Recognised across Australia as a symbol of authenticity, the Australian Made logo has become one of the most trusted and widely recognised markers of locally manufactured goods.
More than just a label of origin, it represents genuine manufacturing transformation, consumer confidence and a commitment to supporting local industry.
Wagners CFT General Manager, Ryan Leeson says securing Australian Made certification reinforces trust in the company’s locally manufactured Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) products and the standards behind them.
“Securing Australian Made certification reflects the investment, innovation and manufacturing capability behind the products we produce here in Wellcamp,” Ryan Leeson said.
“That is why we recently went through the process of having our products certified Australian Made,” Mr Leeson said.
“The products we have certified are our Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) pultruded sections. These are our circular hollow sections (CHS), square hollow sections (SHS) and rectangular hollow sections (RHS),” he said.
“Our CHS can be used as utility poles, light poles, piles for boardwalks and other sort of marine infrastructure and our SHS and RHS can be used in bridges, boardwalks, jetties and other structural applications.”
“These are all the products that we manufacture here on site in Wellcamp which is just west of Toowoomba. It is our advanced manufacturing facility where we have 150 staff based onsite.”
Pictured – Wagners CFT’s Australian Made certified products – SHS, CHS and RHS.
Clear differentiation between fabrication and full manufacturing is essential in understanding product performance.
“The Australian Made logo is an important differentiator because it clearly shows that we are a genuine manufacturer, not just a fabricator,” Ryan Leeson said.
“That’s probably one of the biggest misconceptions in our space, is it Australian fabricated or is it manufactured in Australia,” Mr Leeson said.
“The performance of any product will come down to the base construction material that is used regardless of how well the local carpenter or someone that’s great with their hands has put it together,’ he said.
“If the fundamental raw material itself doesn’t have the durability, the life or the structural performance that you need, it can’t be dressed up through efficient fabrication.”
Pictured – A pultrusion machine pultruding a CHS at Wagners CFT.
Australian Made certification reinforces the quality, traceability and procurement confidence behind locally manufactured infrastructure products.
“For us, having our products certified Australian Made verifies the local manufacturing origins and really provides that confidence that the products are designed for Australian conditions and have been manufactured in a repeatable and scalable environment,” Ryan Leeson said.
“It also strengthens the procurement confidence of those that rely on Wagners and Wagners products every day for their infrastructure,” Mr Leeson said.
“Australian Made certifies that all the raw ingredients, all the parts that are going into what you are making have also been able to pass Australian standards,” he said.
“If the raw materials for which your products are made have not been passed through a country like Australia, you have got no idea where they have come from, what sort of labours have been involved, all those pieces to control the quality and the traceability.”
“Wagners CFT provides a single source production facility and it gives our customers the assurance that the quality control is in place and that it is consistent and because it is consistent, we can guarantee our 100 year design life.”
Pictured – CHS can be used as utility poles, light piles, marine piles and more.
Sovereign capability and supply chain resilience are central to ensuring reliable access to goods, support and long-term industry strength.
“Sovereign capability is a key part of what it means to be Australian Made,” Ryan Leeson said.
“In today’s geopolitical climate, we’re seeing the risks of relying on products and components that aren’t manufactured locally. When supply chains are disrupted, it becomes harder to access the goods, parts and support businesses depend on,” Mr Leeson said.
“Global supply chains rely on shipping, fuel and many interconnected suppliers. That’s why having manufacturing and support functions based in Australia is so important to us when Wagners makes procurement decisions,” he said.
“We want confidence that we’ll be able to access support and spare parts when we need them.”
“Building resilience into our supply chain strengthens local industry and creates a cycle that helps Australian businesses grow and prosper.”
Pictured – Wagners CFT design their machines in-house.
A strong foundation of Australian manufacturing experience underpins Wagners CFT’s long-term commitment to supporting customers.
“We bring 24 years of Australian manufacturing experience and a proven track record of supporting our customers not just today, but well into the future,” Ryan Leeson said.
“That support includes spare parts and care and warranty manuals. When you buy Australian Made, you get that guarantee that the product and the company behind it will be there for the long term,” Mr Leeson said.
“We’re not just someone that’s importing products, and tomorrow can disappear,” he said.
“We are actually an Australian manufacturer. We’ve invested significantly into our infrastructure and we’re committed to being here for the long haul.”
Pictured – The Wagners CFT manufacturing facility in Wellcamp, Queensland.
Perceptions of product quality are often shaped by past experiences, but purpose-built, locally manufactured solutions designed for Australian conditions can offer a fundamentally different level of performance and reliability.
“It only takes one bad experience with a product category for someone to form an opinion on that product,” Ryan Leeson said.
“The Australian Made logo was important to us because it helps differentiate our products and reinforces their quality and local manufacturing credentials,” Mr Leeson said.
“But a Wagner CFT product is a fundamentally different product specifically designed for that application,” he said.
“It’s not just a wholesale product out of China or India where most of the other FRP in the world is made, that could be used for any number of applications and not specifically for what you’re doing.”
“We have tailored and learned from others around the world and been able to tailor our products specifically for the Australian conditions.”
