Taking on a new senior executive role and getting to know the company and the team brings a whole new set of challenges, doubly so when the nation is in the grip of a global pandemic.
MetecnoPIR’s newly appointed General Manager Duro Curlija stepped into the role in late March 2020 just as the COVID-19 crisis was forcing social distancing and business closures across Australia.
“When I joined MetecnoPIR the key challenge was keeping the business running and maintaining supply to our customers, whilst implementing social distancing and other recommended health practices across the business,” Duro said.
“I used this time with less than normal face to face interaction to immerse myself into understanding the production process, and reached out to the sales teams and customers via phone and video calls to stay connected.
“Finding new ways to do things has been forced on us by this crisis, but it’s been a great catalyst to drive efficiency and innovation across the business, not just in remote working but in reducing waste and streamlining our production processes.”
Duro Curlija joins MetecnoPIR with more than 15 years in construction materials across Australia and Asia Pacific, living and working in Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia for companies including Boral Construction Materials, USG Boral and Knauf.
Prior to joining MetecnoPIR, projects Duro was involved with include the showpiece Elizabeth Quay project in Perth’s CBD, Ngurah Rai International Airport Bali, Putrajaya Government Precinct Kuala Lumpur and Marina Bay Sands Singapore.
Strengthening partnerships with suppliers and clients, minimising waste and identifying new channels to market has been Duro’s key focus since taking the helm.
“Historically a manufacturer of quality cool room panels, I see enormous growth potential for MetecnoPIR in roofing, external facades and wall and soffit insulation,” he said.
“We’re an Australian manufacturer using Australian inputs. We offer an Australian made and Australian tested product. For customers that means we can offer both surety of supply and confidence in our products.
“We enjoy a strong partnership with BlueScope Steel and are actively supporting the livelihoods of Australians in our business.
“I want to turbocharge what is already a strong culture of innovation to continuously improve our existing portfolio while also developing new products. Our significant investment in capability over the past decade provides us with ample production capacity to meet growing market demand in both current and future segments.
“We can offer the construction sector significant productivity gains at a time when building productivity techniques including modular and pre-fabricated building methods are being adopted at pace.
“Composite products like ours reduce the need for traditional separately built up systems, as insulation and sheeting are produced in one complete finished product at up to 20m lengths, which reduces installation times drastically.
“We are energised by today’s construction challenges as we have a range of solutions, and I am excited to lead our efforts to predict and meet future opportunities,” he said.
About the Bondor Metecno Group
MetecnoPIR is a part of the Bondor Metecno Group (Bondor), Australia’s leading manufacturer of insulated building wall, ceiling and roof panels. Founded in the 1950s, the group is constantly working on solutions for industrial, commercial and residential building customers across Australia and offers the most comprehensive range of insulated panel products and systems available in Australia. Having operated in the industry for 65 years, the Bondor Metecno Group takes pride in being an Australian manufacturer. The group’s products have been approved and tested to relevant Australian standards, while adhering to strict international regulations. The Bondor Metecno Group has technical and support associations with several international building product suppliers, universities and research facilities in Australia and remains up-to-date with industry trends and regulations. For more information about MetecnoPIR, visit here.