kopi-C with GDS Global Chairman: Enhancing infrastructure protection and safety with advanced shutter systems

The quiet turnaround of a 40-year-old business

With business roots since 1982, GDS Global Limited doesn't get much attention. Zero analyst coverage. Minimal media mentions. 

Yet if you've walked through Marina Bay Sands, Resorts World Sentosa, or Seletar Aerospace Park, you've probably walked past GDS Global's work without noticing it. 

Listed in April 2013, GDS Global is a leading specialist provider of commercial and industrial door and shutter solutions in Singapore and Southeast Asia, where some of its major customers have been with them since 1990s.

Operating under its brand name of “Gliderol”, GDS Global operates one of the largest manufacturing facilities in Singapore (approximately 7,800 sqm), capable of producing between 2,000-4,000 doors and shutters annually, depending on product type.

With over 40 years of operating history, the company has built a technology-driven edge through its in-house engineering capabilities. It is the first Singapore manufacturer to offer steel-insulated fire shutters with insulation value of up to 240 minutes. 

GDS Global is also the developer of the world’s first blast-mitigating roller shutter door, which minimises hazardous debris during explosions, and a storm-resistant shutter capable of withstanding wind speeds exceeding 200km/h, comparable to Category 3 hurricanes.

These premium engineered solutions differentiate GDS Global from standard shutter manufacturers. Such premium shutter solutions are designed not merely as access systems, but as protective infrastructure solutions.

In many countries, this distinction matters. Under Singapore’s Infrastructure Protection Act, owners of designated critical infrastructure, including energy facilities, transport nodes, data centres and certain industrial installations, must ensure that their property assets are resilient against security threats and physical hazards. This has raised compliance standards across sectors, particularly for fire-rated systems. GDS Global’s patented insulated fire shutters and blast-mitigating shutters are engineered to meet such stringent performance and safety requirements. 

In many ways, these access systems are invisible but essential infrastructures, quietly ensuring that buildings remain compliant, operational, and safe during emergencies.

Most recently, there has been a positive shift in momentum.

The company’s revenue increased 70% and its net cash from operating activities turned positive in its most recent financial year ended 30 September 2025. Organically, the group is gaining traction in its domestic and international expansion efforts. As part of a wider growth strategy, it is now pursuing M&A acquisitions that are accretive to financial performance and can unlock opportunities to significantly increase revenue potential and order book.

From property to manufacturing

After taking a strategic stake in GDS Global, Tang Hee Sung joined as Non-Executive Chairman in November 2023, and comes from the property and construction world, where he's spent over 16 years as CEO of Teambuild Land group of companies.

And what drew him most to GDS Global was understanding the customer side: when contractors or consultants are specifying doors and shutters for a project, they care about reliability, compliance, and cost efficiency—areas where he knew GDS Global could improve. 

In the 14 months since he took the chair, the work has been unglamorous but deliberate: redefining pricing strategy for different markets, improving operational efficiency, renegotiating supplier terms, consolidating procurement to get better pricing, and partnering with overseas manufacturers to handle larger projects without ballooning fixed costs.

"GDS Global has over 40 years of operating history, strong engineering capabilities, and patented premium shutter products that have established the Group as a recognised specialist in the industry. However, its business performance has been affected by challenges in recent years and thankfully, our improved results show that our efforts and strategy are on the right track to creating more positive momentum ahead," he says. 

Technology edge 

Distinct from its peers, GDS Global has a dedicated, in-house R&D team focusing on the innovation of industrial door and shutters that caters to evolving demand trends.

"We compete on product differentiation and compliance," Tang says. This creates a barrier to entry, competitors can't just undercut on price if they don't meet the compliance standards.

Data centres, logistic hubs, aerospace facilities and coastal industrial installations increasingly require certified high-performance shutters rather than generic rolling doors.

 “These are not discretionary upgrades,” Tang says. “They are becoming compliance and risk management requirements.”

Strategic alliances with world-Class partners

In addition to its domestic growth strategy, GDS Global is pursuing strategic alliances with world-class partners, leveraging global distribution networks to expand its international reach.

In October 2024, the Group signed a partnership with Blast Resource Group to distribute GDS’s blast-mitigating shutters in the United States.

In February 2026, the Group recently signed an exclusive two-year distributorship agreement with ARA Manufacture Metalbilt, New Zealand’s leading industrial and commercial door system designer and manufacturer, to distribute Gliderol’s premium product range, including insulated fire shutters.

