About Milestone

At just 21 years old, founder Lou Steinfort established Milestone Chemicals after completing his degree in Industrial Chemistry. Operating out of the bluestone stables behind the Croxton Park Hotel – then owned by his uncle – Lou began formulating and producing detergents by hand.

He sold these early products to local businesses in the Thornbury area, using the proceeds to reinvest in raw materials and continue manufacturing. 

It was a slow and steady start, but from these humble beginnings, Milestone Chemicals was born – laying the groundwork for a proudly Australian-owned company that would grow to serve industries nationwide.

During this decade, external partners were briefly introduced, forming the short-lived joint venture Superior-Milestone. After a brief period, Lou chose to exit the partnership and realign with his original vision – Milestone Chemicals. He acquired land at 13 Percy Street, West Heidelberg, where a purpose-built facility was established, featuring a two-story manufacturing space, dedicated storage, and a single administrative office.

Demonstrating an early passion for innovation, Milestone began exploring research and development, even diversifying into wax candle production – supplying local churches and laying the groundwork for future R&D capabilities.

During the 1960s, Milestone Chemicals expanded its product development into the agricultural sector, becoming a key supplier to the dairy industry across Victoria. The company manufactured and distributed specialised chemical cleaners and sanitisers for use in milking sheds, supporting hygiene and operational efficiency on farms.

At the same time, Milestone entered the citrus fruit industry, with founder Lou Steinfort developing industry-leading fruit sealers and waxes designed to enhance the appearance and shelf life of citrus produce. Milestone became a recognised local leader in this space until the early 1990s, when new trade agreements with the United States introduced regulatory changes. As part of these agreements, Australian navel oranges exported to the U.S. were required to be coated with American-approved waxes – curtailing Milestone’s involvement in citrus export treatments.

In 1965, Milestone Chemicals established a long-term partnership with the Macleod Football & Netball Club, marking the start of the longest-running sponsorship in the Northern Metro League (formerly the Diamond Valley Football League).

Milestone Chemicals proudly holds the naming rights to the club’s home ground, now known as Milestone Chemicals Oval at De Winton Park in Rosanna, Victoria. This enduring relationship exemplifies Milestone’s commitment to supporting local sport and fostering community engagement.

The arrival of Brien Callaway in 1971 marked a pivotal moment in Milestone Chemicals’ history. With extensive experience in the grocery trade during the emergence of Australia’s self-serve retail era – the forerunner to today’s supermarkets – Brien brought valuable insights into customer needs and product distribution.

Drawing on this expertise, Brien envisioned Milestone as a “one-stop shop” where commercial businesses could conveniently source all their cleaning and hygiene supplies. Over the next 50+ years, Brien’s leadership propelled Milestone’s growth, culminating in his roles as General Manager, Director, and part-owner – shaping the company into the trusted industry leader it is today.

Saw the purchase of more land in Percy Street, the paddocks would be used for storage of goods and vehicles, along with bonfires to warm staff during cold Melbourne winters.

Continually seeking opportunities and expanding product offerings, Milestone Chemicals introduced new lines such as garbage bags and expanded the range of cleaning accessories.  

A partnership with a locally based washroom & tabletop paper converter provided the opportunity to establish Milestone branded paper products into the range.

The creation of fully built industrial laundry powders provided Milestone with an opportunity to establish itself in the Industrial/Commercial Laundry market. 

Brien Callaway would “cut cards” for laundry program systems found in hotels, motels, hospitals and commercial laundries.  Brien would develop bespoke wash programs for each client and administer his programs personally, complete with training. This would be the segue to Milestone Chemicals’ auto dosing and proportioning program that would be implemented in the early 2000’s.

By the early 1980s, Milestone Chemicals had outgrown its original premises at 13 Percy Street. To accommodate growing demand, a new warehouse was constructed on adjacent land spanning 15–19 Percy Street. 

This expansion included the integration of advanced powder production machinery, featuring innovative friction blending equipment.

This technology enabled the transformation of dry powder mixes into granulated powders by spraying fine liquid particles onto friction-heated powders – enhancing product quality for laundry, dishwashing, and agricultural cleaning applications.

As the business continued to expand, Milestone further acquired additional properties along Percy Street and Beatrice Avenue, solidifying its operational footprint.

In line with our ongoing commitment to sustainability, Milestone Chemicals introduced the Drum Recycling Program – enabling customers to return select drums for processing and reuse. This initiative significantly reduced waste and promoted circular resource use.

To our knowledge, we remain the only company in the industry actively operating such a program.

To accommodate continued expansion, Milestone Chemicals relocated its Head Office to a larger, purpose-built facility at 115 Northern Road, West Heidelberg. The new site enhances our capabilities across manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and administration – ensuring we continue to meet the growing needs of our clients and industry partners.

Milestone Chemicals achieved its first product certifications through GECA (Good Environmental Choice Australia), reinforcing our commitment to sustainable and environmentally responsible practices.

Milestone Chemicals experienced a major ‘milestone’ event, Celebrating 75 years of business

Milestone Chemicals achieves TGA certification of NILGERM & PROOF.  Both underwent a series of scrupulous testing, trialling and evaluations to obtain TGA certification.

Over the years, Milestone Chemicals’ fundamental mission has remained unchanged since that first day since 1948 ‘offer quality products at a reasonable price’.