Opie Manufacturing Group Grows with $6M Wilson & Gilkes Deal

Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group Grows with $6M Wilson & Gilkes Deal

Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group, Australia’s leading steel products man­u­fac­tur­er, proudly announces the suc­cess­ful merger and ac­qui­si­tion of Wilson & Gilkes, a dis­tin­guished provider of security en­clo­sures and fab­ri­cat­ed metal com­po­nents. This strategic move enhances Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group’s industry standing and expands its ca­pa­bil­i­ties in fab­ri­ca­tion and contract man­u­fac­tur­ing. The amal­ga­ma­tion of Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group and Wilson & Gilkes unites two industry leaders with a shared com­mit­ment to de­liv­er­ing high-quality products and ex­cep­tion­al customer service. With over 75 years of ex­pe­ri­ence, Wilson & Gilkes brings extensive expertise in man­u­fac­tur­ing security en­clo­sures and in­no­v­a­tive design solutions through col­lab­o­ra­tion with business partners.

Expanded Man­u­fac­tur­ing Ca­pa­bil­i­ties and Solutions

By , Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group aquiring Wilson & Gilkes the group now offer an even broader range of steel products and contract man­u­fac­tur­ing services. This ac­qui­si­tion positions Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group to deliver a com­pre­hen­sive suite of solutions, including advanced sheet metal fab­ri­ca­tion, pro­duc­tion design pro­to­typ­ing, and precision en­gi­neer­ing services tailored to the needs of in­dus­tries such as Ar­chi­tec­ture, Original Equipment Man­u­fac­tur­ing (OEM), Gov­ern­ment, Defence, and critical in­fra­struc­ture projects. For example, customers in the ar­chi­tec­tur­al sector will benefit from enhanced custom fab­ri­ca­tion options for dec­o­ra­tive and struc­tur­al steelwork, while gov­ern­ment agencies can access robust security en­clo­sures and bespoke metal com­po­nents en­gi­neered to rigorous standards.

In­te­grat­ing Expertise and In­no­va­tion

Wilson & Gilkes’ track record in security enclosure man­u­fac­tur­ing com­ple­ments Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group’s rep­u­ta­tion for ex­cel­lence in steel fab­ri­ca­tion. Their combined resources allow for ac­cel­er­at­ed product de­vel­op­ment cycles, the in­tro­duc­tion of in­no­v­a­tive design solutions, and the ability to take on more complex, large-scale contracts. Through close col­lab­o­ra­tion with business partners, the expanded group can offer tailored solutions, whether that involves rapid pro­to­typ­ing for new product launches or de­liv­er­ing turnkey man­u­fac­tur­ing projects for the in­fra­struc­ture sector.

Com­mit­ment to Quality, Sus­tain­abil­i­ty and Local Industry

Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group’s steadfast com­mit­ment to eco-friendly man­u­fac­tur­ing and adherence to Aus­tralian and in­ter­na­tion­al cer­ti­fi­ca­tions aligns seam­less­ly with Wilson & Gilkes’ focus on flexible man­u­fac­tur­ing and customer-driven outcomes. The group’s sus­tain­able approach includes ongoing in­vest­ment in energy-efficient machinery, waste min­imi­sa­tion ini­tia­tives, and re­spon­si­ble sourcing of raw materials. These efforts position Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group as a leader in en­vi­ron­men­tal­ly conscious man­u­fac­tur­ing, sup­port­ing the ongoing growth of local skills and supply chains across Australia.

Expanding Workforce and Investing in Tech­nol­o­gy

Re­flect­ing the company’s growth ambitions, Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group is in­creas­ing its employee headcount from 55 to 100, a clear testament to its com­mit­ment to investing in cutting-edge tech­nol­o­gy and at­tract­ing top industry talent. The group’s 7-year capital purchase budget underpins a strategy to stay at the forefront of metal fab­ri­ca­tion ca­pa­bil­i­ty, with in­vest­ments in state-of-the-art plant equipment, digital man­u­fac­tur­ing systems, and advanced pro­gram­ming tech­nol­o­gy. These upgrades will enable even greater ef­fi­cien­cy, precision, and through­put, ensuring customers receive the highest standards of quality and service.

Expanded Brand Portfolio and Enhanced Service

With the ac­qui­si­tion, Wilson & Gilkes will tran­si­tion to operate under the Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group brand, further so­lid­i­fy­ing the group’s rep­u­ta­tion as a leading provider of steel products in Australia. The deal includes the addition of well-respected brands such as Boscotek, Bosco, Argent, Lectrum®, and Gilkon. This expanded portfolio enables Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group to serve a wider customer base, offering every­thing from heavy-duty in­dus­tri­al storage and secure en­clo­sures to premium pre­sen­ta­tion lecterns for education, corporate, and public sector clients.

Re­lo­ca­tion and Stream­lined Op­er­a­tions

As part of the in­te­gra­tion process, Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group is expanding its man­u­fac­tur­ing plant and re­lo­cat­ing the Wilson & Gilkes head­quar­ters to Penrith, New South Wales. This strategic move un­der­scores the group’s com­mit­ment to scalable growth while providing enhanced services and lo­gis­ti­cal ef­fi­cien­cies for customers through­out the region. The closure of the Moorebank facility is an essential step in con­sol­i­dat­ing op­er­a­tions and max­imis­ing pro­duc­tiv­i­ty, with a focus on ensuring a smooth tran­si­tion for all stake­hold­ers.

“We are excited about the expanded plant and the move to our new head­quar­ters in Emu Plains in the Penrith region of New South Wales,” said James Hunt, General Manager of both Wilson & Gilkes and Opie Group. “This strategic decision will enable us to optimise our man­u­fac­tur­ing processes and better serve our customers. The closure of the Moorebank facility is a necessary step in this ac­qui­si­tion, and we will ensure a smooth tran­si­tion for all stake­hold­ers involved.”

For more in­for­ma­tion about Opie Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group and its expanded range of steel man­u­fac­tur­ing solutions, please contact our team or visit our website.