For the love of timber.
Since 1988, we’ve engineered the science of timber preservation — protecting Australia’s poles, decks, fences and forests, one coat at a time.
Our story
Born in a CSIRO lab. Engineered for Australian timber.
Preschem was founded in 1988 by Chris McEvoy and Chen-Woo Chin — two timber scientists who had spent decades inside the CSIRO researching the chemistry and biology of wood decay. They started Preschem on a stubborn belief: timber is too valuable to throw away, and the science to protect it deserves to leave the lab.
That belief still drives every formulation that leaves our Cheltenham, Victoria facility. We supply Australia’s electricity utilities with pole preservatives that have been independently field-trialled across every climate zone. We supply timber merchants and hardware stores with the finishes and treatments their customers reach for again and again. And we share what we know — because preservation only works if people understand it.
35+ years of timber science.
Three decades of independent field trials. Hundreds of formulations. Millions of timber power poles and installations protected from rot, decay and weather across every Australian climate zone.
Our environmental commitment
Preservation is the most direct form of forest conservation.
Every timber pole that lasts twice as long is a tree that doesn’t get harvested. Every deck recoated rather than replaced is a forest left standing. Every fence treated rather than burnt is carbon kept out of the atmosphere. We don’t talk about sustainability as a feature — we treat it as the entire reason the business exists.
We choose chemistries with the lowest environmental load that still get the job done. We’re transparent about what’s in every bottle. Every product carries current Safety Data Sheets and full regulatory compliance. And we publish what we learn — because preservation science only matters if it gets used.
What we stand for
Four values. No exceptions.
Expertise
Industry-leading knowledge of the chemistry and biology of timber decay.
Stewardship
Extending timber life is the most direct form of forest conservation.
Integrity
Full traceability, regulatory compliance, no shortcuts.
Responsibility
Effective products, safely formulated, environmentally responsible.
Australian Made & Owned
Every Preschem product is manufactured in Cheltenham, Victoria — formulated, blended, bottled and labelled on site. No re-badging. No imports. Australian science, Australian timber, Australian climate.