A $500,000 advanced manufacturing grant awarded to Arctic Installations by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre and the Territory Government has the successful local company looking to further expand its fabrication business.

With the grant, Arctic Installations will be able to expand its workforce, boost production, and enter new markets in south-east Asia, initially focusing on East Timor. The funding will also allow Arctic to increase its staff at its East Arm factory from 15 to 40, as additional work is expected.

The Darwin-based business is the only fabricator of insulated panels and are expert controlled environment installers, with wide-ranging applications in the Territory and other humid tropical regions.

“Arctic fabricates a trim deck profile for roofing used in verandahs, carports, patios and everything you need to keep yourself cool in the Darwin wet season,” said Arctic Installations managing director Gary Burns.

“We also manufacture cool-room panels which can also be used in transportable buildings and remote housing. Our products are widely used by mobile home builders across the Territory.”

The half-a-million-dollars grant coupled with Arctic’s matching co-contribution will enable it to cyclone-proof its product for a wider range of usage and applications.

Mr Burns said Arctic will now be transporting three truckloads of sample panels to James Cook University for wind-tunnel testing which will certify that the company fully complies with building cyclone codes in the tropics.

“We’ve developed our product to meet a cyclonic requirement so we can use it here in the Territory,” he said.

“Lots of companies in the southern states don’t have cyclonic testing and we’re going that extra mile. This extra funding will allow us to blow our panels to pieces to test their cyclone preparedness.”

The company supplies above-standard insulated panels and has been manufacturing cyclone-proof products since 2014.

“It’s been eight years for us to become an actual manufacturer, eight years showing the bank that we’re financially capable to pay a massive loan back,” Mr Burns said.

“It’s been eight years of hard work just constantly saving, saving and investing for this. This was my complete dream and it has been since we started.

“This will mean no more trucks on the road with loads of insulated panels. It will be made right here in the Top End.”

Arctic’s innovation and manufacturing approach has been lauded by the NT Government as an example of doing things the right way.

Arctic Installations has also shown the importance of developing products for Territory conditions, Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre NT director Charmaine Phillips said.

“Arctic Installations demonstrates that we can and should be leveraging our unique climatic and weather conditions to develop better solutions for our region and beyond our shores,” she saaid.

“This project adds to the list of Australian innovators seeing that imported products sometimes don’t meet our tough local conditions, then coming up with something better.”

Arctic Installations is a leading specialist in the supply and installation of climate-controlled cool environments. With over 15 years of experience, the company can offer a 360-degree service to their clients’ needs.

Arctic is located at 66 Export Drive.

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