15 October 1998: Malaysia“s Armour Glass Secure Sdn Bhd said it hopes, ultimately, to be more than just a security glass company as it plans to venture into other security-related businesses.
“We ar…
15 October 1998: Malaysia“s Armour Glass Secure Sdn Bhd said it hopes, ultimately, to be more than just a security glass company as it plans to venture into other security-related businesses. “We are looking at possible acquisitions. We want something that will be synergistic to ourselves,” said Armourglass Secure“s managing director, Mr. Chua Choon Kiang. Chua said Armourglass Secure is currently looking to acquire a local company which makes three-dimensional cameras for surveillance purposes. “We have been looking at it for a while, and are very interested in the technology.” According to Chua, Armourglass Secure has a very small stake in the three-dimensional camera company but declined to reveal its name. On the company venturing overseas, Chua said the Armourglass Secure will tap into the North American market by “acquiring a company in California.” “We are looking into California,” he said. “I think it is a good feather in the cap.” Chua said the company is also looking at the European market and will intensify exports to neighbouring Asean countries which are experiencing higher threat levels. “There have been a lot of inquiries, we are just pacing ourselves at this point of time as to where we want to go.” As for the company“s local marketing plan, Chua said business has improved significantly despite the current economic problems as the local threat level has increase. The company has gained additional market share without having done much serious marketing, Chua added. Meanwhile, Chua said Armourglass Secure earnings were negligible last year when it was newly established but the company sees an increase this year. “For the year ended June 1999, we hope to do a 20-30% increase. We are on target as to what we are trying to do,” said Chua, adding that the company has cash reserves of over RM 1 million. Armourglass uses various chemical compounds which provide degrees of strength and protection when used in the lamination of ordinary glass to produce safety, anti-bandit, blast, bullet resistant, anti-cyclone and marine glasses. The production process involves the “cold mould cast in place” process, which eliminates the need for costly autoclave, infra-red radiation or chemical enhancing processes normally used in the lamination of glass composites. Chua stressed that the company sells certifications which ensure that its products meet foreign and local standards. Backed by an on-going research and development programme to ensure a competitive edge, its products are manufactured to meet Australian Standards Classifications. Some of the Australian standards include AS 2343 for bullet resistant, AS 3555 for intruder resistant, AS 2208 for safety glazing for building, AS 2080 for safety glass for vehicles and AS 110.2 for cyclone test and TR440 for tall buildings.