Four Australian stainless steel projects across food processing, construction, data centres and advanced engineering have been recognised for their contributions to the country’s manufacturing and fabrication industry at the 2026 Australian Stainless Steel Development Association (ASSDA) Fabricator Project of the Year Awards.
Presented at PacRim Stainless 2026 on the Gold Coast, the annual awards recognise excellence, innovation, quality and sustainability in Australian stainless steel design and fabrication.
This year’s winners were Arcus Wire Group in the Architecture, Building and Construction category for Happitat Adventure Park; A&G Engineering in Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical for Project Bluebird; Egan & Stewart in Process Industries for a hyperscale data centre secondary fluid network; and Wilson Industries in Small Project, Big Impact for a 40,000-litre data centre buffer vessel.
ASSDA General Manager Lissel Pilcher said the projects demonstrated the range of applications for stainless steel and the technical capabilities of Australia’s fabrication and engineering industry.
“What stood out across this year’s entries was not simply the scale or complexity of the projects, but the technical knowledge, innovation and problem-solving our fabricators brought to each application,” Pilcher said.
Arcus Wire Group was recognised for its stainless steel cable, mesh and structural systems installed at Happitat Adventure Park in Queensland’s Lamington National Park. The project incorporated 316 and duplex 2205 stainless steels across zip lines, a via ferrata, swing bridge and viewing platforms, with material selection based on strength, corrosion resistance and safety requirements.
A&G Engineering received its award for Project Bluebird, a new flour milling facility for Mauri, the Australian milling division of George Weston Foods, in Ballarat. The facility can process more than 500 tonnes of wheat daily, with the company’s contribution including 18 stainless steel process vessels and silos and six discharge hoppers.
Approximately 85 tonnes of 304 stainless steel were used in the project. A&G Engineering also developed alternative fabrication and installation methods to address restricted site access as construction progressed.
In the Process Industries category, Egan & Stewart was recognised for delivering approximately 8.2 kilometres of 316L stainless steel tubing across nine data halls and three levels of a Melbourne hyperscale data centre.
The installation included around 14,000 traceable orbital welds, with all cooling loops meeting flushing cleanliness requirements on the first attempt.
Wilson Industries received the Small Project, Big Impact award for a 40,000-litre stainless steel buffer vessel designed for data centre infrastructure.
The company redesigned the vessel using 304 stainless steel instead of the originally proposed mild steel, reducing its weight by approximately three tonnes per tank and removing the need for a protective coating system.
Pilcher said the winning projects demonstrated how material selection, fabrication expertise and quality control could contribute to durable and high-performing outcomes across different industries.
Two of the four winning projects involved data centre infrastructure, reflecting the application of Australian stainless steel fabrication capabilities in cooling systems and related equipment.
The awards also featured trophies designed and manufactured in-house by ASSDA member and Accredited Fabricator Southern Stainless.
Made from mirror-polished stainless steel, the trophies incorporated laser-cut, rolled and folded components inspired by construction and nature.
