Special Feature
PECOL - rebranded for a new vision
Management team of PECOL speaks to B & I magazine on the recent rebranding as well as its plans for the future .
PIONEERING IN THE manufacture and marketing of water heaters back in the early 1970s , Pacific Engineering Sdn Bhd ( Pecol ), under the trade name PECOL , has , in the ensuing years , carved a niche for itself not only as the regional industry leader but also a premier innovator in energy-saving water heating technology . Since then , PECOL ’ s scope of business has expanded , from its core activity of producing home electrical units to include a wide product portfolio for commercial and industrial applications , e . g ., heat pumps , solar heaters and coffeematic machines , and design systems ( standard or customised ). But all that , illustrious as it may be , is the recent past – today , in the wake of ownership and management change , PECOL is on the threshold of a new beginning , rebranded for a new vision , under Enormous Achievement Sdn Bhd ( EASB ). Recently , B & I talked to Pecol ’ s Director of Corporate Affairs , Mr James Law , and Vice President , Mr Ramani Nair , on the change that has been charted for PECOL .
B & I : By way of introduction to our readers , could you give us a brief overview on Enormous Achievement Sdn Bhd ?
EASB : Enormous Achievement is both a special-purpose vehicle and an investment in Pecol with the PECOL brand in the forefront . Since its establishment in 1968 , Pecol has come a long way , through a second change of shareholding and now re-branding via our nationwide Positive Eco-Living campaign to share our expertise and service in innovative water heating technology that saves energy and is environmentally-friendly . That is the gist of what Enormous Achievement is all about .
To expand further , we are embarking on a nationwide programme ( P2RP ) to repair and refurbish PECOL products , tanks that have been and are still in use since the 1970s in more than 4,000 buildings . That ’ s one of the reasons why we have monopoly of the domestic market with our track record of long-lasting and reasonably-priced products . Even so , we still need to re-strategise and stay ahead of the competition – it is not all about margins and enjoying it ourselves but sharing it with consumers by hitting the market with volume and better pricing .
Pecol ’ s Vice President Mr Ramani Nair ( left ) and Director of Corporate Affairs Mr James Law .
For our programmes , we are getting support from Government agencies , for example , grant funding in 2014 from MTDC ( Malaysian Technology Development Corporation ) to commercialise our hybrid hot water system which allows users to enjoy ‘ free ’ hot water .
B & I : On this basis , it would be ages before a replacement unit is needed , don ’ t you think ?
EASB : Even with one-time purchases , there is volume out there as the industry is growing ; there are so many building projects going on here and overseas - the market is big and we want to go global . This is why the Government is coming in to assist us and why we are getting into ‘ contract manufacturing ’ offshore on OEM basis , a more viable alternative than capex ( for land , factory and machinery ) to expand our own production capacity in Malaysia . On the domestic front , we are targeting 1.0 million households by 2018 for PECOL energy-saving products . As far as distribution is concerned , we have our network of associations , of plumbers , building materials suppliers and so on that are territorialised to handle enquiries and orders - everybody knows us , so it is just a matter of announcing what ’ s available or new .
B & I : Of the PECOL product portfolio of hot water systems , heaters and pumps , which is the bestseller in Malaysia and why ?
Commercial Heat Pump .
EASB : It would be our heat pumps , because it uses 75 % less electricity compared to conventional boilers of the same capacity – heat pumps are basically to heat , not boil , water to 60 ° or 70 °, and are widely used in hotels . Heat pumps are the reverse of air conditioners – primarily for heating and the ‘ waste ’ is cold air which you throw into lifts , interiors , storage rooms or where drying is needed . Typically , a dual-function 30-gallon heat pump costs about RM9,000 .
16 Building & Investment | www . b-i . biz