Westaflex to shut down in February 2024

Melbourne-based HVAC manufacturer Westaflex/Uniflex Australia Group will cease trading on February 28, 2024, after 49 years in business.

The family-owned company, which was founded in 1974 by Ed and Elizabeth Sterling, trades in several locations across Victoria and New South Wales. It is known for its highly regarded HVAC products and has won several awards, including Most Successful Business at the 1999 Victorian Family Business Awards and the Australian Design Mark award for its Unilok product.

Westaflex has struggled in recent years to compete with cheaper imported products that it says are inferior and, in some cases, don’t comply with Australian Standards. HVAC&R News understands that about 55 workers will lose their jobs as a result of the company’s closure.

Elizabeth, Paul, and Michael Sterling, Affil.AIRAH, have written a letter to customers on behalf of Westaflex explaining the decision to cease operations.

“Our closure is a consequence of outside factors, which are out of our control,” the letter reads. “This includes successive governments that do not inspect nor regulate their own minimum acceptable standard of quality – the Australian Standards – which are mandated by law in the Australian National Construction Code. This in turn allows questionably compliant products to be installed into homes and businesses around Australia.

“As a regrettable outcome of the above, along with the declining health of co-founder Elizabeth Sterling, the decision has been made by the Sterling family to shut down the Westaflex/Uniflex Australia Group.”

Westaflex says it will work hard to deliver existing orders before the shutdown. It has also launched a clearance sale, with stock being sold at 50 to 75 per cent off regular prices.

Image: The Westaflex factory floor in suburban Melbourne.