Welcome to Hills ATV. We invite you to learn about our history and legacy.
The Hills Antenna business started in 1955 in Adelaide to supply television antennas to Sydney and Melbourne for the broadcasting of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.
The Antennas were designed and made in Australia at that time, and it is still a proud tradition we continue to this day. Some 65 years later with the making of the Tru-Digital which is also Australian made. This range is the best-in-class digital TV antenna available.
In late 2019 the Hills Antenna business and factory was sold to the Bialecki Group of companies and moved to its current location at Lonsdale, South Australia which is 25km south of Adelaide. Our first antenna production commenced from 3rd of February 2020 and first black antenna production was from 26th of February 2020. The Hills Antenna range is marketed, sold, and distributed through the Bitek business and Hills ATV was created for the manufacturing of the Australian Made product range.
Hills ATV manufacturing facility is located on a 6,000sqm site inside a 1,800sqm factory and warehouse building. Where we make, paint, assemble, pack, and distribute our range of manufactured products. This is the home of our patented BoomLock™ manufacturing technology which is completed with an automated machine. This result is achieved with only the element and boom and does not require any other part or fastener joining method. Because the element and boom are the same marine grade aluminium, there is no opportunity for galvanic corrosion due to dis-similar metals to occur, increasing the life and performance of our products.
Factory Tour
Factory Buffer and hardware storage areas with 2 x 40' containers and domed annex.
Factory entry doors where our raw materials enter the factory, which is at the production end of the building.
Assembly and packing bench for our Tru-Mount hardware and accessories.
Mechanical stamping press for Tru-Mount hardware parts production.
BoomLock™ automatic assembly machine for element loading side.
BoomLock™ automatic assembly machine for boom loading side.
BoomLock™ automatic assembly machine exit conveyor belt and product assembly WorkCentre.
Final assembly verification testing process before product is packed.
Final product packaging into its carton.
Antenna powder coat line and pre-treatment cleaning and priming booth.
Antenna powder coat line application booth where black antennas exit.
Antenna powder coat line cure oven where sensational black parts are ready for final assembly and packing.
View from production end of building towards warehousing and exit doors.
View from warehouse end of building towards the production equipment.
Finished good warehouse pallet racking where products are stored for national road distribution.
Factory output doors where we load semi-trailers from to reach our customers.
Back in through our front office entry.
Entry foyer with current and historical products highlights.
Satellite and other types of microwave products and with historical posters.
Past and present television Antenna product display shelves.
The first ever antenna produced onsite.
The first black arrow antenna produced.
Our New Factory Move In
BoomLock™ manufacturing machine ready for unloading, assembly, testing and first production.
BoomLock™ machine reversing in to empty factory for its final location.
Powder coat cure oven reversing in the front doors of our factory building.
Powder coat oven in its final position for, all its services connections, assembly, testing and our first Black production trials.
Pre-treatment cleaning booth unloading from the semi-trailer so it can be driven into the factory.
Pre-treatment cleaning booth in its final position for, all its services connections, assembly, testing and our first Black production trials.
Factory raw material pallet racking being erected in our warehouse.
Factory Raw materials warehouse pallet racking completed and starting to be filled with our stock.
Our First Black Arrow Production
Tru-Band VHF Boom & Elements assemblies made with BoomLock™ manufacturing technology - stored ready for powder coating Black.
Left - first pair of silver booms hung on the powder coating line to start the process to sensational black.
Right - first pair of booms after the process is completed ready for final assembly and packing.
First Antenna assembled with balun housing and rear covers; with RF verification quality test performed, then ready for packing.
First antenna completed and ready to pack inside our, iconic Hills Antenna blue printed cartons.
First pallet of antenna cartons strapped and wrapped ready for storage in our on-site warehouse.
First pallet of antennas loaded on to a B-Double semi-trailer, ready for national distribution to four Bitek locations for customer sales.
Black Arrow Export to USA & Canada
Left - empty 40' sea freight container ready to be loaded with specific North American versions of the Black Arrow antenna.
Right - fully packed 40' sea freight container ready to be collected and shipped as Australian Made export products.
40' sea freight container loaded onto a semi-trailer, then taken to our local seaport. To be on their way to our excited reseller partners.
First export container arriving at Minneapolis, USA of Australian Made, Black Arrow Antennas.
