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Setting the foundations for a new clientele base, Gold Coast modular pod manufacturer ModnPods has secured its first major commercial contract, partnering with Ingenia Communities (ASX: INA) to install five premium pods in the heart of Byron Bay.
Sourced from 70 per cent fully recyclable materials, the pods will be available for occupancy at Ingenia Holidays Byron Bay Park from mid-November.
ModnPods co-founder John Christie tells Business News Australia the deal may serve as a gateway into multimillion-dollar contracts with Ingenia's national network of 35 holiday parks.
“It is our first major commercial contract we've signed and it's gone extremely well,” says Christie, who was a finalist in Friday's night's Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur Awards.
“Right now, we are in talks of a long-term relationship.”
Known as The Pass, each pod will hold a capacity for four guests, featuring a full bathroom, recessed TV nooks in rooms, kitchen, main bedroom, bunk room and full deck and awning package.
Designed by co-founder Ben Sinclair, the pods are made from 90 per cent Australian premium materials and incorporate German energy standards called Passivhaus, which can reduce up to 80 per cent on gas and electricity bills.
“It’s about finding solutions for them and finding solutions for us that are not just dollar driven,” says Sinclair.
While Ingenia Homesare the first to launch the sustainable pods on a commercial level, more contracts have been secured for site offices with other clients.
Working with Shire Christian School in Sydney, ModnPods is also manufacturing four pods that will be used as music rooms.
To handle the demand, the company has moved into a new 1,400sqm warehouse in Arundel with plans to expand the team. However, the company may quickly outgrow this current space as it seeks to secure a larger factory heading into next year.
Christie assures that requests for smaller units will not be turned away even though the larger-scale commercial side of the business has grown substantially.
“We're not going to neglect the residential side of things,” says Christie, who notes this side of the business used to account for 80 per cent of sales but that share has since been reduced to 30 per cent.
“We're still going to keep it as an arm of the business because it's extremely important.”
“But the commercial side is definitely growing, growing a lot faster than the residential side.”
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