The Fire & Property Services division offers a broad range of products and services. This includes the manufacture, distribution and installation of the following fire and building products:
- fire containment products and systems including access panels, fire-rated barriers and boards, passive fire penetration and spray applied solutions
- roller shutter doors, sectional overhead and bifold doors and security grilles
- fire-rated and non-rated doors, including E-Core® fire doors
- heating and cooling and air filtration systems
The Property Services offering includes the coordination and delivery of a range of
services:
- integrated facilities management
- operational and sustainable maintenance
- asset management
- workplace solutions
- support services
- call centre capabilities
The division’s brands include Resolve FM, Trafalgar, Metalbilt, NZ Fire Doors, Danks Roller Doors and Energy Products International.
For the year ending 31 March 2008, the division delivered pro-forma EBIT growth of 20%, from a year earlier, with pro-forma EBIT of $5.4 million and EBIT margin of 5.1%.
During the year, the Fire & Property Services division was restructured due to the retirement of its Chief Executive in September 2007. Richard Smith was appointed as General Manager for Resolve FM, with a specific remit to focus on positioning the Company for strong future growth.
The short-term strategy for the Resolve FM business has involved structuring the business development team to focus on customers and market sectors where Resolve FM can add the most value to customers such as defence, education, corrections, commercial property and the industrial sector. These sectors are attractive with regular demand and strong growth prospects.
The medium-to long-term strategy is to target new facilities management sectors where there is potential for growth in revenue and EBIT through organic growth, bolt-on acquisitions, joint ventures and/or international expansion. The growth will focus on the technical aspects of facilities management such as equipment maintenance, building fabric maintenance and life cycle management, rather than the soft facilities management services.
The opportunity to target Public Private Partnership (PPP) contracts remains a key development in the strategy to build a long-term, recurring revenue base. A specialist PPP Manager has been appointed to ensure opportunities are effectively assessed and targeted.
In January 2008 James Fletcher was appointed as General Manager for Norfolk Building Products. Norfolk Building Products includes Trafalgar, Metalbilt Doors, Danks, NZ Fire Doors and Energy Products International. The grouping of these companies will allow the manufacturing and distribution businesses across Australia and New Zealand to improve efficiencies, provide better management support structures and promote information sharing.
Norfolk has continued to focus on strengthening its position in providing an extensive range of products to meet customer requirements. Trafalgar’s aim is to become a total solutions provider for fire containment products and systems and it is extending its product range to include Duracote doors and sheets, a new light dome cover and an extensive range of products from Firetherm (UK), such as fire collars, batts and intumescent paints.
We continue to leverage export opportunities with our fire-rated core, branded as E-Core®, by exporting product to Hong Kong, establishing an E-Core® Door licensee in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and exporting E-Core® fire doors to Papua New Guinea.
Energy Products International (EPI) has become the authorised service agent for Powerpax in New Zealand. As demand increases for energy efficient solutions for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, Powerpax is a leading solution that provides oil-free compressor technology and highly efficient heat exchangers to create one of the most cost-effective, environmentally friendly systems on the market. It is a key element in the sustainability product offering that is being developed by EPI to meet changing market conditions.
NZ Fire Doors is targeting the education of architects about its products, which has increased the awareness of our fire door products and has led to greater specification of our product in the design process. The Company continues to focus on building its presence with the Fire Protection Association to raise the brand profile and technical expertise of the Company as the leading fire door company in New Zealand.
Metalbilt Doors is a strong EBIT contributor to the Group and key developments this year include expanding our national footprint, a continued focus on growing the service revenue of the business and strong technical expertise with the ability to develop niche products to meet customer-specific requirements.
The strategy for the division for the coming year will include leveraging existing customer relationships to market our services and to expand our product offering to include active fire systems. |
