Our Brands
Bankston
Iver
Created for life
TradCo
Defining the details
Our Story
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Our People
Southern Design Group is, and remains, privately owned after more than 40 years of business. Ownership has been proudly retained by members of the Duff Family, including Co-CEO’s Emily Bradley and Steve Bradley, and valued long-serving executive, Jason Ruth.
The company is governed by its Board of Directors who work together with the owners to ensure that Southern Design Group continues to grow sustainably, uphold its vision, mission and values and deliver long-term benefits to its stakeholders.
Our Premises
Southern Design Group has achieved strong growth over the past 10 years with a shift to focus on improving its product and brand experience, as well as an expanding distributor network. From its original single-story shop frontage, Southern Design Group now operates across three main sites in inner Adelaide that include our head office, warehousing, meeting spaces, in-house CNC facilities, product development and assembly areas, and much more. With a retail partner network of over 600 and approximately 100 staff throughout Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, Southern Design Group has a sustained vision for our future and continued growth.
Our headquarters and warehouses.
Our warehouse team are here to help.
Where we are in the world
Our Vision
To embed architectural hardware as a key design consideration.
Our Mission
To be an innovative, global leader in delivering high-quality products that cater to diverse market segments, while upholding the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility.
Our Values
Respectful
I value diversity and inclusion, treat others with fairness and respect and expect the same in return.
Responsible
I consider the social and environmental impacts of business and strive to reduce those impacts through sustainable practices.
Adaptable
I embrace change, continuously seek improvement and remain open to new ideas and opportunities for growth.
Passionate
I am self-motivated and solutions-focused.
Our Impact
Conscious Craftsmanship, Lasting Impact
Beautifully designed, consciously crafted architectural hardware that leaves a lasting impact.
At Southern Design Group, we believe that every product tells a story - one of thoughtful design and intentional impact. We craft architectural hardware designed to inspire, elevating spaces with lasting quality and innovation. But it doesn't end there.
Every product is made with purpose, reflecting our commitment to responsible practices, from sustainable materials to meaningful community partnerships.
That’s why we’re prioritising the use of recovered brass, implementing 100% compostable or recyclable packaging, and supporting the communities where we manufacture.
It’s about more than just meeting standards; we strive to lead the way with bold ideas, continually pushing ourselves to do better and set new benchmarks.
For us, great design is more than aesthetics - it’s about crafting a future where beauty and purpose go hand in hand.
We aim to bring conscious craftsmanship into every home, one purposeful, beautifully designed piece at a time.
Impact Manifesto
We’re proud to lead the way, turning unique challenges into opportunities to create products that leave a lighter ecological footprint. Through sustainable materials, innovative practices, and meaningful ways to give back, we’re proving that exceptional design and positive impact can coexist. We are on an important journey toward impact certification, which reflects our unwavering commitment to driving progress in the architectural hardware industry. For us, great design isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about crafting a future where beauty and purpose go hand in hand.
Recycling Programs
Southern Design Group has implemented extensive recycling programs across materials such as brass, steel, cardboard, plastics, organics, and electronics. These efforts contribute to a circular economy by ensuring valuable materials are reused and recycled rather than disposed of in landfills.
Renewable Energy
As of 2025, new solar panels on our Adelaide premises generate more than a third of the site’s electricity needs - cutting around 17 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year and marking an important step in reducing reliance on traditional energy sources.
Electric Fleet Transition
Southern Design Group is transitioning to a zero or low emissions vehicle fleet by the end of 2027, aligning our operations with broader environmental sustainability goals.
Responsible Packaging
Southern Design Group is working to eliminate single-use plastics and non-recyclable materials from our packaging in line with our Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) commitments. Materials are being designed out or replaced with compostable alternatives.
Compostable Mailers
In April 2025, we made the switch from petroplastic mailers to fully compostable mailers, helping to eliminate an estimated 13,000 plastic bags from landfill every year.
To ensure they break down properly, please remove all labels before disposal. Once labels are removed, the compostable mailers can be placed directly into your council’s organic waste (green) bin, where they will naturally decompose alongside food scraps and garden w...
In April 2025, we made the switch from petroplastic mailers to fully compostable mailers, helping to eliminate an estimated 13,000 plastic bags from landfill every year.
To ensure they break down properly, please remove all labels before disposal. Once labels are removed, the compostable mailers can be placed directly into your council’s organic waste (green) bin, where they will naturally decompose alongside food scraps and garden waste.
Compostable Pallet Wrap
In February 2025, we also eliminated plastic pallet wrap in our operations, replacing it with a fully compostable alternative, reducing waste by approximately 64,000 metres of plastic per year. Compostable pallet wrap can also be disposed of in the council organic waste (green) bin.
This change is part of our ongoing commitment to reducing single-use plastics and making our packaging more sustainable, as we continue our journey towar...
In February 2025, we also eliminated plastic pallet wrap in our operations, replacing it with a fully compostable alternative, reducing waste by approximately 64,000 metres of plastic per year. Compostable pallet wrap can also be disposed of in the council organic waste (green) bin.
This change is part of our ongoing commitment to reducing single-use plastics and making our packaging more sustainable, as we continue our journey towards impact certification.
APCO Certification
Since 2019, Southern Design Group has been a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), achieving the highest performance rating of ‘Beyond Best practice’ in APCO’s 2025 annual report. APCO set a target to make all packaging in Australia reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2030.
The 2030 targets are as follows:
- 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging.
- 70% of plastic packagin...
