ORGANISATION
Futuris Automotive Group Limited
ESTABLISHED
1967 as Air International
LOCATION
Port Melbourne (Australia), China,
South Africa, Thailand and the USA
SPECIALISING IN
The design, manufacture and supply of automotive seating and interiors.
EMPLOYEES
1100 in Futuris Automotive
GROSS TURNOVER
circa $400m
MARKETS
Domestic 90% : International 10%
HIGHLIGHTS
Winning multiple 2009 PACEtm Automotive
News Global Automotive Innovation Awards
www.futurisautomotive.com
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‘A LONG TOUGH JOURNEY’
Bruce Griffiths, Chairman, Futuris Automotive Group Limited
BETTER THAN OUR COMPETITORS
Futuris Automotive describes its activity as ‘design and manufacture of automotive interior solutions.’ These solutions extend across the range of seating and interior trim requirements for motor vehicles.
The company’s Chairman, Bruce Griffiths, acknowledges that ‘you can’t become an innovator without failure from time to time.’ The greatest challenge, in his view, has been to turn innovation into a return on investment ‘and to turn that into something that continues to grow the business.’
OUTSIDE THE SQUARE
Futuris Automotive competes in the global marketplace where its biggest competitors are $20–$30 billion companies.
Despite the resources of their competitors, Bruce says that at a cost and quality level ‘we are better than they are.’
Bruce derives his evidence for this claim from first hand experience. ‘In the process of the growth of our business’ he explains, ‘we acquired a couple of our global competitors, and we have found that there has been broader capability in our home grown engineering teams.’ In explaining why the home grown teams have an advantage, Bruce suggests the reason is that ‘we encourage them to think outside the square.’
‘When we entered the industry 35 years ago we had six employees; we’ve recently got to 2700 across the Group. It’s been an interesting journey, a long journey, a tough journey. A journey that we wouldn’t have been able to make if we hadn’t been innovative.’
Bruce Griffiths, Chairman, Futuris Automotive Group Limited
A LEADER IN INNOVATION
Futuris Automotive has re-examined and commercialised early patents for which the technology did not exist when the patent was originally granted. The company’s research and development also boasts true breakthrough innovation. Bruce is particularly proud of the award winning automotive carpet the company is marketing, which uses patented technology to engineer the product from recycled plastic water bottles. ‘We’ve got virtually every car maker in the world interested in that innovation’ Bruce says. Proving that Futuris Automotive, which started as a fast follower, has become a leader in innovation and technology.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about Industry Innovation Councils:
WEB www.innovation.gov.au/industryinnovationcouncils
EMAIL innovationcouncils@innovation.gov.au
PHONE +61 2 6213 7221
Manager
Industry Innovation Councils Team
Department of Innovation,
Industry, Science and Research
GPO Box 9839
Canberra ACT 2601