Premier Services Group

From a Specialist Fire Protection Firm to a Multi-Discipline Powerhouse

Built on ISO-Accredited Systems, Organic Growth, and Client Trust, the Company is Now Embracing a New Era of Predictive Maintenance and Seamless Service Integration.

When Gordon Stalley, Managing Director, founded what was then Premier Fire Protection in 1987, the business was a small operation serving clients across New South Wales, which focused exclusively on the design, supply, and installation of fire protection systems. Over time, Premier earned a strong reputation for its technical expertise and reliability, leading to steady, organic growth across the Sydney region.

Within the first decade, the company expanded its service offering to include maintenance and servicing—a move that would prove transformative. “We didn’t grow through acquisitions or mergers,” Stalley reflects. “We grew organically, through hard work, and by delivering consistently high-quality results for clients who trusted us.”

Today, that steady foundation supports a national footprint and has evolved into a multi-discipline building services leader across Australia and New Zealand. Built on ISO-accredited systems, organic growth, and client trust, the company is now embracing a new era of predictive maintenance and seamless service integration.

Premier Services Group now operates directly in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, while also managing projects across Australia’s remaining states and territories and maintaining a presence in New Zealand. Its service offering has expanded to include fire protection, mechanical/HVAC, and electrical systems, positioning it as a tier-one, full-service building systems provider.

“Our growth has been client-led and organic. We follow where trusted relationships take us, ensuring the same quality and culture at every site,” Richard Stalley, Premier’s Executive Leader states.

Core Capabilities: Full-Spectrum Building Services

Premier’s expertise extends far beyond traditional fire protection. The company delivers a comprehensive suite of building services that includes, fire protection: Design, installation, testing, and maintenance for large-scale residential, commercial and industrial buildings, mechanical services / HVAC: Complete mechanical system installation and servicing, ensuring efficiency and compliance across large facilities as well as electrical services: from power systems to integrated building controls, delivered under the same ISO-certified quality standards.

This service combination enables Premier to offer clients a single point of accountability across disciplines — streamlining coordination and compliance for major infrastructure and property portfolios.

The company’s focus remains on tier-one and large-scale clients, including institutional property owners, commercial and residential strata’s and developers. Premier’s team manages major commercial buildings, complex mixed-use developments, and critical industrial sites, setting it apart from firms that focus solely on smaller, residential-scale projects.

The Culture Behind the Success

A key differentiator for Premier Services Group is its company culture, which combines professionalism with approachability. “We’ve always wanted to be a tier-one business without losing the sense of camaraderie and pride that comes with being family-founded,” Stalley shares. “People come to work proud of what they do. That’s how we know the culture is right.”

This environment has proven magnetic for both seasoned professionals and ambitious newcomers. The company maintains a healthy balance between long-term employees with decades of experience and new recruits bringing modern perspectives and energy. This intergenerational exchange has become one of Premier’s greatest strengths, fostering innovation without losing the institutional memory that defines its quality.

“It’s about balance—legacy staff who know where we came from and new team members who know where we’re going.” Richard Stalley notes.

ISO-Accredited Excellence: Quality, Safety, and Environment

Premier Services Group is ISO-accredited across three major standards—Quality Management, Safety Management, and Environmental Management—ensuring a consistent framework across every project, site, and office. While many competitors pursue ISO certification to satisfy client requirements, Premier has embedded it deeply into its DNA.

Investing in People: Training and Accreditation

Premier’s leadership has long understood that excellence in service requires excellence in skills. Stalley notes that the company is deeply invested in training, apprenticeship programs, and accreditation pathways, ensuring that its people remain at the forefront of industry capability. He points specifically to apprenticeships and traineeships which provide hands-on learning across all product groups, along with continuous professional development which ensures that all technicians, designers and engineers remain up to date with evolving regulatory standards in addition to formal accreditation and licensing.

Stalley, who in his capacity as a director of the National Fire Industry Association has personally contributed to government consultation committees on building regulation reform for over 15 years, has helped shape policy while implementing those same standards within the company.

“When the new licensing frameworks rolled out, we didn’t wait to adapt—we led the way,” he explains.

Innovation and Predictive Technology

Stalley also highlights that technology is another cornerstone of Premier’s modernization strategy. The company is investing heavily in system automation, data integration, and predictive maintenance tools to deliver greater efficiency for clients and teams alike.

Building services are very complex and consist of thousands of individual components in a major building. Each of these components is required to undergo regular tests and inspections and for those tests and inspections to be recorded, and any defects noted and rectified.

