The latest Market Conditions Review – Wave 4 from the FIA indicates that the fire sector continues to grow with orders, invites to tender and enquiries all showing strong increases when compared to the previous six months.

While most news shows that the surf from Wave 4 is good to ride there is the fact that while tender prices are beginning to increase that this is not at the same rate as supplier prices and thus margins still remain ‘squeezed’.

Anecdotally purchases via the internet are on the increase with some companies taking advice from more traditional suppliers and then moving their business online.

Companies responding to Wave 4 commented that they see “More pre-qualification questionnaires, more challenging questions encountered, greater emphasis on environmental issues, sustainability etc etc ...”

And from a smaller company  

“Austerity Cuts have seen substantially less activity resulting in less enquiries and sales orders ... The so called economic recovery has not reached our sector, Banks are not lending to property developers ... only large organisations are benefitting from the Coalition policies”

Notably for the last six months FIA member companies received 40% more invitations to tender than did non-members!

So wax down that board join the FIA and ride the surf towards Wave 5!

download the report