Brisbane built, globally backed:
How Valenhold is taking local innovation to the world
when a privately owned Brisbane company can win work against some of the world’s biggest mining equipment manufacturers, it says something pretty powerful about what’s being built here. For Valenhold, winner of the Investment in Brisbane Award at the 2025 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards, the latest milestone is a North American partnership built on capability developed in Tingalpa.
The company has recently announced a strategic partnership with Integrated Power Services (IPS), a major North American electromechanical service provider that will expand Valenhold’s VALC Service Network across the United States, Canada and Mexico, bringing Brisbane-developed drivetrain technology closer to customers in key mining regions.
For Wayne Trench, Valenhold’s co-founder and Chairman, the announcement is another major step in a strategy that’s been years in the making.
“We’re exporting innovation, engineering, design and manufacturing capability that has been home grown in Brisbane,” Wayne says.
Valenhold was named the winner of the 2025 Investment in Brisbane Award in November last year. The award recognises organisations making significant strategic investments in Brisbane’s economy, innovation and long-term growth.
Wayne says the awards have played a meaningful role in strengthening Valenhold’s profile, opening new conversations and building credibility as the company expands.
“The Lord Mayor’s Business Awards were quite significant, because it all adds to our credibility,” he says. “For a privately owned company headquartered in Brisbane, competing and winning against global OEM goliaths, that credibility matters.”
Built for the big machines
Under its VALC product brand, Valenhold designs, manufactures and rebuilds critical drivetrain components for heavy mining haul trucks. These machines operate in some of the world’s most demanding environments, where downtime is expensive and reliability is essential.
Every five years or so, those trucks need to be rebuilt and returned to service. In Australia, that means servicing major Tier 1 and 2 miners, mining contractors and rebuild partners directly through its Brisbane headquarters and national footprint. Internationally, it means building a trusted dealer and rebuild partner network that can deliver Valenhold’s range of VALC products and services with local expertise.
That network has already helped Valenhold generate significant sales across major mining markets, including Africa, South America and North America. The new IPS partnership gives the company a stronger platform across the USA, Canada and Mexico, with IPS establishing dedicated VALC drivetrain rebuild capability in select facilities.
“This partnership allows us to really take the next step into the North American market, to service the Tier 1 miners and mining contractors with all the services that we provide in Australia, Africa and South America,” Wayne says.
Since launching, Valenhold has sold more than 100,000 products across more than 14 countries. For much of that time, Wayne says the company’s revenues have doubled year on year.
The home ground advantage
For Valenhold, that global growth story starts in Brisbane.
The city is positioned between two of the world’s most significant coal mining regions, the Bowen Basin and the Hunter Valley. Wayne says that proximity has given Valenhold access to major customers, deep industry knowledge and a strong talent pool with a natural interest in mining and advanced manufacturing.
That local industry depth has been critical to the company’s growth, but Wayne says Brisbane’s advantages extend beyond geography. “We’ve got a world-class international port and airport that allows us to connect with customers and partners, and a state government with renewed energy and optimism around the resources sector,” he says. “But ultimately, Brisbane is also a very liveable place. It’s where my business partner and I have wanted to bring up our families, and it’s been very conducive to that.”
From its Brisbane base, Valenhold is now expanding on several fronts. At its Tingalpa headquarters, the company is bringing new electrical rebuild capability online. In addition, Valenhold is actively progressing expansion plans in other major mining regions in response to strong customer demand.
Internationally, the company has already achieved significant success through its VALC Service Network in Africa, with rebuild programs worth tens of millions of US dollars each year. The IPS partnership now strengthens its presence in North America and Mexico, while South America is emerging as the next major market for formal expansion.
The support behind the spotlight
For Wayne, the value of the Lord Mayor’s Business Awards, delivered by Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA), has extended well beyond the night itself.
“The relationships we built throughout the process have also delivered benefits that are not always easy to quantify, but have been material to the business.”
One example is an upcoming industry group visit to Valenhold’s Brisbane operations during Australian Manufacturing Week, an opportunity that grew from introductions made through the Lord Mayor’s Business Awards.
“For us, it’s delivered well and truly beyond our wildest dreams in both tangible and intangible ways,” he says. “You’d be surprised by what comes with winning the award.”
That support, Wayne says, came through BEDA’s team’s genuine interest in helping local businesses make the most of the opportunity. “There was real passion, real support, real assistance, real help and real humility.”
His advice to other Brisbane businesses considering applying for the Lord Mayor’s Business Awards is to take the opportunity seriously. Visibility and media interest are part of the opportunity, but Wayne says the experience can also create unexpected relationships, support and momentum, especially as Brisbane’s business profile continues to grow.
“Brisbane is going to be one of the top cities in the spotlight for the next seven or eight years,” he said. “If you’re fortunate enough to be part of an experience where you are in lights in Brisbane in the next decade or so, it’s globally significant.”
Applications for the 2026 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards are now open. If your business is investing in Brisbane, building capability and contributing to the city’s future, now is the time to put your story forward.
