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Starting life in South Australia in the last year of the ’90s, Ozroll has been celebrating 20 years in business in 2019, with an ongoing commitment to continue its legacy of innovation and diversification into the future. National Sales & Marketing Manager Jack McDonald spoke to Belinda Smart.
Since its establishment at Dry Creek (SA) in 1999, The Ozroll Group has earned a reputation for investing heavily in state-ofthe-art manufacturing processes and product innovation; it has also made an equally weighty commitment to relationship building with partner distributors; foundations that are arguably key to the company’s longevity.
An early key milestone in the company’s journey came in 2003 with the first prototype of the Ozroll Drive System (ODS); a 12 volt battery control unit that communicates with and powers a lateral motor, named the L10. “The breakthrough with the ODS was that it offered an alternative to manual control, simpler installation and operation and less maintenance for end users,” says National Sales & Marketing Manager Jack McDonald. “In 2005 the product was released into the international market and before long, sales had begun to increase substantially. The ODS has been distributed worldwide since 2007.” Ozroll has also garnered a strong reputation for rigorous product testing. Its output is supported by analysis of data on acoustic, thermal, light control and cyclone + bushfire protection properties. By 2007, the ODS was distributed worldwide and a requirement for permanent foreign representation was identified, leading to the establishment of an office in Frankfurt, Germany.
Since then, the Ozroll Group has continued to diversify and expand its product offering to bring the full gamut of leading edge products to the market.
McDonald says the company’s 20th birthday not only celebrates its success to date, but also provides a palpable sense of excitement about the future.
“Our ongoing success and diversification continue to provide pathways for our staff to create careers and our vision is to build on this with training and education. So as our business grows, the people grow with it. We now have over 200 employees between our South Australian and Queensland manufacturing facilities and we expect that to increase again as we lead into the summer season with our recent acquisition, Slidetrack Blinds, now in full swing.”
Ozroll’s growth and success in a fluctuating market is driven by a diversified business, says McDonald, who notes the company brings an equally strong focus to all facets of its output, driven by a high level of specialisation in each area.
“Born from a foundation of stringent research and development, Ozroll has always maintained a high level of quality with manufactured material. Our core business is based around taking that material and turning it into finished product, as efficiently as possible. We mastered this with roller shutters, and we now emulate that process with our entire portfolio which now includes everything from plantation shutters to exterior blinds and more. We take on the responsibility of coordinating packing and distribution for the majority of our customers, both nationally and overseas, with the same focus as our production line being on speed and quality. All of this is backed by sales and customer service to assist before, during and after supply of our range. Our staff also collect feedback from the field, which creates a catlyst for further research and development; and so the cycle continues.”
“Our ongoing success and diversification continues to provide pathways for our staff to create careers and our vision is to build on this with training and education.”
Jack McDonald
Ozroll National Sales & Marketing Manager
The approach continues to deliver success across all segments of the Ozroll business:
ROLLASHIELD ROLLER SHUTTERS
The Rollashield assembly facility is to date the largest in Australia, with a capacity for 300 units per shift, producing in excess of 1000 shutters per week on average. All orders are custom built, within 48 hours of order for standard items and under a week for extruded or cyclone rated profiles. A customer portal is available for computer or mobile devices, making quotes, ordering and tracking jobs easy, from anywhere around the country.
SLIDETRACK OUTDOOR BLINDS
Slidetrack outdoor blinds are produced at Ozroll HQ in Dry Creek, SA. The patented track design was launched in 2009 and has since been installed on thousands of homes and businesses. The product is popular for having a sleek and attractive finish with premium strength and durability. Ozroll acquired the business in August 2018 and facilitated immediate growth by investing in production resources and providing an established network of distributors with an opportunity to add more value to their businesses.
LOUVRES AND PLANTATIONS
Ozroll’s manufacturing divison in Stapylton, Queensland, is home to both Elipso Aluminium Louvres and Inspire Plantation Shutters. “In a market flooded with imported product, Ozroll offers retailers a point of difference, with a high quality product available within two to four weeks of order,” says McDonald. “Elipso is often specified for large scale projects around the country and Ozroll has a commercial department on hand to offer advice with regards to design and complaince.”
OZROLL EUROPE
What began as a distribution point has become an international development hub. Initally the offices in Frankfurt, Germany, were established to supply Australian product throughout the European continent. Now Ozroll Germany plays a leading role in development of DC Drive Systems, collaborating with some of the worlds leading manufacturers to deliver unique models to the global market, such as timers, sensors and the Solar PRO.
FUTURE OUTLOOK
“The Ozroll Group has much to celebrate this year,” says McDonald. “As a company with a strong work ethic and an ethos of partnership and collaboration, we’re immensely satisfied with our achievements as a market leader in the field of aluminium louvres, plantation shutters, outdoor blinds and roller shutter manufacture.”
“One of the things we’re most proud of is that we’ve given retailers across the nation the option to adapt to evolving market demand with high calibre Australian made product delivered in the lowest possible turnaround time. From modest beginnings we are now a respected supplier with a strong profile locally and internationally; just this year we secured our first international supply partners for Slidetrack Blinds in Singapore/Malaysia and South Africa.”
“Looking ahead across the next 20 years, we look forward to continuing to work together with industry to deliver outstanding innovations in product and service.”
TIMELINE: THE OZROLL JOURNEY
