10 minutes with… ServiceFM managing director James Pollock
ServiceFM is one of SA’s leading locally-owned companies offering integrated facilities management. Business Insight spoke to managing director James Pollock about the firm’s growth and its national reach.
Tell me about integrated facilities management and what services ServiceFM offers?
Ultimately, integrated facilities management is about creating safe, efficient and productive workspaces. It brings together the whole suite of building services – like cleaning, maintenance, and security – for a smarter, more streamlined way of running a space. When the physical and environmental elements of a workplace just “work”, the result is a better experience for the people who use it every day.
As an integrated facilities management provider, we need to understand what the real pain points are for an organisation and strategically assess how things could be done more effectively. Often one problem or need is a symptom of a facilities management system that needs refinement. We’ve developed a platform called ServiceFM 360 that’s been a game changer for clients. The software integrates asset registers and gives real-time visibility into preventative and reactive maintenance. It means more pro-active, strategic decisions can be made, based on data. And things like built-in compliance controls are really powerful risk mitigators.
How has the company grown since 1979?
Our Founder, Glen Browne, started in 1979 as a solo operator with one contract, providing commercial cleaning services to a metropolitan council. Forty years later, we’re a national company employing more than 500 people, working across more than 5,000 sites around the country. That first client is still with us! But a lot else has changed.
In 2003 we expanded from purely commercial cleaning into electrical compliance and from there, evolved into the full-service integrated facilities management provider we are today.
We rebranded to ServiceFM three years ago and since then, we’ve gone from strength to strength.
You’ve had quite a varied career, how did you wind up at ServiceFM?
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Following university, I joined the management team of a commercial construction company, building Westfield shopping centres.
Before long I moved into project management consultancy which saw me working with some of South Australia’s biggest brands in sectors as varied as manufacturing, oil and gas, aged care, wine and government. This broad industry exposure set the tone for the roles that followed, including a 10-year tenure at Santos, as a program manager in drilling and completions and in the maintenance department.
I then side stepped to the City of Playford, embracing the opportunity to work for and learn from Mal Hemmerling as a general manager. Local government was a real eye-opener for me. It introduced me to the complexity of working with highly diverse communities, and understanding their needs and expectations. It’s fair to say that my experience in local government had its ups and downs – but it was a great learning curve and made me realise I was naturally much more suited to the private sector.
Moving on from there, I set up a boutique management consultancy and was lucky enough to consult to ServiceFM to help with strategic initiatives. From there I was offered the role of CEO and five years later have the good fortune to be the Managing Director.
What sets ServiceFM apart from competitors in the space?
We’ve invested heavily in securing the best systems and staff across every one of our services. We’re also doing some innovative things using AI, to not only make us more efficient, but to work hand-in-glove with our clients, to deliver better outcomes.
Our organisational culture is key. I’m proud of the energy and attitude that’s evident every day in our team. We are literally nothing without our people and ultimately, they’re the reason our clients have a positive experience with ServiceFM.
The company is locally owned but operates nationally. What’s good about running a nationally focused business from SA?
We’re headquartered in Adelaide, and as a born and bred South Australian I’m proud that we’re competitive in the national market. We work hard to provide great service to some big national clients, and that’s growing every day. But that doesn’t mean we don’t take special care with our local clients.
With South Australia’s lower cost of living, our team enjoys a better quality of life, while our reduced overheads give us a competitive edge over east coast-based companies. There are also world class people in Adelaide, I’m continually surprised by the high calibre people you can get in contact with, you are always one to two phone calls from away from a national leader in a certain discipline. In my role, you don’t have to have all the answers, but you need to have the best professional advisers when you need them.
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We’re also passionate about supporting local communities and we get such a buzz from our sponsorship of organisations like ServiceFM Stadium in Gepps Cross and Norwood Football Club.
You recently led a rebrand for the company – why and what impact did it have?
The rebrand had an enormous impact on us. We needed to combine three different companies under the one banner and get everyone marching in the same direction. It wasn’t just changing our signage and uniforms; it changed everything we do.
An external brand is only as powerful as the way it’s “lived” internally. We had to examine how we perceived ourselves, our culture, our systems, our staff – the whole lot! It didn’t happen overnight, but our brand is now gaining some serious traction nationally. There is a steady stream of companies reaching out wanting to know who we are, what we do and importantly, why we do it. I attribute this to the rebrand and the ongoing work we do to maintain a strong digital presence, positioning ServiceFM as a leader and an innovator in the facilities management space.
How much growth have you generated for the business over the past five years?
Over the past five years the company has grown 30 per cent. We have seen significant growth following our rebrand, particularly in the facility management and Electrical compliance sectors.
What opportunities do you see for ServiceFM in SA?
We’re very grateful for our loyal clients in the private and local government sectors. We’re continuously growing our reach in these areas as our brand grows and the benefit of our work is recognised.
As we expand, we’re pursuing opportunities within the state government of South Australia. We know we have potential for great partnerships in this space, and our track record sets us in very good stead to win these contracts.
What about opportunities outside of South Australia? Which markets are you focused on?
Outside of SA, our clear focus is on growing our business on the Eastern seaboard. We already have significant footprints in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, but there is so much opportunity for ServiceFM and we’re excited about the progress we’re making.
What’s next for ServiceFM?
Many of our national clients also operate in New Zealand so it’s a natural progression for us to expand across the Tasman eventually. But the immediate future is about solidifying our position in the Australian market by continuing to build a rock-solid reputation for excellent service and genuinely impactful results. Happy clients are the key to new clients, and we’re gathering them in spades.
