DECO's Testing Laboratory unveiled by Prime Minister

DECO Australia’s Testing Laboratory and the DECO Innovation Centre were officially opened by the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP.

The newly NATA-accredited laboratory and award-winning display centre showcase the investment the family-owned Australian manufacturer of premium aluminium building products, metal finishing and coatings has made to enhance its commitment to quality and innovation.

Founder and Director of DECO Australia Ross Doonan said he was honoured to have the Prime Minister of Australia officially open the two facilities recently.

“It is an honour to have the Hon Anthony Albanese MP here ... to officially open the DECO Innovation Centre and our new NATA Accredited Testing Laboratory. These facilities are both extremely important investments for our business and ensure we can meet requirements from both our customers and accreditation authorities.”

DECO’s new Testing Laboratory received NATA accreditation last year. The laboratory plays a critical role in DECO’s quality control, which involves a wide range of essential tests and control processes. These internal functions ensure compliance with accreditations such as ISO 9001, ISO 17025 and Qualicoat, as well as customer-specific Process Control Plans, operational specifications and inspection requirements.

“DECO prides itself on providing the highest possible quality products and metal finishes in the market. The new testing laboratory is not only essential for meeting accreditation criteria, it also supports our ongoing innovation, research and development as well as our day-to-day quality controls for our customers across the architectural, engineering, defence and aerospace industries,” Doonan said.

Completed in 2020 during the pandemic, the DECO Innovation Centre was designed in conjunction with architectural firm ClarkeHopkinsClarke and has now become a destination for people looking for building inspiration in real-life applications, to explore DECO’s product range up close and to select their perfect finishes and colours.

“The DECO Innovation Centre has been well received by our partners and customers; it’s been fantastic to see how it inspires people to bring their own design visions to life. We’ve had people travel interstate just to visit the centre. Our investment into this facility has been completely worthwhile,” Doonan said.

Also announced was DECO Australia’s commitment to sustainability with the newly agreed supply of lower-carbon aluminium through Capral’s LocAl Green aluminium initiative.

“Alongside quality and innovation, sustainability is at the forefront of our business and our industry. Thanks to our new agreement with Capral, we are excited to be able to reduce ours and our customers’ environmental impact through the purchasing of lower carbon aluminium,” Doonan said.

Image: Prime Minister of Australia the Hon Anthony Albanese MP and Founder and Director of DECO Australia Ross Doonan unveil the Testing Laboratory plaque.