Pictured – A comparison between high-quality FRP and cheap, imported FRP.
Australia’s future innovation and infrastructure depend on keeping manufacturing onshore, supporting local jobs and ensuring long-term reliability through Australian Made solutions.
“Local manufacturing is important. It’s the sort of job that our kids will have in the future. It’s the future of innovation,” Ryan Leeson said.
“If we don’t manufacture here, we won’t innovate here, and we risk losing the product development cycle that delivers solutions truly fit for Australian conditions,” Mr Leeson said.
“Certified production reduces lifecycle risk. When we design structures for a 50 or 100-year life, that’s only valuable if there’s ongoing support when issues arise. Without that, no matter what is written on paper, the assurance is limited.”
“We’re focused on building trust in the FRP material as a structural material, be it Wagners or anyone else, we’re advocates for the material itself.”
“Our call to action is to specify Australian Made. By doing that, you unlock the full range of benefits.”
Pictured – Wagners FRP profiles featuring the Australian Made logo.
Queensland State Manager, Halinka Panzera states the logo’s recognition and credibility reflect decades of work ensuring only genuinely Australian Made products carry the mark.
“The Australia made logo, the green triangle with the gold kangaroo is Australia’s most trusted and recognised logo which is no small feat,” Halinka Panzera said.
“We are a not-for-profit and to have that kind of recognition, a 99% recognition of our logo is quite significant,” Ms Panzera said.
“The logo itself has an interesting history. It was born out of the manufacturing sector and is celebrating 40 years this year,” she said.
“The manufacturing sector got together and decided 40 years ago that there needed to be an insignia or a logo that would help differentiate businesses that were manufacturing locally versus ones that were making things overseas and the Australian Made logo was born.”
Pictured – The iconic Australian Made logo is the trusted symbol of genuine Aussie authenticity.
But not every product can carry the Australian Made logo, with businesses required to meet strict criteria to prove their goods are genuinely manufactured in Australia.
“The process of determining whether something is Australian Made comes down to significant transformation,” Halinka Panzera said.
“In other words, there was nothing before and there is something at the end,” Ms Panzera said.
“It is not simply a case of attaching a handle to a bucket. I should not be able to walk into your factory with an IKEA screwdriver and put it together. That is assembly, not manufacturing,” she said.
“Manufacturing is about creating something through transformation. While some components may be sourced overseas because we do not make everything here, the key issue is whether a genuine transformation has taken place.”
Pictured – Significant transformation of raw ingredients is required for a product to be recognised as Australian Made.
The Australian Made logo is backed by strict compliance requirements and oversight from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), ensuring only businesses that meet rigorous standards can carry the certification.
“At the Australian Made Campaign which is the governing body that we call AMCL or the Australian Made Campaign Limited, we are a not for-profit public company established in 1999 and we are regulated by the ACCC,” Halinka Panzera said.
“All of what we do has a code of conduct that we need to adhere to and there are strict rules as to compliance,” Ms Panzera said.
“In essence, what we do is create a third party licensing platform. Businesses go through a process of compliance and we also do promotion to the public hence the recognition of our logo at 99%,” she said.
“Our purpose is to identify a product that is made locally very clearly. The logo is all about identification so that a customer can easily recognise a product that is locally made versus something that is imported.”
Pictured – If a product carries the Australian Made logo, it has undergone a rigorous verification process to authenticate its origin and manufacturing practices.
Beyond building consumer trust, the Australian Made logo also delivers tangible commercial benefits for businesses, helping strengthen brand value and influence purchasing decisions.
“What we have seen over time is that the Australian Made logo shortens the buying cycle,” Halinka Panzeraa said.
“It allows your salespeople to focus on the product and when you get the question ‘But is it really made here?’, certification guarantees that it definitely is and businesses point to the logo and then move straight to the product benefits and features,” Ms Panzera said.
“Over time, we have also seen that it adds value to a business,” she said.
“It makes sense that people are actively seeking to engage with products that are made locally and to support local businesses and so, it does impact your business bottom line over time.”
Pictured – The Australian Made purpose is to promote the Australian Made brand for the benefits of Australian makers and growers, and help their consumers exercise their preference for Australian products.
The Australian-made logo has become a widely recognised national symbol, with its use extending across a broad range of industries.
“The logo itself is widely used on many different products,” Halinka Panzera said.
“In fact, legislation introduced five years ago made it free for anyone producing food to use the logo, while other industries continue to operate under a fee-based model.,” Ms Panzera said.
“The idea of the government is to get this brand out there and give customers the assurance that they want,” she said.
“It is used across a wide range of industries, from defence and shipping to industrial sectors and B2B businesses. Even small-scale users such as jewellery makers and craftspeople at the markets can use the logo.”
“It is very accessible to everybody manufacturing in Australia.”
Pictured – Across many industries, businesses use the Australian Made logo to stand out from the competition.
The process of using the logo follows a clear step-by-step pathway, beginning with an application and moving through compliance checks before final approval and associated fees.
“The process of using the logo is relatively straightforward,” Halinka Panzera said.
