Aliaxis New Zealand’s smooth solution to corrugated drainage growth - Case Study
When it comes to single wall corrugated drainage solutions, Aliaxis New Zealand has had an impressive 56% share of the country’s market with its Marley and RX Plastics (RXP) brands. In 2017, the company set its sights on the double wall corrugated drainage market and has since made it a priority to develop a solution that is economically sustainable and could strengthen the competitive position of both Marley and RXP.
“Our competitor Iplex has dominated the double wall corrugated drainage market with an 80% market share, and is number one overall with 44% of the total market,” explains Scott Townsend, General Manager – Marketing at Marley NZ. “Our ambition was thus to create a 110 mm and 160 mm corrugated drainage offer available in both single and double wall options. After studying the market and conducting an opportunity assessment, we realised that we needed to modify our manufacturing capabilities and consolidate our corrugated drainage profiles to achieve this ambition.”
Investing in a sustainable future
The company started out with four lines at four different plants producing three distinct brand profiles (Drainflo, Draincoil and Drainaway). Beyond the innovation required to expand its offer, Aliaxis New Zealand had to make a series of investments to enable double wall manufacturing capabilities in both the North and South Island areas of the country. These needs served as the starting point for Project Smooth and its 40+ team members.
“Over a two-year period we invested €2 million into new equipment and made some changes to accommodate new manufacturing capabilities,” says Tom Lowe – Product Development Engineer at Marley NZ. “This included removing and replacing the asbestos roof at our Manurewa plant and moving our largest production line – the P6 250-630 mm PE line – to our Horotiu plant to make room for the new Corma line and auto coiler to produce a double wall solution.”
With another Corma line installed at the company’s Ashburton plant, Aliaxis New Zealand was positioned to manufacture its corrugated solutions on both the North and South Island under one profile and one brand – Drainflo.
Staking a claim on the market
After preparing their plants, Aliaxis New Zealand started trialling and commissioning the new Drainflo range from February to September of this year. The range includes the Drainflo and Drainflo Heavy Duty (HD) single wall solutions as well as the new Drainflo Smooth and Drainflo Smooth HD double walled offer. The Drainflo range is the same for both Marley and RXP, but the former targets the Civil, Building and Plumbing Segments while the latter targets the Rural and Irrigation segments.
“The new offer has four key objectives,” says Chad Tozer – Marketing Manager at RXP. “These include establishing Drainflo as the country’s top corrugated drainage brand; leveraging the Drainflo brand to grow RXP’s position in the rural segment, particularly in the North Island; realising internal economies of scale from the Marley/RXP collaboration; and utilising the brand platform for future corrugated drainage product development.”
As their name suggests, the Drainflo Smooth and Smooth HD double wall solutions offer a smooth inner lining for outstanding water flow rates – as well as superior drainage and crush resistance. The range also features a four-stripe colour ID and coupler system, an optional filter sleeve and is 100% recyclable.
With the new Drainflo range now on the market, Aliaxis New Zealand has turned its attention to marketing across all segments and can subsequently focus on growing both RXP and Marley’s share of the corrugated drainage market.
About Aliaxis
Aliaxis is a global leader in advanced plastic piping systems for building, infrastructure, industrial and agriculture applications. The company provides communities around the world with sustainable innovative solutions for water and energy, leading the industry in a way that anticipates the rapidly evolving needs of its customers and of society. With a global workforce of about 16,000 employees, Aliaxis offers specific solutions that meet our customers’ most demanding needs across the globe. Aliaxis is active through leading local brands and operating in over 45 countries, combining local solutions with global innovation and operational excellence. The company is privately owned, with its global headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
More on www.aliaxis.com
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