In 1999, Fonterra took a chance on a small local NZ security company. Fast forward to 2025, and we've just extended our partnership for another term!

The world looked very different back in 1992. No such thing as smartphones, instead getting your hands on the latest Nokia or Blackberry pager was the height of mobile technology.

It was in this era, before cloud based systems, real time communication apps, or digital reporting was when we started our partnership with Fonterra.

It wasn't a flashy moment. No grand announcements or sweeping visions. Just a local security company being handed a 12 week trial at Fonterra's Edendale site in 1999.

We were a small, relatively unknown player in the New Zealand security industry. We had ambition, a solid team and a reputation for showing up and getting job done in a professional manner, but we were far from being a household name.

Fonterra, on the other hand, was already a national powerhouse. New Zealand's dairy giant. An operation that ran 24/7, 365 days a year, processing millions of litres of milk and employing thousands of people across the country.

Their sites were critical infrastructure. Sophisticated facilities where security meant a lot more than double checking locks. It was protecting people, assets and operations that New Zealand's economy depended on.

Our team learned the site inside and out. We built relationships with Fonterra's staff. We understood the rhythms of the operation. The busy periods, the quiet hours, the pressure points. We adapted our approach to fit their needs, not the other way around. We listened, we learned and we proved that we could be trusted with security of this scale and importance.

We showed up. We delivered. And somehow, that three month trial run never really ended! 26 years later here we are running strong as their official security partner.

One site became two. Then five. Then ten. And eventually, all 20 of Fonterra's locations across New Zealand!

When One Yes Changes Everything

When Fonterra extended that initial trial into a nationwide tender and then awarded us a full contract, it was a turning point for Allied Security. Not just for our business, but for how we understood what partnership could mean.

That single vote of confidence created a ripple effect. It gave us the foundation to dream bigger, to invest smarter, and eventually to take Allied Security across the Tasman to Australia, and later to Canada. What started in the shadow of the Southern Alps became a launching pad for international growth.

Today, we secure all 20 of Fonterra's sites across New Zealand. The real story here is about trust compounding over time.

From Frontline Security to Global Group General Manager

If you want to understand what longevity looks like in this industry, look no further than Chris McDowall.

Chris started with us as a security guard on that very first Fonterra contract. He was on the frontline doing the work and learning the business from the inside out. Chris understood the operational realities because he was amongst in firsthand.

Fast forward 26 years, and Chris is now our General Manager for Allied Security Group - he's responsible for every aspect of Fonterra's security operations nationwide.

Twenty six years is a long time in any business relationship. Long enough to weather economic shifts, industry changes and the kind of curveballs no one sees coming.