Founder and Director Ross Doonan, a visionary with extensive industry expertise.
Deco refined and improved this technology, which merges images of natural wood into powder-coated aluminium, resulting in goods with the inherent beauty of timber (or any other image) mixed with the durability, recyclability, and lightweight of aluminium. Ross and daughter Meika founded DECO in 2004, navigating the early start-up years through the Great Recession. Along the trip, they were joined by sisters Ella and Clare and Ross' wife Alison.
{alcircleadd}
With their breakthrough product, DecoWood, the Doonans leveraged the potential of modern technology, leveraging the architectural and building sectors. DecoClad, DecoBatten, DecoSlat and DecoDeck are now among their unique, high-value aluminium building products, as are DecoSplash - ornamental kitchen splashbacks, wet area linings and DecoSign - anti-graffiti signs. Regarding sustainability, DECO praises aluminium's recyclability and ability to reduce environmental impact.
"We tap into a market need and recognise where our products and expertise can solve customer problems. We can create the look and the effect of timber without chopping down forests. People don't realise how easily and efficiently industry can recycle aluminium or how much aluminium stays in the system," said Meika, Strategic Director at Deco.
Deco's cooperation with Capral, a prominent supplier of aluminium solutions, has proven necessary, according to General Manager Richard Hamber, throughout their journey. Capral has supported DECO since its inception, taking its products nationally. They worked together to develop products by cutting new dies, providing comments, and advising on stock levels and run amounts. Capral's slats, screening, and systems in the DecoWood finish were among their first collaborations.
Richard added, "Capral supplies most of our aluminium, so by switching to the LocAl product, we have reduced the emissions associated with our primary aluminium by half. In fact, in the first three months, this simple switch to LocAL Green has seen us save the equivalent of one million kilograms of C02."
Regarding sustainability, Richard believes Capral's introduction of LocAl - Lower Carbon Aluminium - is a game changer. LocAl's two primary aluminium alternatives, LocAl Geen and SuperGreen, provide 50 per cent and 75 per cent less carbon emissions than the global primary aluminium average. DECO made the industry-leading choice in early 2023 to switch all their Capral Aluminium purchases to LocAl Green.
“Our people are highly skilled. It takes a long time to learn the processes we use. We are the market leaders, and very few Australian companies do what we do.” DECO’s sales representatives bring the team to more than 100. As well as talking to DECO customers across Australia daily to find solutions for their projects, the reps’ internal feedback on customer requirements is invaluable for continuing innovation. Our products are utilised all over Australia, from remote schools in the Northern Territory to projects in Tasmania. Our products also go to Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand. DECO products are used in everything from letterboxes and front fences to large-scale public works, and applications like the Bayview Marina in Darwin, the Channel Nine building in North Sydney. People build chicken coops with our battens,” added Richard.
Responses
