September 2013 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL
67
A positive future
for Radius Systems
An interview with Andy Taylor, CEO of Radius Systems, following the sale of the business to the Polyplastic Group
■
What made you join Radius Systems?
This company has always been at the forefront of innovation in
the utility and construction industry – an industry, incidentally,
that leads the world for quality, safety and innovation – and I’ve
always admired that, even when I was managing Hepworth
Building Products and later Wavin. A lot of consolidation has
gone on in the industry, and where it hasn’t, some smaller
operators are struggling to provide the capacity, security
of supply, short lead times and quality of manufacturing
and product support that customers want and expect. This
company offers all of these benefits, right now, and it will
get even better as we work on being leaner and more cost-
efficient for customers.
Customer expectations are constantly changing and Radius
needs to be aware of that, so in turn we are constantly seeking
to complement our existing skill base by introducing new
ideas and new talent from other similarly fast moving sectors.
I also have a background in the automotive industry, and we
are now bringing benefits like product traceability standards
from that sector directly into the gas industry.
■
Can you tell us anything about these future plans
and why they should reassure Radius Systems’
customers?
With the security that comes with being part of a substantial
international group rather than a standalone business, we
are already looking at how we can bring benefits to our
customers with the manufacturing technologies, product
innovation and product portfolio the new group now offers, in
conjunction with our own local expertise. We will share scale
and efficiencies, new sales territories, and people’s skills, and
we’ll have access to new products.
We’re listening very carefully to what our customers are
asking us for. We will strive for maximum efficiency and cost-
effectiveness, but because we believe we need to offer a
comprehensive solution for our customers, which includes
guaranteed quality, local capacity, national (local) product
support, security of supply, short supply lines and short lead
times (all of which make a big difference to whole asset life,
performance and overall cost), we may never be the cheapest
on a product-for-product cost comparison. Complacency is
never an option, even when you are a leader in your market.
A
ndy Taylor became CEO
of Radius Systems in June
2012. With his broad-ranging
experience and background,
he talks about the company’s
positive future outlook after its
recent acquisition by Polyplastic
Group.
■
What has been happening with Radius in the last
three years?
Andy Taylor: It’s certainly been a turbulent three years
at Radius Systems. In 2008 the company undertook a
management buy-out from its Finnish parent, Uponor, when
the markets were looking pretty strong. What then followed
was the massive economic recession that affected us all.
Radius has been UK market leader in utility pipe systems for
many years and had been expanding internationally. Overseas
factors like the Dubai construction slump and a complacent
attitude towards our position in the UK market made the last
three years particularly challenging ones.
But the acquisition by Polyplastic Group in February brings us
a new level of stability and financial security and is great news
for us, our customers and our new owners. I’m delighted to
be CEO at the start of this exciting stage in Radius Systems’
progress – there are some great developments ahead.
■
Tell us about Polyplastic Group
Polyplastic Group was founded in 1991 and is today the
leading European supplier of thermoplastic compounds and
polyethylene piping solutions for infrastructure markets, with
modern production plants in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and
Kazakhstan. A strong emphasis on investment in technology,
underpinned by a focus on quality, research and development,
has resulted in a product portfolio spanning gas and water
utilities, sewer systems and district heating.
With the Radius acquisition, the new group now forms the
fourth largest pipe and fittings producer in Europe. Incidentally,
with regard to polyethylene pipes and fittings, Polyplastic is
the largest volume producer in Europe. The combination of
Polyplastic and Radius creates scale and a two-way synergy
stream which will undoubtedly lead to benefits we can share
with our UK customer base.
Radius Systems Ltd
– UK
