“No one knows Aussie conditions like Aussies,” says VUETRADE

The first company profile in our Celebrating Australian Made editorial series, sponsored by the Australian Made Campaign, is building industry supplier VUETRADE. 

Nearly 90 per cent of Australia’s population lives by the coast, by the sea, and that population is growing. So having the right construction materials that can not only help build faster but can also stand up to Australia’s sea salt air and the corrosion it can cause are critical. 

That’s why more builders are turning to Australian made and manufactured products, like those by VUETRADE, whose focus is on making a range of quality construction materials and products for Australia’s builders and tradies.

“No one knows Australian conditions like Aussies!” says VUETRADE Head of Marketing, James Renshaw.

“VUETRADE was founded in 2012 out of Bellevue Group which had been servicing the Australian market since 1988, during that time we’ve not only remained family-owned, we have aimed to develop a comprehensive range of products designed for use in tough, Australian conditions.

“Today, we provide our partners across the country with high quality products and support. Our Australian Made product range has always been central to this.”

A prime example of this is VUETRADE’s CoastalSS range providing quality stainless steel options for those Australians living close to the coast or for installs near swimming pools, a common feature in many Australian backyards. 

When it comes to materials, VUETRADE also goes a little further than most. Besides providing the right materials that can stand up to Australian conditions, they also provide area usage charts to help ensure that builders are able to use the right grades of steel, depending on the proximity of their builds to different environmental factors. Their aim is to make products for Australians and help them use what’s right for them.

“One aspect that sets VUETRADE apart is its commitment at all levels to ensuring Australian made quality.” 

The company said it aims to have as many products made in Australia as possible, because it believes in the quality of products made here.

“We place a great deal of importance on making life easy for our partners and the end users. We aim to support our partners in providing the best, most appropriate solutions to the end users of the products,” Renshaw says.

He added that manufacturing at home goes beyond just making for Australian conditions.

“Our range of Australian Made products is central to how we support our partners,” Renshaw explains.

“Australian Made means reliable product quality, and lead times, as well as products fully compliant with the strict requirements of the Australian Standards. It provides us with the confidence that our products are tailored to the unique conditions of the Australian market whilst allowing us the flexibility to be responsive [to] changes in the market.

“With Australian Made options available across our post supports, framing connectors, building brackets, bracing and tensioning, stainless steel, and BLACKOUT ranges, we provide AM solutions whatever the job.”

But he acknowledges that while it’s not always the simplest option to manufacture here, it’s often the right one.

Renshaw explains that while manufacturing in Australia might not always be the lowest cost, it does add value in many ways that overseas manufacturing cannot, acting as an economic multiplier that helps create indirect 

“At VUETRADE, we see this not only in the product quality but also in supporting the local economy and creating skilled jobs.”

Celebrating Australian Made is an annual editorial series, coinciding with Australian Made Week and commissioned by the Australian Made Campaign to share its members’ stories. For more information on how you can get your products certified as Australian Made, visit this link.