Friday July 4th, 2008
Our Association
ACASPA is a small, closely-knit trade association that represents participants in an industry that can be loosely labeled “Industrial Fabrics”. These participants comprise manufacturers, importers, and distributors of these fabrics as well as, (more importantly) fabricators who convert these into a host of other products, such as outdoor covers, awnings, blinds, shade sails and structures, canopies, dam liners, grain covers, animal shelters, bags etc.
The Association was established shortly after the war by a group of canvas fabricators and a couple of large weaving and finishing mills, with the objectives of promoting industry standards and ethics, and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas. The annual convention and presentation of awards for excellence were, and still are the major component of annual activity, even though the Association has expanded well beyond cavas goods fabrication, and provides other services, such as a trade magazine, formalized industry training, and hosts a major trade show each year. The objectives of the Association are also essentially unchanged, although the challenges of operating a business in the third millennia require these to be more clearly articulated and expanded to incorporate training, accreditation and licensing, and lobbying of State and Federal Governments.
Although the association itself is small, the industry it represents is not, and some members are major players in it. Based on ABS figures, the consultants IBIS world estimated that “Made-up Textile Product Manufacturing in Australia” comprises some 800 establishments, and has a turnover of $1.23 billion, of which two thirds is directly related to Industrial Fabrics. But their definition does not include those establishments engaged in activity related to the horticultural, mining and marine industries, which are all major consumers of Industrial fabrics. This indicated that ACASPA, with the right leadership and direction, has the potential to grow into a substantially larger organization.
ACASPA has affiliations with many organisations both locally and internationally including Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) and with Such contacts, we can keep our Members informed on market trends and new product development via this publication.