“You apply and that is where I come in. I am the state manager for Queensland, so I assist you with the application process, basic business details and photos of your manufacturing,” Ms Panzera said.
“Then you go into the vault of compliance. There is a conversation between our compliance team and the organisation that is applying to make sure that all of the rules and regulations are followed,” she said.
“If your business gets approved, the logo or the accreditation belongs to the product, not the business as such. You are getting the logo approved for products.”
“Then there is a fee. It is all transparent on our website but there is a fee that is just attributed to depending on the range.”
“So a smaller company or a sole trader would have a different fee to a larger multinational company.”
Pictured – The verification process consists of five key steps.
Once the product is certified Australian Made, the next step is deciding how and where the logo will live across a business’ brand touchpoints.
“Then I come back into play with how you use the logo and how far you want to display it,” Halinka Panzera said.
“Some businesses put it on their t-shirts, some people put it on the shop front, others put it on their website,” Ms Panzera said.
“We are more than happy to partner with a business in terms of the visibility and the impact,” she said.
“It becomes part of your branding strategy.”
Pictured – Australian Made trams in Melbourne, Victoria.
Businesses have a range of Australian Made logo options available, with some elements fixed and others that can be customised.
“There are several different kinds of logos available that you can use,” Halinka Panzera said.
“What is proprietary is the green triangle with the gold kangaroo, you can not change that,” Ms Panzera said.
“But whether the wording Australian Made, Australian grown, Australian Made and owned is used, it really depends on your own business,” she said.
“The logo is not about ownership so much, it is about manufacturing, but we do allow if you are also owned in Australia to have that.”
“Here in Queensland or other regions, if you want to promote that you are making something regionally, you can have Australian Made in Queensland or Australian Made in Toowoomba and personalise it.”
“We really do work with the business in terms of how they want to communicate the value proposition.”
Pictured – The Australian Made logo can be displayed on certified products, allowing consumers to easily identify them.
Country-of-origin labels and logos are widely used on products and play an important role in shaping consumer perceptions, but not all carry the same level of recognition, credibility or significance.
“There are other logos out there,” Halinka Panzera said.
“You are allowed to put a koala symbol on a product or simply write ‘Australian Made’ in text. But with 84% of Australians choosing the Australian Made logo, it remains the most trusted,” Ms Panzera said.
“Other logos are not widely recognised. In some craft markets, awareness can be under 7%, and many people do not realise those logos are not certified by the ACCC,” she said.
“They are simply logos that businesses can purchase, but they do not carry the same meaning or consumer trust as our logo does.”
Pictured – The Australian Made logo is the most recognised and chosen logo.
The Australian Made logo represents local jobs and high standards of quality, ethics and sustainability, shaping how product value should be understood beyond price alone.
“The Australian Made logo means that a product supports local jobs and is produced to high quality standards, with strong expectations around ethics and sustainability,” Halinka Panzera said.
“89% of people believe that we use ethical labour in Australia and that our processes are sustainable, which adds to the overall value promise,” Ms Panzera said.
“But we often talk about price in Australia and producing and manufacturing in Australia is often expensive,” she said.
“We are one of the most expensive countries to live in globally, so our employment prices reflect that, but the quality of our product is what is the key differentiator.”
“You can not fairly compare the price of one product that is built to last for six years versus a product that might be manufactured in Australia with a product life cycle that starts from 20 years and can go up to 80 or 100 years.”
“When we look at pricing, we should not just look at the upfront cost, but at the total cost over the product’s entire lifecycle.”
Pictured – Australian Made products support local jobs.
Australian businesses show very strong awareness and trust in the Australian Made logo, with growing momentum in procurement practices and government pressure further reinforcing support for locally made products.
“In terms of businesses attitudes on buying Australian, 100% of Australian businesses surveyed say that they recognise the logo, so the recognition amongst businesses is even higher than with consumers but at 99%, we are pretty happy with that,” Halinka Panzera said.
“77% of businesses trust the Australian Made logo, 85% of businesses are confident that products displaying the logo are actually made or grown in Australia , 67% of organisations are likely to purchase from an Australian Made business and 57% of organisations are likely to consider an Australian Made business for tender,” Ms Panzera said.
“Now that is also changing, Queensland is actually taking charge here of businesses from a procurement perspective in the government sector,” she said.
“We are seeing more and more pressure being applied to choose an Australian Made and manufactured business and if they are not choosing an Australian manufacturer, there is now a please explain, so we are starting to see a shift.”
“Three in four licensees would recommend the Australian Made logo to other businesses.”
“One thing I find is we have a very small attrition rate. Once a business signs up with us, they are with us for life, so they do feel that the license is effective.”
Watch the full webinar ‘Certified Australian Made – Why Local Manufacturing Matters’ featuring guest speakers, Australian Made Queensland Sales & Relationship State Manager, Halinka Panzera and Wagners CFT General Manager Australia/New Zealand, Ryan Leeson – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ZpHwpCLik
Learn more about Australian Made – https://australianmade.com.au/
Browse Wagners CFT’s Australian Made certified products – https://australianmade.com.au/licensees/wagners-composite-fibre-technologies-cft
Pictured – Business attitudes on buying Australian.
