Mutually beneficial
Global Fire Protection Group is a foremost expert in the US in the area of fire protection, says Mark Mangels, who is responsible for business development at Global. The company sits on several codes, standards and testing committees and provides fire and life safety-engineering and consulting services in all 50 US States and across Canada. He is convinced the move will be mutually beneficial. “Our business model, work ethic and the way we treat and serve our clients are all very much aligned so it was a natural progression for us to become part of the Riskonet network.”
Win-win-win
Riskonet CEO Ron de Bruijn couldn't agree more. “Having spoken to the people at Global several times, it’s clear to me that the way we serve our clients is very similar. Global is exactly what we want in a US partner. The organisation is small enough to ensure that its people are easily approachable, but its footprint is large enough to offer multiple consultants all over North America. They also have a similar philosophy in that they prefer to serve clients as locally as possible, as opposed to flying in manpower. It’s a win-win-win situation for Riskonet, Global and, most importantly, our clients.”
Greater reach
Mark says that teaming up with Riskonet will offer several benefits. “First and foremost is the potential for the growth of our company, both domestically and internationally. We have worked in some 20 countries around the world; partnering with such a trusted network will enable us to expand the reach for our service offerings.”
Leverage resources
Global’s role will be to provide services to Riskonet clients throughout the US and Canada, continues Mark. And once better acquainted with Riskonet’s extensive partnerships worldwide, they will be able to leverage those resources for their clients. “We implement projects around the world on behalf of US-based companies and the Riskonet network will expand our potential resources. We’ve always had some resources to help implement projects in Europe and South America, for example, but this new collaboration will far exceed what we were previously capable of doing alone.”
Clear need
Picking up the thread, Ron says there was a clear need to add US representation to the network. “We’ve received several requests from clients with subsidiaries in the US and clients in the EMEA region who need support in the US. Having worked with them in the past, we already know the people at Global and we’re now formalising our collaboration. Now, when we need support in North America we can approach Global to provide the necessary capacity. Conversely, when Global’s US clients need support in parts of the world covered by the network we can provide it.”
Localised services
Providing services for US-based customers that have locations around the world is a way for Global to fuel growth, says Mark. “I really like the Riskonet model of having partners in other countries that can provide localised services, thus reducing costs and improving the timeliness of deliverables. “We have already enjoyed much success in this area, but being part of the Riskonet network will enable us to service our existing US-based clients more efficiently.”
