About Us
Australian Certified Winches is an Australian winch manufacturer, owned and operated in Yatala, Queensland. Established in 2017 and led by more than 30 years of hands-on winch engineering experience, we design, build, load-test and certify custom industrial winches trusted by clients across Australia and internationally.
Grant Barrett
An Australian Winch Manufacturer With 30 Years Behind It
Our story is rooted in passion, expertise and a commitment to delivering the highest-quality winches and machinery to meet the diverse needs of our clients.
Our founder and owner, Grant Barrett, began his journey with winches as a first-year apprentice fitter and turner at Jaden Engineering in the early 1990s. Over 17 years, Grant honed his skills and advanced to the position of Operations Manager. Jaden Engineering specialised in designing and manufacturing heavy industrial and marine winches, as well as providing hydraulic and general engineering services.
Grant’s career continued with four years managing the hydraulics service department at Berendsen, followed by another four years designing and manufacturing custom winches for HES Winches. His dedication to crafting bespoke winches and machinery led to the founding of Australian Certified Winches.
As an Australian winch manufacturer, our mission is to supply premium Australian-made products, delivered with comprehensive documentation and certifications that ensure compliance and reliability. Our focus on quality and precision is the foundation of our success.
With a small but highly skilled team working tirelessly, we are committed to designing and building durable, dependable, and custom-engineered solutions that exceed our clients’ expectations. We take pride in tackling projects of all sizes and complexities because, for us,
“No job is too difficult or too big – we thrive on challenges!”
Discover the Australian Certified Winches difference – where craftsmanship meets innovation, and client satisfaction drives everything we do.
Our Journey
Built on Three Decades of
Australian Winch Engineering
Australian Certified Winches was founded in Yatala in 2017 on a simple principle: every industrial winch should be engineered for the job it has to do, not adapted from a catalogue.
The company is young, but the experience behind it is not. Our founder has spent more than three decades designing and manufacturing winching solutions for Australia’s toughest operating environments, from custom-built mining winches and marine mooring systems to bespoke utilities equipment, and that know-how is built into every winch we ship, in Australia and overseas.
A Legacy in Motion
Certified Winches Timeline
01 · Founded in Yatala, QLD
Australian Certified Winches opens its workshop in Yatala, south of Brisbane, with one purpose: Australian-made custom winches delivered with the documentation and certification that industry demands.
02 · Design, Build and Test Under One Roof
Engineering design, fabrication, CNC machining, hydraulics and load testing are brought together in the one workshop, so every winch is designed, built and proven by the same team.
03 · Certified to Australian and Marine Standards
AS1418 becomes the minimum for every build, with MDG33, DNV 2.22, Lloyd's Register and ABS applied where mining and marine clients require it, and every winch load-tested before it leaves.
04 · Electric, Hydraulic, Pneumatic and Diesel
The range grows from electric hauling and hoisting winches to hydraulic power-pack systems, spark-free pneumatic units for hazardous areas and self-contained diesel winches for remote sites.
05 · Stainless and Specialised Builds
316L stainless winches for fishing vessels and chemical plants, capstans, mooring winches, slipway haulers and conveyor take-ups join a growing list of one-off solutions engineered for the job.
06 · Heavy Lifting up to 1,000 kN
Projects scale up to a 1,000 kN underground recovery winch, 150 kN mooring winches and 120 kN hydraulic hauling systems, each load-tested in Yatala before dispatch.
07 · Australia-wide and Overseas
Certified winches now work on mines, vessels, ports and construction sites across Australia and are shipped to industrial projects around the world, backed by service and refurbishment from Yatala.
30+ Years
Founder's winch engineering experience since the early 1990s
1,000 kN
Capacity range delivered
5 Standards
AS1418, MDG33, DNV 2.22, Lloyd's, ABS
Our Guiding Principles
Driving Excellence with Purpose, Innovation, Integrity
With a focus on expertise and reliability, we strive to achieve excellence in every solution we provide. Explore our Mission, Vision, and Core Values and to see our commitment to meeting industry standards and exceeding expectations.
Tailored Winching Solutions for Key Industries
To design and build winches that perform exactly as the job demands — engineered to specification, certified to standard, and supported through their working life.
From mining and marine to utilities, energy, and commercial fishing, our mission is to deliver winches that meet the operating conditions, load requirements, and compliance demands of every industry we work with.
Leading the Way in Certified Winching Solutions
To be the engineering partner of choice for industrial winching solutions across Australia and international markets — recognised for technical depth, manufacturing capability, and long-term reliability.
We don’t aim to be the largest catalogue supplier. We aim to be the team buyers call when the standard catalogue won’t solve the problem.
Commitment to Safety, Quality, and Client Collaboration
Engineering integrity — every winch is designed for its actual operating environment, not adapted from a generic template.
Compliance discipline — we build to AS 1418, MDG 33, DNV 2.22, Lloyd’s, and ABS, with full documentation supplied.
Long-term partnership — we support the equipment we build, from commissioning through service and refurbishment.
Discover Our Success Stories
Explore our projects to see how we’ve helped clients across various industries with tailored, innovative winching solutions. Learn more about our impact and the results we deliver.
Get in Touch
Email Us
Contact
Address
2/14 Freight Street, Yatala, QLD 4207
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions clients ask most about who we are, how we build and what we certify. If yours isn’t here, our engineers are a phone call away on 07 3133 5185.
Who are Australian Certified Winches?
An Australian-owned custom winch manufacturer in Yatala, Queensland, established in 2017 and led by a founder with 30+ years in winch engineering. We design, build, load-test and certify our winches in-house.
What makes Australian Certified Winches different?
Full in-house capability — design, manufacture, load testing and certification under one roof — plus RPEQ-verified engineering and genuine custom builds from 1 kN to 1000 kN.
Are your winches Australian made?
Yes — designed and manufactured at our Yatala workshop, built for Australian conditions and compliance.
How experienced is your team?
Our founder has 30+ years in winch engineering, supported by mechanical and RPEQ-registered engineers across mining, marine, construction and utilities.
What certifications do you work to?
AS 1418 as a minimum, plus MDG33, DNV 2.22, Lloyd’s Register and ABS. Our designs are verified by engineers registered with the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland.
Want to Know More?
Want to know more about how we work? Call our Yatala team or send a note and we’ll walk you through the process.