Flexiglass - Business in Focus Magazine

2
MAKE YOUR
UTE
LOOK GOOD
3
The domestically made ute may be doomed, but that does nothing to diminish prospects
for utility vehicle sales in Australia. And that means future demand for trays and canopies
remains bright, according to Flexiglass, leaders in the field.
Written by John Boley
F
lexiglass originated in Western Australia in 1949 when
founder Harry Robins created his first canopy for fitment
on a Holden, to convert it into a station wagon. He used
a steam bent timber frame and sheet metal panels, and after
this ‘prototype’ met with widespread approval he was soon
making a range of designs from aluminium sheet, with sliding
side windows. These innovative canopies featured laminated
glass and an interior dome light.
This was just the beginning for Harry, who went on to produce
the first ever fibreglass canopy in 1956. This canopy was years
ahead of its time and featured many similarities to today’s
canopies. In 1959 he diversified into the fibreglass boat building
business and together with his two sons created the foundations of today’s Flexiglass. Together they designed and perfected a new system of fibreglass production which, unlike
the rigid canopies that dominated the market at that time, was
extremely lightweight and flexible.
Throughout the 1970s Flexiglass continued to grow and
branches were opened in South Australia and Victoria.
Demand grew rapidly throughout Australia, and New South
Wales and Queensland branches soon followed, although the
“The light commercial vehicle
sector has stood up remarkably
well in the automotive market in
recent years.”
4
east coast was home to the company’s biggest
rival. However, in 1989 Flexiglass and the rival
– Challenge Canopies – merged via an acquisition by Flexiglass to form Flexiglass Challenge,
becoming by some margin the largest canopy
manufacturer in Australia.
Today, Flexiglass is owned by Fleetwood Corporation, an ASX 200 listed company that acquired
the company in 2002. National Sales and Operations manager, Ergun Kirmaci explains that
the Fleetwood connection is a bonus, but the
company operates as a stand-alone business
– although other Fleetwood brands such as
Coromal and Windsor caravans are useful allies
and there are some synergies between them.
He is confident that the imminent demise of
OEM manufacturing in Australia will not dent
demand for utes – most of which are already
sourced from overseas anyway. The light commercial vehicle sector has in any case stood up
remarkably well in the automotive market in
recent years (double digit growth, plateauing
somewhat in last year’s uncertain economic
climate) and seems set to remain strong as long
as there is a rural and regional economy, small
business and the construction sector throughout the country.
While most of Flexiglass’s business is classed as
aftermarket, the company retains a close relationship with Ford and produces canopies for
the automaker. “We are the OEM tray supplier
to the Ford Falcon and also the Ranger series,”
explains Ergun. Ranger is imported as either a
pickup or a cab-chassis. “No vehicle manufacturer supplies a utility vehicle already fitted
from the factory with a tray or a canopy.” To
be precise, given there is no direct OEM supply
chain for this imported range, Flexiglass is
included in Ford’s ‘supplier branded accessory
programme’, supplying alloy trays to Ford of
Australia which then engages Flexiglass or Ford
dealer resources to fit them to the imported
chassis cabs. “We are not directly dependent
on the Australian auto manufacturing industry;
as long as light commercial vehicles remain
popular, the future is looking good for us.”
5
“Flexiglass offers an extensive
range of products for every major
OEM brand available in Australia.”
Ergun says a management restructure two years ago, together
with a new national headquarters in Melbourne that opened
last year – including some 5,000 square metres of warehousing
at Tullamarine, near the airport – has boosted the ambitions of
Flexiglass to expand its product base as well as to consolidate
on its lead in trays and canopies. The company currently offers
an extensive range of products for every major OEM brand
available in Australia: not only Ford, Holden and Toyota but also
Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Isuzu, Volkswagen, Ssangyong and
even the Chinese Great Wall.
This product offering – the broadest in Australia within the
canopy and tray market segments – has been key to the
success of Flexiglass, shares Ergun. “Our company is the pioneer
of canopies in Australia; we are the experts and as such we have
the depth in our product offerings within this category.” The
range starts with the ever-popular base Tradesman canopy,
finished in the standard gel coat white and favoured by fleets
and tradies for decades. This product offers great configuration flexibility, with opening and/or sliding side windows, high
roof and cab height options, interior lining options, roof vents,
security mesh, roof racking solutions and other customisations
6
“Our company is the pioneer
of canopies in Australia; we are
the experts.”
that have made this canopy the product of choice. If you want
something a little more luxurious, with a smooth finish canopy
matched to the colour of your vehicle, there is the Premier
canopy, which offers all the flexibility of the Tradesman but
includes interior felt lining as standard, to eliminate the condensation that may occur with hard finish surfaces.
The top of the range is the Flexisport canopy, not only stylish
in design but with sports roof bars, demister for the tailgate
window, roof mounted spoiler and vehicle integrated central
locking for tailgate access.
The Worksmart is another of the Flexiglass canopies
designed for use with light commercial vehicles with a
factory fitted tub. This unit is not only a stylish product but
offers integrated central locking for rear and side access,
large side access, rear window demister and extra storage
space with a high roof design.
Flexiglass also has the cab-chassis market covered with the
Workezy and Combo products. The Workezy unit, available
for all wheel bases, is a high-capacity fibreglass canopy with
an alloy tray deck, offering pallet loading access from the side
and rear doors. This can also be supplied with roof racking solutions. The Combo is a full alloy tray with a custom built canopy
which can also be configured to allow pallet loading ability
via side and rear access to the unit. It too can be coupled with
roof storage solutions. Colour coding to the vehicle colour is an
option that is offered for both products.
Distribution of Flexiglass products is nationwide through
the company’s own full-service centres and through vehicle
dealers. The network has been full of praise for the company’s
website and its “design your own vehicle” page that enables
customers to compile a realistic visualisation of what their
vehicle will look like in a certain colour with certain products
and accessories fitted. It is one thing to be able to see your new
ute in the showroom and to see a canopy in the yard, but it’s
another thing to be able to imagine the two put together –
7
and the web page does just that. A canopy or tray is hardly an
impulse purchase – and for business use, it’s a serious investment – so purchasers welcome every opportunity to research
the product and ensure they have made the correct choice.
Dealers are not required to keep massive stocks of the different ranges and colour options – that is done at Tullamarine.
Products are partly sourced overseas, and many of them are
assembled in Victoria; the company keeps enough stock to
ensure prompt delivery of any order and is happy to discuss
any special requests or requirements of a fleet user.
has provided the stimulus to build on what has been a most
reputable and sought after brand, he says.
As to what the new directions taken by the company will be,
Ergun assures us they will see the light of day in the new financial year. The company will remain within the automotive sector
– Flexiglass will not be dipping its toe back in the fibreglass
boat sector, for example – but will extend its range for existing
and new purchasers and enable even more drivers to look
good and feel comfortable in their light commercial vehicles.
Flexiglass is well poised to continue in its market position as
a name of choice for light commercial vehicle accessories.
Ergun promises that the future will see Flexiglass expand its
product portfolio to offer customers a more comprehensive
light commercial vehicle fit-out. The relocation to Tullamarine
“The future will see Flexiglass expand its product portfolio to offer
customers a more comprehensive light commercial vehicle fit-out.”
Flexiglass
10 Fellowes Court,
Tullamarine, VIC, 3043
P: 03 9482 6999
F: 03 9482 6999
Project Supporters
www.flexiglass.com.au
www.wurth.com.au
www.protec.com.au
675 Victoria Street | Abbotsford VIC 3067 | Phone: 02 8412 8119 | ABN 93 143 238 126