Hot property Strix

Sustainability is also a central concern at Ontex; it is committed to maximising energy efficiency, reducing the impact of production by minimising waste, encouraging recycling and increasing the efficiency of its logistics operations. Its central warehouse logistics project for raw material delivery in Europe, for example, has already resulted in a decrease in truck mileage of some 800,000 km – equivalent to a reduction in CO2 emissions of almost 600 tonnes.

“We are constantly working to produce lighter and thinner products with the same or even better performance – these not only reduce raw material consumption but need fewer trucks to transport them. So you reduce costs and environmental impact at the same time,” explains Mr Bouaziz. “We are also developing ranges of biodegradable products but, of course, these are more costly and therefore appeal only to certain types of consumers.”

Looking forward

Ontex’s strategy for the future focuses on helping its retailer partners to gain greater share of the market and, in countries where the retail trade is fragmented, to grow its own brands through expansion and acquisition.

“We have three criteria when looking at acquisitions,” says Charles Bouaziz. “Is the target outside western Europe; does it have a strong brand; is it in the adult incontinence market? We need to meet at least two of these three criteria; for example, Serenity met the second and third.

We are confident that with our strategy, we can achieve organic top-line growth of 4 to 6 per cent per year, and deliver success to our partners, our stakeholders and our employees, as well as ensuring a good return for our new shareholders. Ontex has been a growth story for ten years; now we want to make that story even more attractive to even more people.” n

HOT PROPERTY HOT PROPERTY

Strix Ltd is a global leader in the design and manufacture of thermostatic controls for small domestic appliances. Philip Yorke talked to Paul Hussey, the company’s CEO, about its latest ground-breaking new products and move into new markets.

Strix was founded as ‘Castletown Thermostats’ by Eric Taylor on the Isle of Man in 1951 and began by designing and manufacturing thermostatic controls for small domestic appliances. By 1982, the company had changed its name to Strix, under the direction of John Taylor, son of the company’s founder. In 1989 Strix opened its first overseas office in Hong Kong. The mid90s saw the launch of the U-series, a revolutionary under-floor heating system with a 360° cordless connector. In July 2009 Strix celebrated the sale of its 1 billionth control, a testament to the international business that Strix services today.

Today Strix is at the forefront of the development and manufacture of safety control systems for small domestic appliances and filtration products. The company maintains its international presence with its head office on the Isle of Man and sales offices across Europe and China. Strix employs almost 900 people and markets its product in over 100 countries worldwide. In 2013, The Strix Group posted revenues of circa. €100 million.

Innovation with safety built-in

Strix products are defined by their fusion of functional design, safety, aesthetics, materials and support services across the value chain that incorporate unique features and benefits for its customers. Consumer safety is of paramount importance to Strix, which works closely with its safety partners around the world to continually develop, monitor and enforce international safety standards. All Strix products are designed to comply with relevant safety standards and they carry the following approval marks as appropriate: BEAB, UL, CSA, CCC and CQC. Strix works with leading brands and key OEMs to design appliances that meet the changing demands of the consumer market.

Mr Hussey says, “Since the company was sold to the Private Equity investor ABN Amro in 2005, we have seen significant growth. The new management team has been focused on introducing new application technology and increasing shareholder value. During the last four years the company has invested considerable funds in the overhaul of the entire Strix product range and its manufacturing processes.

“As a result of these investments, we can now enter more competitive markets, as we are able to offer greater price benefits to our OEM customers. We are now breaking into new growth markets including the Middle East, Asia and South America. We see our biggest growth opportunities in the unregulated economies where we have the potential to maximise our sales by introducing competitively priced quality products that satisfy the local consumer needs.

“We manufacture mainly in China and our state-of-the-art facility is located close to our offices in Hong Kong. However, we still operate a small manufacturing site on the Isle-of-Man in the UK. We have a number