1. Can you begin by introducing Evergreen International Fiji and its two key businesses, Wormald Fire and Security and Guardforce Fiji? What role do the companies play in Fiji’s business and economic environment?
Evergreen International Fiji LLC is a Fiji-based subsidiary of an American company, operating under two well-established trading names in the local market: Guardforce Fiji and Wormald Fire and Security.
Wormald Fire and Security provides electronic security solutions and fire suppression systems, backed by staff and managers who individually bring more than 35 years of industry experience. Our sister company, Wormald Australia, supports us with staff training and keeps us abreast of new systems and technologies, and we maintain a strong working relationship with the authorities, who understand the requirements and how we comply with Fiji’s building codes.
Guardforce Fiji has provided services in Fiji for more than 55 years, with clients ranging from embassies and commercial organisations to border-security operations. We’ve built very strong, long-standing partnerships by working closely with clients to meet their expectations, and our people bring real experience to the job, with some coming from military backgrounds and others contributing extensive expertise developed here in Fiji.
It is really about partnership. We need to understand our clients, their requirements and their businesses, while ensuring their security & safety at the same time.
Ultimately, from an economic perspective, our contribution is about ensuring security and stability and giving clients the confidence that Fiji is safe and secure.
2. Guardforce Fiji is a division of Evergreen International Fiji LLC. Guardforce has provided best-in-class security solutions to demanding Fijian institutions for over half a century. As Fiji continues to develop its infrastructure, tourism, commercial and industrial sectors, the need for effective safety and security solutions is growing. How is Evergreen International Fiji LLC supporting this development?
For us, it starts with making sure the partnership with our clients is always there, which is why we tailor our training and our people to each client’s specific needs.
Training is a very high priority, so alongside our in-house trainers, we also work towards trainer certification, including certification through ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). It comes down to having the right trainers, engaging with our people, and making sure managers can reach and support their teams.
Constructive feedback is also taking us in the direction we want to go: It is all about development, learning and continuously making things better for the business and for the partnerships we have with our clients.
3. Fire protection and security are increasingly important components of resilient infrastructure. How is Wormald Fire and Security helping businesses, hotels, public facilities and other organizations strengthen their preparedness and protect people and assets?
Businesses are increasingly understanding the importance of fire suppression systems, and we install sprinkler systems, fire alarms and electronic security systems to meet that need.
With electronic security, we monitor these systems and respond to fire or security alarms, and as new technologies are developed and adopted in Australia and New Zealand, we progressively bring those technologies and installations into Fiji through our partnerships.
This is possible because we stay closely connected with our sister companies, including Wormald Australia and Armourguard New Zealand. That gives us access to a significant amount of expertise, skills and training that we can bring into Fiji.
4. Fiji’s tourism industry is a major driver of investment and employment. How does Evergreen International Fiji LLC support hotels, resorts and other tourism businesses in creating safe and secure environments for both visitors and employees?
As an example, we currently provide guarding services for one of Fiji’s prestigious 7-star resort, , where we have a team of motivated Security Officers on the island, along with Aviation Security Officers and Fire-Truck Drivers trained for their respective responsibilities.
The client recognises the importance of paying people at the right level rather than simply at the minimum wage, and that creates an environment where people genuinely want to work.
We make sure the team is properly trained and receives the breaks, rest periods and other benefits they are entitled to, and most of our clients pay above the minimum wage, which helps create a positive working environment.
Happy people, happy jobs and a happy environment ultimately support the client. It is a whole cycle that needs to work together.
5. Technology is transforming the global security and fire-protection industries. What innovations, including smart surveillance, monitoring, automation, integrated security systems and digital technologies, are you bringing to the Fiji market?
We provide electronic security solutions, including CCTV and alarm systems, as well as individual duress buttons, all monitored through our 24/7 monitoring station.
When a fire alarm, security alarm or duress call comes through, our people respond, and because of the presence we have throughout Fiji, we also keep patrol teams on the road, allowing us to respond quickly whenever there is a need.
We have a workforce of approximately 1,405 staff. Our target is to have around 1,600 staff because the demand for our services continues to grow.
6. International standards and expertise are particularly important in fire safety and security. How does being connected to established international brands and practices help Evergreen International Fiji LLC deliver high-quality solutions suited to Fiji-specific needs?
One of the greatest sources of support is our sister company, Wormald Australia, a more mature business operating in Australia that also supports clients in Papua New Guinea and other Pacific countries on fire safety initiatives.
They conduct quarterly or monthly training, and some of our top performers get the opportunity to travel to Australia and undertake train-the-trainer programmes, attending workshops and training sessions before returning to Fiji to pass that knowledge on to our teams.
We rely heavily on this training and on giving our people exposure to the Australian market, and the exchange runs both ways: having colleagues from Australia come to Fiji also exposes our people to international standards and practices.
That way, they can see the quality of work being carried out, identify where improvements are required, and help us strengthen our training.
The international exposure is extremely valuable because it allows us to continuously improve the quality of our work in Fiji.
7. As Fiji attracts more investment and develops new infrastructure, what opportunities do you see for Evergreen International Fiji LLC to support major projects and international investors, including companies from the United States?
One of the advantages of working with companies from the United States is that they tend to place a strong emphasis on compliance, with clear standards that they expect to be followed.
Because we are also a company that follows US standards, we understand those requirements well, and our training and international connectivity make it easier for us to meet those expectations.
Armourguard New Zealand also provides significant support on the security side. More than nine years ago, with substantial support from Armourguard New Zealand, we launched a cash-in-transit business in Fiji, and we subsequently developed that into end-to-end services for banks.
Today, we support four of Fiji’s five banks in this area, reflecting the scale and trust we’ve built in the market over time. It is all about growth, supporting our clients and building partnerships that allow everyone to move forward together.
8. Looking ahead, what are your priorities for Evergreen International Fiji LLC over the next five to 10 years? Where do you see the greatest opportunities for growth, innovation and expanding the company’s contribution to Fiji’s economic development?
We recently held a strategy workshop with our team to establish where we are heading, and our first priority is having the right manning & people.
At the moment, it sometimes feels like we are operating a revolving door, with a continuous movement of people, so our focus now is on recruiting the right people, retaining them and developing them, both on the technical side and in guarding.
Part of that means paying our people the right wages and providing the right benefits. For example, although the government reduced the FNPF contribution, we decided to retain 10% contribution for our people.
We don’t necessarily want to go to the media and talk about everything we are doing — For us, it is about our people and what we are trying to achieve for them.
Our priorities are retention, stability and training, and from there, we believe business growth will naturally follow.
Alongside this, we are also working with educational institutions, to create opportunities for people entering the workforce, particularly in blue-collar occupations.
For students who may be struggling financially, we can offer opportunities to work certain hours in security, earning an allowance that helps meet their daily living expenses.
We are continuing discussions with the related parties to develop this further, because It can provide greater stability for our business while also giving something back to the community.
Ultimately, what we want is to grow and support the economy in the right way.
9. Finally, what message would you like to share with Los Angeles Times readers about Fiji’s evolving business environment and the importance of investing in world-class fire safety, security and risk-management infrastructure as the country continues to grow?
I think Fiji is heading in the right direction. In the past, people could sometimes be slow to invest, because the immediate consideration was always the money involved instead of risk mitigation.
Today, businesses understand the importance of identifying risks, determining how they can be mitigated, and creating better conditions for Fiji to grow.
Fiji has great multinational representation, great harmony and strong relationships between people. It is about working together and maintaining continuous communication.
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