AVI-SPL has established its presence in Australia with the opening of an office in Marrickville, Syndey, New South Wales, Australia.
The AVI-SPL team in Australia has a headcount of six people with Brigham Milne serving as the managing director for the country.
The AVI-SPL office in Sydney was inaugurated at an opening event held on September 1, 2026. The event began with a Welcome to Country delivered by Uncle Allen Madden followed by words from Brigham Milne and Jeff Faber, SVP international, AVI-SPL.
Speaking to Inavate, Faber shed light on the drive behind the move: “We’ve been doing business in Australia for quite a long time, largely through our Hong Kong office and our strong global partner network. Ultimately, our customers demanded us to be here. We realised there was a greater opportunity to be here on our own. We also referenced research that identified Australia as one of the key fast-growing markets in our industry. That’s when we made the decision to be here and started the process of looking to hire a leader and build a business.”
Milne added: “Our customers have supported us while we were serving them from afar for many years, and we did a great job of doing that. But it got to a point where the customers; needs and demands grew, and the best way for us to service them was to be here on the ground. The conversations we’ve been having over the last few weeks confirm that having us here allows for much more collaborative decision-making and interaction than we could manage from afar. It's a move heavily driven by our customers.”
Both Faber and Milne believe that AVI-SPL has much to offer the Australian market. From AVI-SPL’s proficiency in handling workspace and enterprise projects to a variety of installations, the integrator believes it is positioned to make a difference.
Service, was specifically noted as an opportunity and Faber commented: “One of the things we identified coming into this market was that the services offering was rather immature compared to other markets we operate in. With our very mature services offering, which spans the entire gamut including Symphony, we will be able to come into the market and help raise it up. We’re here to build a larger market, and our services offering is really going to be a big deal here.”
In the immediate term, AVI-SPL is looking to grown in Australia with Sydney serving as a launching pad. Faber said: “We are deeply committed to the market, and we understand that Australia is not just Sydney. Our plan will be to grow into those other markets as opportunities present themselves and as our customers need us to be there. I expect to see this business grow to 30, 40, or 50 people in the next year or two, with the revenue alongside to support that. We’ll go where our customers need us. When we come in, we’re not committed halfway; we're in all the way.”
Milne provided further insight into how ANI-SPL will be looking to tackle the length and breadth of Australia: “We are looking to leverage the scale and scope within AVI-SPL globally. The challenge of trying to do everything locally yourself is that it becomes unviable. Within AVI-SPL, we have amazing talent spread across the globe. As we expand, we don’t necessarily need the size of the local team to be what a traditional integrator might need because we can tap into those global skills and leverage them here on the ground. At the same time, we are going to have a national footprint despite the unique geographical challenges of this country.”
Building the capabilities to deliver projects in house from start to finish is another key goal. What does this mean for the partner network AVI-SPL had cultivated in Australia?
Faber responded: “As far as we're concerned, it's business as usual. We’re going to continue working with our partners on a number of different things, including Symphony. We’re going to be competing with each other from time to time, but we’re not here to wreck the market. A rising tide lifts all boats. If our services offering forces the market to adapt and elevate, that will be good for the market.”
Milne stresses the importance of building and maintaining partnerships: “Some of the first people I reached out to when I arrived were our partners who have been delivering for us in the region, because those relationships are critical going forward. We’re not here to be ultra-competitive for the sake of being competitive; we want to build a network and community and be part of it.”
The establishment of the Australian operation reflects AVI-SPL’s strategy for growth to serve clients across the globe. Faber commented: “Greenfield expansion is a primary focus for us because we believe it’s a significant way to grow. It takes more time, but it is also in many ways easier to do than acquiring a company. That said, we are definitely in the mode of acquiring companies as well; it's not a single strategy.”
Faber commented that after the establishment of the operation in Australia, further venture are planned for Saudi Arabia and four new locations in Asia Pacific.