With a new two-storey Mackay facility opening, Penske Australia needed a furniture fit-out that could support a busy operational workforce while balancing durability, functionality, aesthetics and cost. The brief included a black-and-oak colour scheme, high-weight-rated sled-base chairs, adaptable workstations, and practical spaces for training, meetings, staff amenities and customer-facing areas.
The relationship began casually at a Christmas lunch, at which Penske’s Facilities and Construction Manager was introduced to the COS team. That initial conversation developed into a major furniture project and the first large-scale collaboration between the two companies.
Over nearly a year, COS worked closely with Penske to refine layouts, trial products, manage requotes and select furniture that met both operational and budget requirements. Key challenges included meeting strict durability standards, creating flexible spaces for a high-traffic industrial environment, integrating power solutions, and ensuring the fit-out aligned with Penske’s preferred visual style.
COS coordinated product selection, layout planning and tailored furniture solutions, supported by Australian manufacturing partners where required. The final fit-out included flexible workstations, configurable meeting and training tables, specialised seating for long workdays, custom wall-hung storage, soft wiring for bespoke joinery, a curved six-seat reception desk, customer lounge benching, anti-fatigue chair mats and durable Australian-made laundry lockers.
The result was a contemporary, practical workspace that Penske is proud to operate from. The project strengthened our understanding of industrial workspace needs, created a model for future national projects, and helped establish an ongoing partnership. The Acacia task chair supplied during the project has since become Penske’s standard task chair across its national sites, demonstrating the long-term value of our consultative approach.
