Since 2003, SDS Australia has helped thousands of people bring their dream saunas to life. From humble beginnings, the business now sits as leaders in the Australian sauna market.
Today, we sit down with founder and former owner, Alex Diakov, to explore the origins of the business and discover what inspired him to introduce premium-quality saunas to Australia.
Alex Diakov: Chasing the Australian Dream
While SDS Australia officially formed in the early 2000s, the roots of the business can actually be traced back to 1996, when Alex Diakov emigrated to Australia. Embarking on an epic new adventure, Alex quickly got to work.
“I started my life in Australia with all sorts of jobs,” he recalls, “removal truck driver, interstate truck driver, kitchen factory, furniture assembler, you name it.” But it was in flooring—laying parquet, making stairs, and sanding wooden floors—that he found his first real niche. He soon established his own business, AD Timber Flooring, subcontracting for Harvey Norman and running it for five years.
On the back of a ton of hard work, Alex, proudly, was able to purchase his own home in Australia.
No Saunas in Australia?
New home-owner Alex felt he just needed one thing to complete his abode: a custom-built sauna. A staple of relaxation and wellness back in Europe, Alex was surprised when he couldn’t find a home sauna in Australia.
“I searched everywhere,” he remembers, “even the Yellow Pages. But I just couldn’t find any reliable or professional sauna builders.”
After an extensive search, inspiration suddenly struck. He had the tools, the skills, and a vision. “I work with wood, why not build it myself?!”
First DIY Sauna & New Opportunities
Alex constructed his first DIY sauna over a few weekends. It turned out remarkably well and left a lasting impression on everyone who saw it. “I used it for a party,” he recounts, “and my friends and neighbours were impressed. One of them even asked me to build a sauna for him.”
It didn’t take long for the word to spread. On a flooring job, Alex mentioned his sauna to a builder, who then, unexpectedly, offered him the opportunity to craft a sauna for one of his clients.
“Why not?” Alex said. As is Alex’s way, he, once again, quickly got to work. Little did he know, he was about to introduce saunas to Australia in a serious way.
Building Australia’s Sauna Culture
That first order in 2002 rapidly snowballed into many more. As sauna orders multiplied, Alex’s vision expanded. By 2003, it was clear that saunas had become more than just a side project; they were a viable business. SDS Australia was born.
Determined to bring the best sauna experience to Australians, Alex travelled to Finland to partner with Harvia, a world leader in sauna equipment, and then to Estonia to secure a timber supply from Ha Serv. “It was important to take things seriously from the start,” he explains.
In the early days, Alex worked out of his garage, building saunas solo. He rented storage spaces and recruited help for loading and unloading saunas.
Despite sceptics who claimed that saunas weren’t for Australia because it was already too hot here, Alex passionately defended the sauna’s benefits.
“A sauna isn’t just a room for heating,” he says, “it’s wellness equipment for healing both the body and the soul.”
20 Years of Saunas: A Lasting Legacy
Over the next two decades, SDS Australia evolved into Australia’s leading sauna company, backed by large-scale production facilities, advanced machinery, a dedicated team, and solid partnerships with top suppliers in Europe. From building his first sauna in a 4-meter by 6-meter garage, to running a leading sauna construction company, Alex’s dedication transformed SDS Australia into the country’s go-to destination for sauna expertise.
In 2023, Alex retired, entrusting the company to the next generation.
“I wanted to pass SDS Australia onto a young, creative team”.
Alex’s legacy remains a testament to resilience, craftsmanship, and an enduring belief in the wellness benefits of saunas.
SDS Australia: Premium Saunas, Heaters & More
Today, SDS Australia continues to honour Alex’s vision, providing premium-quality, custom-built saunas to people and businesses across the country. SDS Australia also supplies pre-built saunas, sauna heaters, sauna timber and more from best in-class European suppliers.
Ultimately, the team’s aim is to take Australia’s sauna culture to new heights—a culture that Alex Diakov proudly helped form.
