As the global leader in access solutions, ASSA ABLOY helps billions of people move through their daily lives safely and with ease. In New Zealand, Nick achieves this in a team with two distinct parts. “We have a handful of reps who are out on the road talking directly to industry professionals who work in commercial construction, and we also have our internal team of specification writers who design access specifications for architects and designers.”
These two approaches work in tandem to enable ASSA ABLOY to support even the most challenging of projects. “In a building like a hospital, with huge numbers of people coming in and out of the space in various ways, access can become quite complex,” Nick says. “Our job is to make sure all those access points are working seamlessly as they should. We work alongside architects and designers to show them how they can use products that meet relevant building codes and support the other physical elements of the building. We also look at their functionality requirements - fire compliance, secure access areas, adequate escape routes, accessibility - and tie that all together with a complete access solution.”
While not necessarily familiar to the average consumer, ASSA ABLOY is known as a global leader in the commercial construction space, and they’re providing every access component, from physical locks to long-term support. “Lockwood brand is the core commercial locking product range that we use, which has been well known in Australia and New Zealand for many, many years. It’s really well recognised for its quality. We’re also excited to continue building our presence with digital products and specification software. ASSA ABLOY Openings Studio is a software solution that allows us to do more than write the specification; we can tie into an end-to-end service. It’s common now for architects to produce a BIM, and with this software, we’re able to integrate with their designs in Archicad and Revit. Architects can get real-time updates and provide door information directly to our team. This can then go all the way through to an end-user handover, with a QR code on the access point that assists with ongoing maintenance and asset management. It’s important to remember that access solutions aren’t just about what happens at construction, but what happens over many years after that.”
The New Zealand team reaps the benefits of the global ASSA ABLOY Group, which provides inspiration and insights to drive the local market forward. “We are able to leverage our large international network to get access to high-quality, leading products from all over the world. This is particularly relevant with regard to cutting-edge technology - access control solutions are a good example, where you’re using a swipe card or a mobile phone instead of a physical key - and sustainability. You may not think of sustainability when choosing your access solution, but the environmental benefit of using products with great longevity should not be underestimated.
“Importantly, we also have local knowledge of the New Zealand industry and culture. We understand what architects are trying to achieve here and the ways that they want to do things. The global resource combined with the local context creates an informed perspective that allows us to meet technical and compliance requirements, while also creating great functionality and aesthetic outcomes for New Zealand projects.”
Their network of partners helps to support the New Zealand market with a great breadth of solutions and wraparound support. “ASSA ABLOY provides the hardware side of things and writes specifications, but we also own Pacific Door Systems, who produce, manufacture and supply a range of fire and performance doors,” Nick says. “We also own a business called Entrance Systems that manufactures automatic and revolving doors, and a business called Tracker that does key management software and access control. Where others might just deliver just one part of that process and then have to work with a range of other suppliers to bring it all together, we are able to provide a comprehensive solution with specifications that tie in all the different access points for virtually any project in New Zealand.”
For Nick’s team, the journey typically starts at the beginning of the developed design phase. “Our service runs through the full lifecycle of the project. The first step is for architects and designers to have an idea of their performance requirements, understanding things like fire-rated walls and other functionality must-haves. Is this a high-volume space with a lot of people who need easy access? Is it a restricted space where there are locations - like hospital drug cabinets - that need to be secure and require credentials? Once we know that, one of our sales reps will go and hold a briefing with the architect to run through those details and any other questions to really get an understanding of what they’re trying to achieve. Then they take those reflections back to our team to develop a specification and a schedule.”
ASSA ABLOY projects span a huge range of sectors and spaces, Nick says, even in some of the most remote regions on earth. “One project I’m really excited about at the moment is Scott Base in Antarctica, which we’re working on with designer Jasmax. The products and hardware used need to meet quite unique requirements for both the users and the harsh environment. It’s in the late developed design phase now and getting into procurement and early construction.”
As they look ahead to the rest of 2026 and beyond, ASSA ABLOY is working hard to continue cementing its place as a one-stop access solution. “Historically we’ve been known for our hardware, but we really want to show how we work with other businesses to create a complete solution that solves more problems. This is why we’ve placed a strong emphasis on providing CPD training over the last few years, and why we’ve partnered with Teulo to build on that. We know that industry professionals are time-poor, and we want to engage with them in a way that adds value to what they do. Some topics we’re tackling include demystifying architectural hardware, fire compliance, automatic doors, and BIM software integration.”
ASSA ABLOY will continue to bring international insights to the New Zealand market, including advanced technological solutions. “New Zealand is still fairly early in its adoption of access technology, but in countries like the US, that are very mature, buildings often no longer require keys at all, favouring instead to use mobile phones and facial recognition to gain access. This helps us to see the pathway that could be ahead of us here as we work to support the local market.
“From a padlock you can put on your school bag, right through to security at the federal reserve, we can offer a total access solution. We are passionate and knowledgeable about what we do, and we love bringing that to our New Zealand customers. We have the products, and we also have the people.”
To learn more and connect with Nick, visit https://www.assaabloy.com/nz/, follow him on LinkedIn, and keep an eye out for upcoming ASSA ABLOY CPD sessions on Teulo.
