14 | Hamilton: APL Window Solutions REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT A passion for product innovation T T Richard Loader FOSTERS.CO.NZ . 07 849 3849 When the purpose and values of our clients align with ours, extraordinary outcomes are achieved. T T to page 16 Hamilton based APL Window Solutions may be one of the country’s great business success stories, while also being one of its best kept secrets. From the whisper of an idea and an opportunity taken a little over fifty years ago the family owned business has evolved into something very special that echoes the nation’s passion for innovation and a culture of excellence. Now employing 900 people across a range of integrated business units under the name Profile Group Ltd (PGL), the business was founded in 1971 by Ian and Val Plaw on part of their family farm in Bellevue Road, Cambridge. While still in the early days of aluminium joinery when joiners were handed aluminium kitsets, Ian saw an opportunity to provide predominantly timber joiners with full lengths of anodised aluminium extrusions that could be tailored to their customers’ requirements. Operating under the name Vantage Aluminium Ltd, Ian engaged New Plymouth firm McKechnie Aluminum to make the profiles supplied to joiners. Sadly, Ian passed away in 1974 without seeing the fruits of his idea, but his son Mitchell has continued his work in the same spirit of innovation. Recognising opportunities for growth, in 1984 Mitchell drove the development of a purpose built warehouse and distribution facility in Hamilton. With its new warehouse facilities, the service provided to fabricators was improved by stocking pre-finished powder coated and anodised extrusions in a range of six colours and supplying fabricators with custom lots of pre-finished aluminium, rather than requiring them to buy bulk lots — revolutionary for its time. As Vantage Aluminium’s wings continued to spread a South Island warehouse was opened and by 1991 Vantage Aluminium had forty customers/window fabricators. Finding it difficult to grow further, the solution was to introduce a second brand to the market — First Windows and Doors. “We’ve always been an industry leader in product innovation and I like to think that has been a big part of our growth strategy.”
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