GPI Group
275 Wellington Rd
Mulgrave VIC 3170

TOLL FREE:
1800 334 898

BH: +613 8541 7500
F: +613 9562 0789

E: sales@gpi.com.au

PLEASE SELECT BELOW HEADINGS FOR MORE INFORMATION. IMAGES ARE ALSO CLICKABLE

INTRODUCTION

The GPI Group is a privately owned, uniquely diversified group of Australian companies. The origins of the GPI Group date back to the 1st February 1978, when Colin Edwards commenced operations in the Automotive Refinishing Industry.

Since that time, the organisation has achieved enormous growth, operating out of branches in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth and employing over 110 people in the following fields:
· Automotive Refinishing Products
· Engineering
· Sports, Health and Fitness Equipment
· Adhesive Tapes
· Corporate Clothing and Work and Safety Wear
· Promotional Merchandise & Giftware
· School Uniforms.

OFFICE & WAREHOUSING


GPI moved into its current National Headquarters in June 1993, at 275 Wellington Rd. Mulgrave, Victoria. These premises are owned by the Directors and comprise an area of 4 1/2 acres with approximately 100,000 sq. ft of warehousing and office space. The Mulgrave premises are situated in the demographic centre of Melbourne. The Brisbane warehouse of 12,000 sq. ft is at 2-8 Allgas St. Slacks Creek was also purchased in early 2004. The GPI premises in Sydney total 10,000 sq. ft at Unit 4, Slough Business Park, Rachael Close, Silverwater, and the Perth warehouse of 5,000 sq. ft is situated at Unit 2, 42 Tennant St., Welshpool. GPI Corporate is housed in 6000 sq. ft of offices and showroom in the suburb of Richmond, Victoria. In April 2004, GPI opened a warehouse of approximately 7,000 sq. ft at 136 William Street, in the Adelaide suburb of Beverley, South Australia. Each branch carries its own sales and warehouse personnel and direct imports are received in all GPI warehouses around Australia from overseas sources.


THE GPI GROUP STORY SO FAR


GPI Automotive Products P/L
On the 1st February 1978, GPI Automotive Products was formed when Colin Edwards, founder and current C.E.O. of The GPI Group of Companies, commenced operations as a sole trader. Product was produced and sold to Automotive Refinishing Distributors, who then distributed the product range to panel beaters and spray painters. Over 25 years on, the company has grown from strength to strength and currently the products listed for sale number in excess of 2000 items. Through its 4 warehouses and 12 automotive salespersons employed throughout Australia, GPI would be regarded in the industry as the largest supplier of assorted consumable products, excluding paint, on a strictly wholesale basis, to in excess of 600 resellers.

In February 1998, GPI acquired Black Diamond Industries, GPI's competitor in the buff pad market. This acquisition in tandem with GPI's Tuff Buff division gave GPI the major share of the Australian, Asian and Pacific area buff pad market.

The GPI Automotive Division imports exclusively from many suppliers on a world-wide basis, and also exports product manufactured in Australia to the Middle East, U.S.A, Europe, and New Zealand and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. GPI is further involved with a New Zealand company, called GPI Automotive (NZ) Limited, based in Auckland, marketing Automotive Products on a wholesale basis, throughout New Zealand.

GPI currently is a Master Distributor, on a National basis, for the product ranges of Iwata, DeVilbiss, Meguiars, Sykes, Teroson, and Sundstrom, to name a few. In May 1998, Sata - Farbspritztechnik GmbH & Co appointed GPI as an Australian importer of their spray gun equipment and associated product range. In 2003 GPI became the exclusive importer of Stayer Power Tools and Telesch Air Tools, both manufactured in Italy. Also in 2003 an arrangement was made with Sun Abrasives of Korea for GPI to be the exclusive distributor of their unique filmed backed Automotive Abrasive range for Australia and New Zealand.


GPI ENGINEERING

In order to expand the GPI Automotive product base, an engineering operation commenced with the purchase of McKay Engineering in 1987. In April 1998, GPI McKay Engineering in tandem with a design Contractor obtained an order for collapsible stillages from a pallet hirer which were manufactured, around the clock, over a 15-week cycle. This contract was worth $1.7 million and an extra 42 persons were employed for this manufacturing cycle. The user of the product for this order was General Motors Holden. Further response to the product has yielded a sale value in excess of A$5 million dollars and trialling in the food industry is now showing positive results.

