Dave Tollner (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I wish to speak of the achievements of a great and growing Northern Territory business with a bright future. It is a business owned by Northern Territorians, built by Northern Territorians and, indeed, committed to the Northern Territory. Regional and Northern Maintenance Services, known as RANms, is a great example of how small businesses working collectively can add benefit to each other, particularly in regional locations like Darwin. This business was the idea of Greg Haigh, managing director of Air and Gas Systems, a local business in Darwin. He felt that, for his company and others of its size to compete in the emerging defence, mining, oil and gas, and rail sectors in the Northern Territory, they needed to work together.

RANms was formed in 2001 with 10 shareholder companies—all local Darwin based businesses that have been operating there for many years. The proprietors and business names are as follows: Paul and Helen Smith of Askensmith; Steve Tiley of Universal Engineering; Warwick and Karen Price of Industrial Electrical Supplies; Karl Radonich of Rado Refrigeration; Peter Carew of Integrated Technical Services; Mark Tinley of Transhose; Mark and Marianne Taylor of Fingers Aluminium; Rob Bonney of Fluid Power Darwin; Tim Proctor of Territory Diving Services; and Greg Haigh of Air and Gas Systems, as I mentioned before.

It was felt that combining the strength of these 10 companies with a single marketing project and technical management focus would provide the economies of scale to compete against and work with larger organisations. Given the location of RANms and the cost of interstate companies establishing a presence in the local market, covering the broad range of skills that RANms provide, they have been extremely successful in securing ongoing work from very large companies. The approach since inception has been for RANms to concentrate on larger customers and allow member companies to continue to service their smaller clients and their pre-existing client base.

Some of the customers of RANms are the Australian Defence Force, ConocoPhillips, GE Energy, Raytheon, BAE, TenixToll, Austal Ships, Woodside, Clough AMEC and United Rail. RANms is committed to providing a wide variety of services in a controlled manner to major companies in the Northern Territory region. Paul Mahoney, the chief executive officer, has stated that the success of the business is based on being able to provide skilled resources when required; quality workmanship, demanded by these key clients; and a higher level of management capability than could be provided by businesses working alone. Major clients are continually looking to reduce the number of companies in their supply chains. RANms provides them with this opportunity for any work being undertaken in the Northern Territory. The business is now investigating the evolution of its model even further, whereby it may become one company rather than being owned by 10 companies.

RANms currently employ 14 apprentices/trainees, with further intakes likely in the coming months. They participate in the hugely popular Adopt a School program, which gives young people an insight into a trades career, and they have recently formulated an industry participation plan supporting Indigenous employment. The owners and managers of Regional and Northern Maintenance Services should be congratulated on their foresight and their commitment to the Northern Territory. RANms has a clear strategy to become a major company servicing the resources, defence and infrastructure sectors operating in Australia’s northern regions.

This is a modern-day pioneering story. It is very hard for small businesses in the Territory to compete and work with the large multinational companies that we are seeing arriving in Darwin now, with through-life contacts for defence, and further work occurring in the major resource sectors and rail. They are really taking it up to business. I think they are a great Territory success story and I wish them well in the future.