Powercor’s acquisition of Osborne & Collins, has special meaning for the company’s directors who saw the firm as the type of business to which they wanted to aspire.
Director Chris Wright says when he and his fellow directors looked at creating Powercor in 1998 they knew exactly the type of business they aimed to be.
“At the time we saw Osborne & Collins as the type of market leader we wanted to be,” he explains. “This deal has been two years in the making, and it has been a lengthy process to get it over the line.
“However, from the moment the management team at Powercor met with Mike and Terri Collins, we were determined to complete the deal and keep the name alive.”
He said while the deal required a degree of flexibility to complete, it was conducted in the best of spirits with a genuine will from both sides for it to succeed.
Wright said: “Mike was looking at retirement, but the business was not on the market. We knew the strength of the brand and could see the synergies between the two operations and how we could leverage the Osborne & Collins name by combining our expertise in future technology and renewable systems.”
That belief is already paying off with the group having won a contract for the installation of a solar array system at the Swan Sanctuary, a long-time Osborne & Collins customer.
“The benefits are already being realised and the future for the brand is really positive,” Wright adds. “Osborne & Collins could not have offered a solution like the one we have agreed with the Swan Sanctuary. So the potential to offer their existing and established clients the latest in power and lighting technology is significant.”
He says Powercor is excited to work with the company’s employees.
“Osborne & Collins has a highly skilled set of staff. We are keen to successfully integrate them with the wider Powercor team, highlight how we can support them and demonstrate that a future with Powercor will be an exciting one.
“Powercor’s focus is, and always will be, our employees and how we can help them build the career they want within the company and achieve their working aspirations. We passionately believe that the Osborne & Collins team will add real value to our existing operation, and we are delighted they are joining us.
“They have been hugely loyal to Osborne & Collins. The two cultures are similar as both have a determination to put the client first and for the standard of what we deliver to be best in class.”
Wright says the first aim is to create a long-term strategy for the business.
“In recent times Osborne & Collins has been operating on a short-term horizon,” he explains. “What we need to do is create a longer pipeline of business for the company and with it a more structured approach to business development and sales.”
Owner and founder Mike Collins will remain with the business in a part-time capacity with Wright explaining that his reputation across the market is such that he remains a huge asset to the business.
“Mike was a board member of the Electrical Contractors’ Association and is hugely respected across the industry,” adds Wright. “His influence on our industry as a whole has been amazing during his career. Mike’s legacy will remain with the business and the brand.
“We are delighted he has agreed to become an ambassador for the business and we are all looking forward to working with him and accessing his tremendous insights on the industry.”
