The Company History

The Specialty Group began in November 1978 under the name of Specialty Coatings Pty Ltd by Peter Leipnik, an Industrial Chemist, formerly a manager with Chemical giant Nylex. The company started with one small powder coating line which produced materials for iron-on patches for tears in clothing. Believe it or not, the demand for these at the time was so great, it led to the company being able to double its size in no time and branch out into several areas of technical textiles involving coatings and laminates.

Thirty years later, The Specialty Group is one of the largest manufacturers of technical textiles in Australia and now produces over 1000 different types of coated, laminated, and composite enhanced products for some 20 plus industries which include: Defence & emergency services, Aerospace, Aeronautical, transport, mining, building and construction, interior furnishings, sportswear, healthcare, work wear, food & beverage, and many more.

With two fully equipped laboratories and team of world class scientists, The Specialty Group is a leader in creating world first technologies and setting market trends.

The company is ISO9002 accredited, accredited & preferred suppliers to the Australian and New Zealand Departments of Defence, has Oeko-tex 100 certification, Dupont/Huntsman accredited, Meets and exceeds EPA guidelines and conforms to Worksafe Australia employment guidelines.

The company's CEO, Peter Leipnik, works closely with many Government and Non Government Organisations (NGOs) to lobby for ongoing support to ensure the success of the textile, clothing, and footwear (TCF) industries in Australia where safe, clean, and ethical production can take place.