NM Aircond Builds Legacy In Air-conditioning Business, Eyes Franchise Development

By Nur Fadhliana Shaari

JOHOR BAHRU, May 19 (Bernama) -- Starting from experience in the hospitality industry, a husband-and-wife team has successfully built a competitive air conditioning business through NM Aircond Sdn Bhd since February 2014.

NM Aircond chief executive officer Masitah Mohd Afandy, 36, said the decision to venture into entrepreneurship was made after she, who was then working at the front desk, and her husband, Nik Nazri Abidin, 39, who was in the hotel housekeeping department, faced time constraints due to irregular work schedules. 

Masitah, affectionately called Masyi, who is visually impaired (OKU), said the selection of the air conditioning industry was based on the sector’s “evergreen” potential.

 

Entering the “blue ocean” business

She said that around 2012, air conditioning use in Johor was still seen as a “necessity”, mostly among the M40 and T20 groups, while the B40 group did not really see it as such.

However, she and her husband were confident that within five years to six years, air conditioning use would become a necessity.

“In the air conditioning industry, most Malay contractors at that time were more focused on large-scale projects.

“We saw the project market as a ‘red ocean’ that was too crowded with competition, especially from contractors with strong networks,” she said.

Hence, she said they embarked on a different approach by entering the ‘blue ocean’, which is to focus on the residential market.

“We studied that there are around 760,000 homes in the Johor Bahru, Gelang Patah and Pasir Gudang areas. From there, we saw a huge opportunity to grow in this segment,” she told Bernama recently.

Masitah said that to strengthen their business foundation, her husband first gained experience as a technical worker at a company, while she began her career as a clerk, before they both developed their own business.

After about a year and a half of gaining field experience, the husband-and-wife team started their own business by establishing the company on Feb 26, 2014.

She said that in the air conditioning industry, especially in the residential market, profits cannot be achieved quickly and require a long time to stabilise.

“Our biggest achievement was achieving our first sales of RM1 million in our fifth year of operation,” she said, who currently has about 23 staff working for the company.

As the business matured to be on a solid footing, she was tested by a life-changing event when she lost sight in both eyes after being involved in a road accident on March 21, 2023, two days before Ramadan.

Even though she could not see, she did not lose her spirit and continued leading the business she had built with her husband.

 

Building business legacy

Commenting on the company’s strengths, she said they emphasise the quality of their workforce by hiring trained graduates from technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, and by ensuring that each employee has relevant skills and certifications.

In addition, the company utilises a professional approach in customer interactions, including the use of standard Malay in every transaction as a sign of respect and to highlight the service standards it aims to uphold.

“We practice the use of standard Malay in communicating with customers. We do not use (informal) titles such as ‘abang’ (bro) or ‘akak’ (sis), but instead use professional titles such as ‘tuan’ (mister) and ‘puan’ (missus), or official titles such as ‘Datuk’ and ‘Datin’.

“In terms of price, we offer services at competitive rates but are not the cheapest in the market as we target M40 and T20 customers, although we still provide services to the B40 group,” she said.

Besides, Masitah said the company also provides a 30-day service warranty without any additional charges as added value to customers. 

To expand the business, Masitah said the company is now transitioning into the “Aircond Express” brand, which will serve as the main platform for expanding the franchise model, while NM Aircond remains the parent company. 

She said the company also adopts a unique approach to governance, practising leadership transition every 10 years, including giving internal staff the opportunity to lead the company as part of a legacy continuity plan.

“For example, on this upcoming June 30, 2026, our two executive directors will be appointed as owners of the company under the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), while we will assume the role of advisors and shareholders,” she added.

-- BERNAMA