2020 has been a tough year all-around for the global automotive industry. In Australia, however, the industry has been suffering its fair share long before the worldwide pandemic even began. The industry has seen car manufacturers leave the country, while businesses that remained have experienced drops in demand for new vehicles.
Despite the somewhat depressing automotive business climate here, there have been a few exceptions. Believe it or not, some Aussie automotive businesses have actually been thriving in spite of it all! And in doing so, they continue to provide a glimmer of hope for the rest of the industry.
APV enters a 3-year contract for US military vehicle seatbelts
A perfect example of this is Australian Performance Vehicles Pty Ltd (APV), which has just won an export contract worth $777,000 (Aussie dollars) with the United States!
This Melbourne-based, wholly Australian-owned manufacturer specialises in making safety restraints for automotive, industrial, and most importantly, defence applications. Their newly-awarded contract comes from defence company BAE Systems (US) to supply passenger seatbelts specifically for use in next-generation military vehicles. APV's restraints are expected to be used in a few different types of vehicles, ranging from amphibious combat units to armoured multipurpose vehicles.
In carrying out this contract, APV will be exporting its seatbelts directly to BAE's production facilities in the United States., where they will be fitted into military vehicles.
The product designs used by APV have been battle-tested in actual warzones. Over the years, they've been fitted into Australian military vehicles deployed in Afghanistan. The company boasts that there was no loss of life among soldiers who wore those restraints in those vehicles.
The contract between APV and BAE Systems (US) is set to run for three years, with a possible extension into a fourth. APV managed to pull this off through its relationship with BAE Systems in Australia, for which it is a participant in their global supply chain program.
APV and the Defence Industry
There's no question that this export contract is a massive win for APV. But at the same time, this would probably not come as a surprise to those in the industry. Digging a little deeper, you will find that APV has a solid reputation for serving the defence industry, both in Australia and elsewhere in the world. The company has actually been working with BAE Systems (US) since 2015. Since then, APV has successfully earned scores of 100% for quality and 99.8% for delivery track record on its supplier scorecard with them. Even way before all that, APV has been supplying restraints for Australian and North American military vehicles from as far back as 2002.
APV is now said to have achieved a 24-hour shipment time on high-volume automotive aftermarket seatbelts and shipping them internationally.
Overall, the company is looking forward to increasing their output and improving product development, particularly after the coronavirus pandemic has ended. Judging by how well they're performing amid this pandemic, there's no question that there's plenty more success in their future.
Know more about Australia’s homegrown aftermarket car part manufacturers from our Car Part News section. You may also get access to aftermarket suppliers from our Find-a-Part tool, the safest and most effective way to locate replacement parts for your car wherever you are in Australia. It’s free to use, so start locating a car part now!
By Ray Hasbollah