As an island nation with some of the harshest environmental conditions on the globe; Australia has always had be to be nimble in terms of sourcing innovations and solutions. In the past few years, Australian industry has experienced a significant disruption in supply chain and logistics processes — with overseas sourced components contending with shipping delays as prolonged as six months.
Grant Gray, General Manager of National Sales for Motion Asia Pacific, maintains that it is the Australian way to be adaptable and resilient during trying times. “Australians are industrious by nature due to our history, our extremes in weather, and our remoteness,” he says. “But we still have a diverse manufacturing landscape that is particularly well-based.”
Ongoing issues with supply disruptions have presented unique solution opportunities, according to Grant. A particular interest in environmental products that output less waste and utilise less fuel adds to the list of growing concerns amidst manufacturers.
The response to these concerns, suggests Grant, has been a mix of ingenuity and an increased demand for domestic products across the nation.
“One of the silver linings to the global economic challenges has been an uptick in engineering innovation in locally manufactured products,” he says. “We are starting to see a stronger sense of nationalism surrounding Australian-made goods — people want to know where their products are coming from, but more importantly, performance is starting to outstrip price.”
To reduce lead times on parts and components and mitigate the risk of downtime on operations, Grant highlights that there has been a greater demand for longevity and quality in a product for procurement management officers when planning stock orders.
“As a direct result of this drive to secure products locally, the Australian market has been bouncing back from the threat of an economic crisis with a great degree of aggression,” says Grant. “This shift in demand; from international product to local, has positioned Motion Asia Pacific’s businesses to better accommodate customers across a raft of segments.”
“Motion Asia Pacific’s businesses; CBC, BSC and, WebsterBSC; have broad reach in the areas of fluid power, power transmission, industrial consumable and engineering,” Grant continues. “Now amounting to over 100 locations Australia-wide, we are the largest company in the industrial solutions space,” he says; adding, “At Motion Asia Pacific we are always looking to localise best practices for manufacturing and that includes championing diverse levels of engagement with customers, with attention to responsible manufacturing practices and respect to the history of our land.”
Offering a range of technical competencies in house and a deep knowledge of supply chain and procurement processes, the Motion Asia Pacific team is always ready to assist with product selection on an application and with improving the end-product of a production process.
“When a manufacturer gets to the end of their design, we want their product to be the very best that it can be,” says Grant earnestly. “In the face of these ongoing supply chain disruptions which are sure to continue through to next year, my advice to customers would be to get in contact with us as soon as possible so that we can assist in securing parts and components as efficiently as possible.”
“Customers need to establish strong relationships with their trusted advisors and partners in times like this,” he emphasises; concluding, “It all starts with a conversation. We are not just a ring and bring organisation. We truly understand the challenges that industrial manufacturers are encountering right now, and we want to use our expertise to create better outcomes for the Australian market as we move into a new era of industry.”