Regulation changes require this data to be retained and for condition assessment reports to be provided annually. The recent initiatives are designed to facilitate these increased requirements and include unified accounting and operations systems across all business divisions to improve transparency and responsiveness, automated document handling and data entry, cutting thousands of manual tasks per month as well as Echo Connect—Premier’s proprietary remote monitoring system for fire systems—now being expanded to HVAC and building management systems (BMS).

Mick McCarthy – Queensland manager – receiving the Contribution to Community award at the National Fire Industry Association awards ceremony.

These innovations allow for real-time data collection, predictive fault analysis, and faster response times. “It’s not about technology for technology’s sake,” Richard explains. “It’s about making us more informed, more agile, and ultimately more valuable to our clients.”

“Predictive maintenance gives our clients peace of mind—and gives our technicians the insight to act before issues escalate,” Richard Stalley explains.

Client Relationships That Drive Growth

Every expansion milestone in Premier’s history can be traced back to client demand. Rather than pursuing rapid growth through acquisitions, the company has expanded organically, often following long-term clients into new markets and regions.

“We didn’t set out to open in Victoria or Queensland just because we could,” Richard notes. “We went there because our clients needed us there. They knew what they could expect from us, and they wanted that same experience everywhere.”

This deliberate, relationship-based expansion ensures consistent standards and prevents the dilution that can accompany acquisition-based growth. The result is a loyal client base and an enviable reputation across Australia’s top-tier property and construction sectors.

Financial Strength and Resilience

Premier’s growth philosophy is backed by sound financial stewardship. The company operates with minimal debt, owns its offices, and maintains strong cash reserves to weather economic fluctuations. This financial discipline ensures that suppliers and staff are always paid promptly — a stability that builds trust across all levels of the business.

“Money isn’t a limiting factor for us—it’s a stability factor. It allows us to make decisions based on strategy, not short-term necessity,” Gordon offers.

That fiscal prudence proved invaluable during the pandemic. While many competitors scrambled, Premier remained stable, investing in systems, tools, and people even amid uncertainty.

Sustainability and Community Impact

Sustainability for Premier extends beyond ISO audits — it’s part of everyday operations. The company promotes recycling, waste minimization, and responsible sourcing across projects while continuing to champion environmental awareness through training and policy.

“Ten years ago, environmental management became a major talking point in the industry,” Stalley recalls. “At first, many companies took a tokenistic approach. We didn’t. We made environmental consciousness part of our operating culture.”

Vince Porreca – National Contracts Manager – receiving the Fire Protection Professionals Award at the National Fire Industry Association awards ceremony.

Equally important is community engagement. For more than 16 years, Premier has been a proud supporter of Sport for Jove, an independent Sydney-based theatre company that promotes the arts and education. “It’s important to give back,” Stalley says. “We want to be good corporate citizens, not just good contractors.”

Industry Outlook: Navigating Reform and Technology

Australia’s building services industry is in the midst of unprecedented regulatory reform, with new licensing, competency, and safety standards reshaping how companies operate. Premier is uniquely positioned to adapt, thanks to its leadership’s direct involvement in these reforms and its commitment to ongoing staff education.

“The biggest change in our industry is regulation—and we’re not just keeping up; we’re helping shape it,” Stalley explains. “We’ve worked hard to ensure our team remains accredited and ahead of the curve, not scrambling to catch up.”

At the same time, technology—especially automation and predictive analytics—is transforming service delivery. Premier’s investment in these tools is ensuring the company remains at the forefront of innovation, with data integration paving the way for more efficient, transparent, and sustainable operations.

Leadership Transition and the Road Ahead

As Premier enters its next phase, the company is preparing for a formal leadership transition. Founder Stalley will step back from daily management, remaining a major shareholder and board director, while Richard — who has effectively been leading operations for several years — will formally take on the role of Managing Director.

This transition ensures continuity while infusing the company with new energy and a modernized outlook. “Richard hasn’t got the role because he’s my son”, Gordon notes. “He’s a proven performer who has been instrumental in the company’s evolution, and I know he’ll continue to build on that momentum.”

Looking ahead, Premier’s focus is clear: to consolidate its presence across NSW, VIC, and QLD while expanding selectively based on client demand, further enhance data integration and predictive maintenance tools to set new standards in reliability, continue to invest in people, training, and systems to stay ahead of regulatory and technological change in addition to maintaining financial stability and self-sufficiency for sustainable long-term growth.

“We’re not trying to be the biggest—we’re focused on being the best, across every measure that matters to our clients,” Richard concludes.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Premier Services Group

What: A leading multi-discipline building services leader across Australia and New Zealand

Where: Offices in Newcastle, Victoria, Brisbane, Sydney, Mackay, Airlie Beach and Townsville

Website: www.premierservicesgroup.com.au

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