Welshpool company CAPS Australia is looking forward to accelerated national growth after securing an exclusive distribution deal with global equipment manufacturer Ingersoll-Rand.
CAPS supplies a range of industrial equipment, including compressors and pneumatic tools, to manufacturing, mining and oil and gas clients throughout Australia.
For the past 25 years it has been one of several distributors of Ingersoll-Rand equipment but from January 1 it will be the sole Australian distributor.
Managing director Bob McIntyre said CAPS had become the largest I-R distributor in Australia and he believes his firm “fitted how they wanted to go forward”.
He also believes the new contract will provide significant new sales opportunities.
“This arrangement is probably the single most important event in the history of CAPS,” he said.
Mr McIntryre said CAPS’ turnover had been growing at 20 per cent per annum for the past three years and was now in excess of $40 million.
To support its expansion, the company is currently building a $2 million head office and warehouse, next door to its manufacturing facility in Welshpool.
The company expanded to Kalgoorlie 20 years ago and has since opened five interstate offices, in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Newcastle.
Mr McIntyre said the company was planning to open two more sales and service offices, probably in regional centres in Queensland, where it hasn’t previously had sufficient turnover to justify a permanent office.
CAPS has a diverse client base. It recently commissioned and installed generators for the NSW Fire Brigade and computer company KAZ.
Other recent contracts include the supply of industrial and flotation blowers to the Fosterville gold mine in Victoria, the Bogoso gold mine in Ghana and BHP Billiton’s Ravensthorpe nickel project.
The Fosterville contract included three large blowers custom-designed and manufactured at CAPS Welshpool factory.
CAPS has also delivered two large air compressors to cardboard manufacturer Visy in Sydney.
Like many businesses in WA, CAPS has been affected by the shortage of skilled labour, which Mr McIntyre said was the worst he could remember in 30 years.
CAPS has responded to the problem by bringing in skilled staff from South Africa, Zimbabwe and recently Germany.
