Spandex Asia-Pacific has acquired two wide format supply companies, Plas Image and Qualsign, to add revenue, experienced personnel and new products to its existing range for the signage and display industry.
Plas Image, a distributor of rigid materials and digital media based in Frenchs Forest, Sydney, has been trading since 2000. It supplies various rigid brands including Gatorfoam, Kapa, ForeX, Fome-cor, Smart-X, FoamaLite and Printboard as well as digital roll media from Metamark, ATP and its own OEM products. Qualsign, a Perth-based distributor of aluminium composite sheets, cut vinyl and digital media with 17 staff, first opened in 1995. It has an existing relationship with Spandex as a reseller of Arlon and Avery signage materials. From November both businesses will become part of Spandex Group, but will trade under their current names for between 12 and 18 months while full integration takes place. Alex McClelland, managing director and vice president of Spandex Asia-Pacific, is reportedly the driving force behind these acquisitions – and is said to be on the lookout for more. He says, “In today’s business environment we cannot stand still; the status quo is not an option. Real quality opportunities for acquisition do not come along that often and we were fortunate to find two this year that offered expansion into new product areas and adjacent markets. The addition of highly experienced industry people is another positive as we begin the task of integration. “These acquisitions are just part of our mid to long term strategy and we will continue to look for suitable acquisitions which will further enhance our position in the market. “While there are some parallels in our customer bases, for the main part Plas Image and Qualsign bring new products that Spandex did not previously offer. We are delighted with these acquisitions and welcome staff and customers alike into the Spandex family.” Spandex says the acquisitions will ‘add significantly’ to its sales revenue and also strengthen its coast-to-coast reach by expanding its Perth operations beyond the scope of its current Western Australian branch, though it has declined to publish an exact figure. McClelland adds, “The hard work really starts now, because successful integration of such acquisitions must be accomplished with zero inconvenience to customers. This is why the businesses will initially continue on as normal while the tasks of synchronizing SKU codes, MIS systems, logistics, premises and staff are addressed professionally and calmly. Fortunately the global scale of Spandex gives us access to some of the business world’s best IT and back-office systems integrators. “With Plas Image and Qualsign now part of Spandex we have filled several gaps in our product range, added skilled human resources and are ready to reinforce our leadership position in supplying and supporting the region’s wide format, signage, display, POP, exhibition, architectural, interior design and photographic sectors.”
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