13/01/2026
Why is 2026 shaping up as a sell year for Queensland manufacturing?
As we move through 2026, I’m seeing a clear shift across Queensland manufacturing — and it’s happening earlier than many expect.
After several tough years of cost pressure, labour shortages and uncertainty, a large number of QLD manufacturers are no longer in survival mode. Operations have stabilised, teams are leaner and more capable, and order books are firmer. What’s important is that this improvement in fundamentals is showing up before valuations have fully adjusted.
That timing matters.
Queensland manufacturing strength right now isn’t being driven by short-term consumer demand. It’s tied to longer-cycle tailwinds: mining and energy asset lifespans, defence and sovereign capability work, electrification and decarbonisation projects, and ongoing infrastructure maintenance. These markets generate repeat work and contracted revenue — exactly what buyers are prioritising in today’s environment.
From the buyer side, the message is consistent. Risk profiles across many manufacturing businesses have improved faster than pricing expectations. Cost inflation has largely been absorbed, capex has already been spent, and operational resilience is materially better than it was two or three years ago. That combination creates urgency — because this gap rarely stays open for long.
For business owners, this is why 2026 deserves serious consideration as a sell year. Earnings are stabilising, confidence is returning, and buyer appetite for industrial and advanced manufacturing assets is strong. Selling into a market where optimism is rebuilding — but not yet fully priced in — often produces better outcomes than waiting for a theoretical peak.
Location is also playing a bigger role in buyer decision-making. Brisbane and South East Queensland continue to attract strong interest for advanced and defence-adjacent manufacturing, while Central and Northern Queensland businesses benefit from long-life industrial and energy supply chains. Notably, some high-quality regional manufacturers are still being undervalued relative to their revenue stability — a gap that is now starting to close.
My bottom line for 2026 is simple:
This year offers a rare alignment of improving fundamentals, strong buyer demand and valuations that haven’t fully caught up. For Queensland manufacturing owners who have built solid businesses through the hard years, 2026 is a window worth acting on, not watching.
Interested to hear how others in the sector are seeing the market this year.
