NEPEAN Finalists in 2016 AFR & PwC Private Clients Aspire Awards

NEPEAN Conveyors - Narrabri.

NEPEAN Finalists in 2016 Aspire Awards NEPEAN is a finalist for the 2016 AFR & PwC's Private Clients Aspire Awards. The awards celebrate outstanding achievements made by Australia's private and family businesses. The quality of the 2016 entrants were as high as ever, as businesses from all of Australia's major vertical industries presented the solid business practices that successful companies portray.

Finalists for the 2016 AFR & PwC's Private Clients Aspire Awards are leaders in their field, are outperforming their competitors and have an outstanding track record that deserves to be celebrated.

NEPEAN is a finalist in the category "Private Business Growth and Transformation (over $100m)." The award is for "Businesses that have either successfully transformed to grow or adapt to changing environment/demands; or have had sustainable growth over time."

NEPEAN's entry is based on the transformation the company undertook to thrive ahead of the seismic shifts that occurred in its industry over the past three years.

NEPEAN's Managing Director and CEO, Miles Fuller, recognised the market challenges early and restructured the business into a flat organisational structure with fourteen agile, and highly entrepreneurial stream specialised business units. Each business has its own strategy, a leader referred to as the "P&L Owner" responsible for delivering the strategy, and rigorous business review processes to keep the management team accountable for achieving their Key Performance Indicators.

In each business unit NEPEAN has followed "the 4+2 formula for sustained business success." That is, six elements that superior businesses possess to outperform their peers:

A well-defined clearly communicated strategy;
Execution that consistently meets customers' expectations;
A culture of high-performance and high-values;
A structure that simplifies working in and with the organisation;
Superior talent at all levels; and,
A great leader.

Following this formula, in each business NEPEAN has:

Made sure there was the right P&L Owner so that the business had a great leader;
Deeply focussed on strategy. The businesses unique strengths have been leveraged to create competitive advantage that creates value for its customers and barriers to entry for competitors;
Restructured the business so that it had a simplified structure; and,
Improved execution to achieve the strategy and meet customer expectations.

To achieve the talent and culture objectives Fuller created an annual event called the "NEPEAN Leadership Academy." Fuller's vision was to develop all of the managers at NEPEAN by bringing them a Harvard Business School style experience. For the past three years Professor Boris Groysberg from Harvard Business School has worked with Fuller on a program tailored to achieving NEPEAN's objectives. Professor Groysberg then flies to Australia to deliver the program for the year to NEPEAN's 100+ management team over an intense two day period requiring significant preparatory work.

Since 2015 the NEPEAN Leadership Academy has also been extended to over one hundred of NEPEAN's customers. Fuller explains "we are passionate about building great businesses with amazing, well trained and passionate people. We are also passionate about making long term investments in our customers. We are truly delighted that the programme that has helped NEPEAN succeed is now helping our customers succeed."

NEPEAN believes that an investment in people is one of the best investments a business can make. The NEPEAN Leadership Academy is a costly undertaking, but has been worthwhile. As Fuller puts it, "we started investing in the NEPEAN Leadership Academy in some of the worst market conditions imaginable. However, we have built a company of highly valued, passionate, well educated, disciplined and entrepreneurial employees, who generated high returns on invested capital and impress customers."

Having great leaders armed with the right strategy, when backed with the best team and consistent execution creates a virtuous cycle of success. Through their success the teams at NEPEAN create a contagious energy and culture of excellence, which then creates a focus on execution and results, building even more success, or as Fuller sums up, "our people feel successful and deliver superior results."

The complete list of finalists for the 2016 Private Clients Aspire Awards can be found online here.

NEPEAN Weldlock Grating
Weldlock® Grating - Red Bluff Boardwalk, Warners Bay.

About NEPEAN

NEPEAN's founding business, NEPEAN Engineering, was established in Narellan NSW in 1974. NEPEAN's Founder and Chairman David Fuller, a toolmaker by trade, created an integrated network of manufacturing companies with a strong national footprint in Australia and an increasing presence globally, providing engineering, mining and capital equipment solutions.

NEPEAN is proud of its heritage as a manufacturer, and as an employer in the industry. Miles Fuller, NEPEAN Managing Director and CEO, asserts that "We are absolutely committed to manufacturing in Australia, and think it is necessary to have a strong manufacturing sector in the country. The level of risk we take is counter-cyclical to the trend our competitors are taking to off-shore, but we strongly believe and our financial results show that there is a place for manufacturing in Australia in the 21st century global economy. Our employees take a great deal of pride from continuing to make such great products in this country."

NEPEAN Vehicle Inspection Systems
Vehicle Inspection Systems - VIS-Polish robotic wheel polishing system.

NEPEAN is proud to be Australia's leading privately owned engineering, mining services, and industrial manufacturing organisation. The company includes the following businesses:

NEPEAN Mining

NEPEAN Conveyors, a group of five businesses offering complete, engineered turnkey conveying and materials handling solutions and conveyor products for surface mining, underground coal, hard rock mining, port facilities and process plants.
NEPEAN Power, one of the largest electrical equipment providers to the Australian mining industry, with significant capability in power systems and energy management within the industrial, resources and energy sectors. With expertise in hazardous areas, switchgear design and manufacture.
NEPEAN Longwall, providing engineering, systems, service, parts, repair and overhaul for Longwall machinery in Australia. One of only three players with proven knowledge, systems and references to deliver complete and compliant longwall projects in Australia.

NEPEAN Building & Infrastructure division, which manufactures metal products in Australia. The division is comprised of the following businesses:

Weldlok®, an Australian manufacturing business specialised in the design and supply of high quality, durable grating, industrial and modular handrails, steel flooring, stair stringers and drainage grates.
Galintel®, Australia's leading brand of high quality galvanised steel lintels for the building & construction industry.
Galserv®, offering Hot-Dip Galvanising services since 1963. Galserv® is one of the largest hot-dip galvanisers in Australia and an active member of the Galvanizers Association of Australia.

NEPEAN Transport:

Vehicle Inspection Systems, who provide products and services to support vehicle fleet operators in Australia and the USA. The business manufactures VIS-Check automated brake steering and suspension diagnostic equipment, the VIS-Polish robotic wheel polishing system, and NEPEAN NightOwl® portable light towers.
NEPEAN Active GSE, who provide reliable Ground Support Equipment and services at airports throughout Australia and South East Asia.

NEPEAN Engineering & Innovation:

NEPEAN's founding business, NEPEAN Engineering & Innovation, provides complex steel fabrication, machining, sheet metal, tool making, design, engineering, and project management services for industrial applications from our facility at Narellan, NSW.

NEPEAN Engineering & Innovation - 1 Bligh St, Sydney.