Since 2019, Southern Design Group has been a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), achieving the highest performance rating of ‘Beyond Best practice’ in APCO’s 2025 annual report. APCO set a target to make all packaging in Australia reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2030.
The 2030 targets are as follows:
- 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging.
- 70% of plastic packaging is recycled or composted.
- 50% of average recycled content included in packaging (revised from 30% in 2020).
- The phase-out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging
Help us do even better by disposing of your Southern Design Group packaging responsibly. Please consult your local council or authority to check domestic waste and recycling initiatives in your area.
View Southern Design Group's 2025 APCO Annual Performance Report & Action Plan here
Sustainable Materials
At Southern Design Group, we take a meticulous approach to selecting materials, considering their elemental properties, manufacturing capabilities, texture, colour, hand-feel, and durability. The majority of our products are made from forged brass, a second-use material, which is infinitely recyclable and does not degrade over time, further reducing our environmental impact.
Diversity & Inclusion
Southern Design Group employs more than 100 staff, with a strong focus on gender balance, age diversity, and cultural representation. Almost 50% of our workforce are women, 37% are either below the age of 24 or above 50, and 17% come from ethnic minority groups. We hire from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and provide interpreter services and vision-impaired adjustments to support effective communication and inclusivity.
Community Partnerships
Southern Design Group partners with UNICEF Australia to support vulnerable children and communities, providing them with opportunities for a better future. Our partnership with Asha, operating in 91 slums across New Delhi, focuses on healthcare, empowerment, education, financial inclusion, and environmental sustainability. Southern Design Group also collaborates with community organisations like See Differently with the Royal Society for th...
Southern Design Group partners with UNICEF Australia to support vulnerable children and communities, providing them with opportunities for a better future. Our partnership with Asha, operating in 91 slums across New Delhi, focuses on healthcare, empowerment, education, financial inclusion, and environmental sustainability. Southern Design Group also collaborates with community organisations like See Differently with the Royal Society for the Blind and Circle of Friends to provide employment opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged groups.
Employee Recognition Program
Through our Rewards and Recognition program, employees are celebrated with a gift card and a company donation of $100 to one of the following charities of their choice - Australian Conservation Fund, Beyond Blue, Cancer Council SA, Red Cross Australia, or RSPCA - supporting social and community initiatives.
Latest News
News — September 2025
'Beyond Best Practice' APCO 2025 Rating
Since 2019, SDG has been a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO). In 2022, we achieved a Leading Performance rating, and in 2025 our ongoing commitment to sustainability has been recognised with APCO’s highest rating: Beyond Best Practice.
APCO set a target to make all packaging in Australia reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2030.
The 2030 targets are as follows:
· 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging.
· 70% of plastic packaging is recycled or composted.
· 50% of average recycled content included in packaging (revised from 30% in 2020).
· The phase-out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging
Among the 2025 initiatives reducing single-use plastics was the switch from petroplastic mailers to fully compostable mailers, helping to eliminate an estimated 13,000 plastic bags from landfill every year. We also eliminated plastic pallet wrap in our operations, replacing it with a fully compostable alternative, reducing waste by approximately 64,000 metres of plastic per year.
These changes are a part of our ongoing commitment to reducing single-use plastics and making our packaging more sustainable, as we continue our journey towards impact certification.
View SDGs 2025 APCO Annual Performance Report & Action Plan here.
News — August 2024
Annual Partner Satisfaction Survey
Southern Design Group continues to deliver the highest level of customer service to our distribution partners and customers. Our annual survey to partners across Australia and New Zealand aims to measure customer satisfaction and our overall success measured against our Vision, Mission and Values, allowing us to review and improve our operations and develop new initiatives for continuous improvement, as well as benchmark against industry standards.
Our retail partners were asked to rate how likely they would be to recommend SDG on a scale of 10. The NPS score measures the percentage of promoters (scores 9-10), less the percentage of detractors (scores 0-6). In 2024, SDG’s NPS was 65, sitting above the industry standard for B2B in the construction industry of 37*.
For full results click here.
Event — November 2022
Working With Asha
Our Co-CEO Steve Bradley and Head of Procurement Shashank Shekhar Kaushik visited a community centre run by the Asha Community Health and Development Society in Delhi’s Zakhira slum. Asha is a non-for-profit organization that operates in 91 slums across New Delhi and has been creating change in India’s most disadvantaged communities for more than 30 years. Steve and Shashank felt it was truly a humbling experience to meet and hear the stories of survival and determination from the people in the community. Southern Design Group are proud to provide ongoing support to this amazing charity that is facilitating generational change and a sense of community and hope in a place where it may not have existed before.
In previous years, Southern Design Group’s 2020 donation to Asha has helped support their program at the Zakhira Slum in West Delhi, a community of over 10,000 people. The program aims to improve the basic health of children aged 0-5. These children are some of the slums most vulnerable and at-risk, with poor nutrition a leading factor. In this effort we are also supporting Asha in combating malnutrition by providing food, vitamins and desperately needed immunizations.
In 2020-21, Southern Design Group’s donations to Asha were crucial in supporting those living in the slums of Delhi. Our contributions have supported pre- and post-natal care as well as infant and child immunisations, nutrition, health care and health monitoring. They were also used to provide food parcels and supplements to those struggling to access and afford food as well as build IT centres which have allowed students attending school and university to continue their studies remotely. Instead of using mobile phones with poor internet connection, they can now use the IT centres to attend their courses online.
Event — November 1st, 2022
Working With Asha