History
1989 - 1993
The origins of the group are founded with the establishment in 1989 of Advanced Culture Systems as the local distributor for HYCLONE laboratories of the USA. The company quickly became a leading supplier of products used in Cell Biology, with customers including some of Australia’s leading cancer research facilities. Supported by highly responsive customer service standards and the aggressive marketing focus of Advanced Culture Systems, the HYCLONE Product range, made significant gains in the Australian market.
This outstanding success resulted in an offer by HYCLONE USA in 1992 to purchase Advanced Culture System in order expand sales in the South East Asian market.
In 1992 a new company, Advanced Clinical Systems (ACS), was formed to focus on Healthcare opportunities in both the Medical and Pharmacy market with a range of professional and consumer products.
Since 1992, ACS successfully established an extensive distribution and marketing network for the promotion of a number of high quality market leading products.
In 2000, Advanced Clinical Systems changed its name to Advanced Clinical Systems International P/L (ASC-I) to reflect the emerging global outlook of the company.
ACS Group
Grandlodge P/L
1992 -
Grandlodge was launched as our property investment business, but has since become our umbrella investment vehicle. Grandlodge is principally a counter cyclical acquirer of assets, having completed a number of corporate asset transactions over the last 10+ years. The company invested heavily during the depth of the GFC, having liquidated 90% of its assets during 2007/2008 in anticipation of a substantial market correction. Grandlodge has investments in property, shares, Lanyon Asset Management (boutique Australian equity funds manager) and Immuron Ltd (Biotechnology Company).
Wattle Laboratories
1996 -
Wattle Laboratories was formed in 1996 as a property investment and development vehicle. Wattle Labs has substantial property investments in Mitcham and Blackburn North.
Britex Carpet Care
2000 -
A dramatic decline in this business prior to its acquisition by the ACS Group resulted in the loss of over 30 fulltime positions around Australia, typifies the management of non-core businesses by many multinationals.
Since purchasing the business from Reckitt Benkiser in August 2000, the ACS Group has grown the Britex Hire Business by over 22% and the Britex Chemicals business by 27% while employing 35 fulltime staff throughout Australia.
Dynamo House
2002 - 2014
In July 2002, Grandlodge purchased Dynamo House P/L, which was a design lead manuafcturer operating for over 28 years out of Melbourne. Dynamo House had a reputaion as a innovative design and manufacturing company, which was operated by people with a strong desire to creat interesting, origianl and fun products for distribution in the Australian and International Gift Markets. Dynamo House had a portfolio of over 1500 products with over 100 new products launches per year. In 2014, Grandlodge decided to shift its strategic focus and consequently divested all of the brands within the Dynamo House portfolio.
2003 - 2006
Advanced Catering P/L was purchased in 2003 from Chenin Mor and was a major supplier to the Airline Industry and Crown Casino.
Advanced Catering employed over 60 people, operated 365 days per year and shipped over 5 million items per annum.
Items produced included hot and cold meals, fruit and vegetable preparation, airline tray sets and airline cutlery sets,
Advanced Catering was sold to overseas interests in 2006.
Advanced Catering
2005 -
The licence for the Rug Dr carpet cleaning hire business in Australia was purchased from Oates Cleaning in 2005. This was a stragic purchase aimed at consolidating the market position of both Rug Dr and Britex Carpet Care in the Australian Market. This purchase has lead to many efficiency gains across the two businesses. Rug Dr continues to grow its market position and is now the number 2 player in this market behind Britex.
Rug Doctor
Sabco P/L
2007 - 2008
Sabco (South Austalian Brush Company) was formed in 1892. Over 115 years it had grown to be a major player in the brooms and brushware retail and commercial markets. In March 2007, Grandlodge purchased a non-profitable Sabco from Homewares International (HWI). Through the application of sensible business practices, cost cutting and efficiency gains Grandlodge had Sabco profitable within 2 months of purchase. In May 2007, Grandlodge sold 50% of Sabco to Libman USA making it a truly international business. After further sales and profit gains the remaining 50% of Sabco was sold to Libman USA in 2008 completing a very profitable transaction for Grandlodge.
Lanyon Asset Management
2012 - 2022
Lanyon is a privately held, boutique equity funds manager, established in 2009. Lanyon is the investment manager of the Lanyon Australian Value Fund (now closed to further investment) in addition to offering individual client mandates. The Lanyon Global Value Fund is expected to be launched late in 2014.
Lanyon adhere to a long-term, absolute return oriented, value investing approach.
Lanyon utilises a highly disciplined value approach to equity investment, designed to meet our investors requirements for capital preservation, superior absolute returns, tax awareness and confidentiality.
Lanyon's clients include family offices, charitable and philanthropic organisations, SMSF’s, foundations and private investors.
Lanyon impose a limited cap on the total value of funds we will manage within each portfolio in order to protect investment performance and maintain consistency of approach.
Lanyon is one of the highest performing funds management firms in Australia.
Grandlodge has a significant shareholding in Lanyon Asset Management.
Grandlodge sold its stake in Lanyon in 2022.
ACS International Mark 2
2011 - 2019
ACS International Mark 2 was established in 2011 with the launch of the Body Talk range of Pregnancy Tests, Heat Patches and Heart Rate monitors into the Australian Pharmacy Market.
Immuron
2013 -
Immuron Ltd is a publicly listed Australian biopharmaceutical company (ASX: IMC) focused on oral immunotherapy using dairy-derived polyclonal antibody products for humans. Immuron is a uniquely positioned biotechnology company in view of its versatile technology platform, comprising dairy derived polyclonal antibodies, capable of generating a wide range of products with a high safety profile. This high safety profile makes it possible to complete pre-clinical studies relatively quickly and raises the prospect that the clinical development of Immuron’s products will be expedited.
Grandlodge is a major shareholder of Immuron Ltd., and actively participates at a board level and in specific aspects of its day-to-day operations.
