Author: Andrew Holder, Founder & Chairman
As orphan Annie once said, "The sun will come out tomorrow."
Through a year of market uncertainty characterised by the familiar cyclical jostling of landlord vs tenant in the uncompromising world of commercial real estate, Amicus has emerged not only unscathed but with the sun shining on a year of preposterous prosperity.
We began the year with a mixture of unparalleled optimism underpinned by a record breaking forward order book, but also with the nervous notion that at some point we might end up treading water. With global uncertainty and inflationary pressures, restricted commercial funding and liquidity, and interest rate trauma, at some point some of these ugly headwinds would surely spoil our lunch?
That moment never thankfully came.
Why?
Over the last decade with our imperfect, but nevertheless trusty 19 year old crystal ball we took four major decisions that have made 2024 a year of mostly sunshine for our cherished band of business sailors:
1) To establish a high pedigree Workplace Strategy team to help tenants navigate the inevitable change in work patterns;
2) To establish a dedicated laboratory team to service the relatively recession proof life sciences sector;
3) To establish a Technology product offering to make sure there was healthy fusion between the physical and technological environment in the office
4) To make sure we harmonised how we do things so that both tenants and landlords would embrace what we offer, and how we offer it.
All of these four major decisions, “the set of our sail” meant that we largely avoided troubled waters this year. As Sinatra once said, “Regrets, we’ve had a few, but then again too few to mention, we planned each chartered course and did it our way.”
There are too many highlights to list here and now but its safe to say the good ship Amicus, with its loyal 109 souls safely on board, worked hard and fast to turn another $100m year of sales across Australia.
We built state of the art laboratories, we helped landlords steady their own ships with exemplary spec fit outs, we nurtured tenants to help them make tough real estate decisions in the brave new world of hybrid working, we connected the previously unconnected with new generation technology solutions that even Captain Kirk would envy.
2024 sped by at warp speed for Amicus in our own Starship Enterprise. It was fast and furious but also jam packed with fun, enthusiasm, humility and a renewed energy for our place in the world of social responsibility.
So we thank our team, our key partners, suppliers and consultants for their massive contribution. As we move into FY25 the team are right now hoisting the spinnaker for another cracking year ahead. We sail on with a sturdy ballast through chartered, and probably some uncharted waters... with the unwavering conviction that the sun will always come out tomorrow, because it has for 19 ½ years now.
Warm regards,
Andrew Holder
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