The maiden export of Gliderol Storm Shutters to Qatar Master Group W.L.L., in March 2026 marks the Group’s first deployment of its high wind pressure-resistant storm shutters in the Middle East, installed at a semi-government shipyard in Qatar.

These partnerships underscore GDS Global’s strategy of collaborating with established local market leaders, rather than building overseas infrastructure from scratch.

“International expansion requires the right distribution partner and ensuring compliance with local standards,” explains Tang. “As demand for premium shutters continues to grow globally, we believe that the Group is well-positioned to work with our global partners to serve our targeted customers needs.”

"International expansion requires the right distribution partner and ensuring compliance with local standards,” explains Tang. “As demand for premium shutters continues to grow globally, we believe that the Group is well-positioned to work with our global partners to serve our targeted customers needs."

Improving and sustaining the positive momentum

Despite its long history, maintaining consistent profitability has been one of its key challenges. For investors, this is the elephant in the room.

Tang doesn't dodge this question. According to him, the company generated strong revenue growth of 70% and positive operating cash flow of S$0.85 million in FY2025, marking what he describes as "a turnaround in progress."

But he also acknowledges that turning cash-flow positive is different from being consistently profitable. He points to specific targets: "Coupled with our organic business initiatives, with targeted acquisitions bringing defined profit targets of S$3.16 million in FY2026 and S$4.55 million in FY2027, we believe that the Group’s business performance has strong potential to strengthen meaningfully over the next two years."

With more than 40 years of relationships with contractors and blue-chip customers. Tang notes that around 15% of revenue comes from maintenance and servicing, providing recurring engagement rather than just one-off project sales.

Acceleration of growth via M&A

Beyond organic initiatives, GDS is proposing two acquisitions, Integrated Aluminium Pte Ltd and Asiabuild Metal Engineering (Pte) Ltd, for a total consideration of S$30 million.

The strategic intent is clear: to transform GDS from a specialist shutter manufacturer into an integrated solutions specialist within Singapore’s construction ecosystem.

Integrated Aluminium specialises in architectural aluminium products such as façade works, curtain walls and cladding systems, while Asiabuild focuses on structural steel and metal works products. 

Tang sees this as the structural pivot. “This is about building a more resilient business model, rather than remaining a niche manufacturer, GDS Global aims to embed itself deeper into project value chains.

Not relying on one product category, but integrating capabilities across adjacent engineering disciplines that brings immediate earnings accretion through defined profit targets with cross-selling opportunities as well as enhanced economies of scale.”

The investor pitch

Tang's pitch is straightforward. "If you look at GDS Global today, you are not looking at a start-up story," he says. "You are looking at a specialised 40-year-old business with innovative products that has turned around and is firmly back to profitability with a healthy balance sheet and zero borrowings."

Tang continues to emphasize tighter cost discipline, refined pricing strategy, and a more scalable operating model. As he frames it: "A long-established business, stronger operational discipline, scalable growth model organically, differentiated products, with inorganic growth initiatives to accelerate growth trajectory."

"The focus now is disciplined execution. Improving operations, scaling sustainably, and strengthening earnings quality over time."

"The focus now is disciplined execution. Improving operations, scaling sustainably, and strengthening earnings quality over time."

From his perspective, the next chapter of GDS Global is not about reinvention, but about disciplined expansion built on engineering depth, regulatory relevance, and integrated growth.

About GDS Global Limited

With an operating history since 1982, GDS is a leading specialist provider of commercial and industrial door and shutter solutions in Singapore and the South East Asia region. 

Headquartered in Singapore and listed since 2013, GDS operates one of the largest manufacturing facilities amongst industry players. Backed by its strong technical expertise, proprietary know-how and technology-based solutions, the Group’s extensive range of door and shutter systems can be tailored to the specific needs and requirements of its customers that span a broad spectrum of industries such as manufacturing, data centres, warehousing, food processing, healthcare, education, aerospace, security and defence.

Underscoring its technology-driven edge, GDS is the first Singapore manufacturer that can offer steel insulated fire shutters with an insulation value of up to 240 minutes. In addition, the Group is the developer of the first blast-mitigating shutter in the world.

About kopi-C: the Company brew

kopi-C is a regular column by SGX Research in collaboration with Beansprout, a MAS-licensed investment advisory platform, that features C-level executives of leading companies listed on SGX. These interviews are profiles of senior management aimed at helping investors better understand the individuals who run these corporations.