AGL Advancement Group has been very busy developing its products and investing in new systems during the hiatus that the Covid pandemic inflicted on the industry.
The group now consists of three companies, each with its own identity. IAVNA, ALS, and Richmark have long-established brands in the UK and are now gaining a following worldwide.
The company has expanded its traditional halogen products into the latest LED technology. LEDs have been part of everyday life for consumers for the last 15 years but have now started to be adopted in earnest by major airports due to their significant advantages.
They bring many advantages, including lower energy consumption and consistent light output.
IAVNA was the founding company and was incorporated by Roy Spicer in July 1979. Primarily it stocks and supplies spare parts, cable, and complete light fittings for all the major brands from its base in Wickford. With over £3 million of stock, the company is famously “Big enough to cope and small enough to care.” Its stock holding was so well known when a certain president visited the UK recently; Newquay Airport needed a fast upgrade and extension of its main runway; ALS supplied the lights in weeks to the contractors who completed the works to allow Airforce One to land.
ALS (Airfield Lighting Systems) was set up in 2008 and started to manufacture airfield signs and constant current regulators to control the lighting on the airfield. It expanded further in 2015 and launched its range of LED lighting fittings which have been received incredibly well by the market. They have completed projects in the Middle East, South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Europe.
In 2018 the group acquired Parkinson Richmark, founded over 40 years ago, and manufactures safety products for the outer airfield areas. Its most famous product is the Linlaner, and over 3000 of these are at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.
The future:
Since COVID, the company has heavily invested in new warehouse racking and is installing a state-of-the-art ERP system.
Additionally, they have actively participated in exhibitions to build on the export market. This involved a series of exhibitions starting in Munich, Dubai, London, and now Riyadh.
“We see the market opening up to new technology,” says Managing Director Keith Spicer. “It can save so much time on maintenance the airports are keen to look at products that provide a better performance, last longer, and are less expensive to run,” he adds.
It’s not finished yet for the company, either. They plan to keep active and will be in the Middle East later this year at the Saudi Airport Exhibition again. “We are seeing many new inquiries and projects from these shows,” says Spicer. “It is worth it, and I would encourage any business to push the services and products into new markets.”
Ends
Meet AGL Advancement Group on stand 1215 at Saudi Airport Exhibition 2023