The GPI Engineering division also manufactures sporting goods for GPI Sports & Fitness including metal cricket stumps basketball rings and telescopic netball stands with rings. For the GPI Automotive division, engineering manufactures work benches, electric drying lights, mobile paper/tape dispensers and trolleys. The Engineering Division also houses a repair section for electrical and air power tools, spray guns and welding equipment. Our delivery trucks pick up and deliver repairs from our metropolitan distribution network.

GPI Sports & Fitness P/L

In 1992 the license for Simpson Active Sports wear was offered and accepted. The Simpson division initially covered clothing to the tennis fraternity, and further expanded into squash and tennis racquets, whilst also covering casual outer apparel. At the same time GPI obtained the Australian distributorship for Tretorn Sports Limited covering their range of tennis balls, racquets and sporting bags. Because of tight retail sales for tennis clothing the Simpson license was relinquished in February 1996.

In looking at the product range manufactured by the new combined operation, sports equipment played a major part and a path was taken to import health and fitness products to add to the sporting equipment range. Currently, the Sports & Fitness Division is extremely well regarded by its hundreds of retail customers and GPI is continuing to increase its product range offered through direct importation from Taiwan, China, U.S.A, Europe, U.K, Malaysia and South America. Sales for this division are handled through a network of 10 personnel spread throughout Australia achieving excellent growth rates on an annual basis.

This division specialises in fitness hardware including treadmills, exercise bikes, gymnasiums, weight benches, etc. and imports from many manufacturers exclusively including the world famous Gold's Gym brand, Motion Fitness and Key's Fitness USA ranges. House brands include Bodyworks, Compris, Ironman and GPI.

In 2004, GPI releases its range of road bicycles under the Cheetah branding. The range includes children's and adult bicycles and a scooter range. The division will also include a full range of accessories branded under the Cheetah logo.

GPI APPAREL & CONCEPTS P/L


With the move into sports clothing, the GPI Group decided to enter into the casual menswear, and to that end, Daintree Clothing Company was created. The Daintree range was sold to the leading menswear retailers throughout Australia but subsequently ceased operating in 1998. This entry into the apparel industry paved the way for the company to expand into the corporate clothing business under the image of GPI Corporate. The division has developed an extensive range of corporate, casual and work wear and is currently obtaining large orders from national corporations.

GPI purchased the business name and assets of Panther Sports in January 1996. The Panther Sports business included the manufacture of children's active sportswear and uniforms that are marketed directly to schools, clubs and parents associations. Panther's current activities consist of a clothing manufacturing operation both in and out of house, a screen printing business including artwork development and a sock manufacturing interest. Panther employs 16 staff and is further involved in corporate and promotional clothing and is housed within GPI's Melbourne headquarters.

In March 1997, GPI acquired Melbourne Uniforms that had 3 retail stores covering the school wear industry and in June 1997, acquired Waldrons Teenage & Junior Shops that also had 3 stores selling school wear. In November 1997 a new store was opened in Thomastown giving GPI a total interest of 7 stores in Victoria retailing school wear as well as 20 on campus shops. A house brand called "Varsity" has successfully been incorporated into the marketplace and this product range is imported by GPI. In 2002 GPI divested itself of the 6 shops taken over but still maintains a 600sq M retail store at Thomastown under the name of GPI School Wearhouse.


GPI acquired the business known as Panache Corporate in March 1998 and amalgamated it with GPI Corporate Promotions to form GPI Panache Corporate. Panache was primarily involved in corporate gifts, promotional products and sales and convention products.

Recognising the compatibility between the corporate clothing and corporate merchandise businesses, the company adopted an "All Under One Roof" approach and merged these two businesses to provide our customers the advantages of 'Total Concept Management'. This move was completed in October 2000 and GPI Corporate is now situated in an office/showroom at Unit 5/200 Wellington Rd, Clayton. In March 2002 GPI acquired the business and sales staff of Mahlab Corporate, a well-known supplier in the industry and further expanded the GPI Corporate business.

GPI Tape & Stationery
In July 1993, GPI acquired the Loy Tape division and certain personnel from Brown and Dureau, a subsidiary of Amcor, and together with an existing tape importing business created the Tape and Stationery division of the GPI Group. GPI today is one of the major importers of masking, cellulose and stationery tapes for the automotive, packaging and stationery trades and successfully competes with multi-national and local opposition.

On a performance basis The GPI Group has doubled its total sales over the last 8 years. For the financial year 2003/04 The GPI Group's net sales, exclusive of GST, will exceed A$30 million.


  


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