AUSTRALIAN PIPE & TUBE: THE INDEPENDENT CHOICE A PRIVATELY OWNED AND OPERATED COMPANY, AUSTRALIAN PIPE & TUBE SPECIALISES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WORLD-CLASS TUBULAR STEEL. THEIR PRODUCTS ARE USED THROUGHOUT A RANGE OF INDUSTRIES, FROM MANUFACTURING, FABRICATION AND CONSTRUCTION, THROUGH TO AGRICULTURE AND FARMING. THIS YEAR MARKS THEIR ELEVENTH YEAR OF OPERATION—NO MEAN FEAT FOR A TRULY INDEPENDENT AND COMPETITIVE MANUFACTURER IN THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET.
Australian Pipe & Tube (APT) was established in 2010 by David Brandi, who is the company's Chairman. According to Mike Doubleday (General Manger, APT), "Eleven years ago, when APT was established, it was a completely new start up. The business was set up on a greenfield site in Ravenhall in Melbourne's west, with a purpose-built 6,500m2 shed. The shed was fitted with brand new equipment, including an OTTO tube mill from Italy, which is the newest and most advanced technology in tubular manufacturing in Australia." "APT grew out of the need expressed by the local market—there was a clear need for a truly independent, competitive and dynamic source of alternate supply for tubular steel sections in Australia, and specifically in Victoria. Our two competitors are based in Queensland and New South Wales," said Doubleday.
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The more successful we are as a local manufacturer, the bigger we become. The bigger we become, the more jobs we create for the local community and Victoria as a whole."
Today, APT supplies its products—in bulk—directly to the distribution market. "Being a completely independent manufacturer within the Australian steel industry is quite unusual. Our competitors are all vertically integrated, with their own mills and distribution centres," said Doubleday. "We support Australian made as much as we can. As a country, we need a level of self sufficiency. With so many businesses closing and going under, you can't rule your own destiny if you can't manufacture your own products for industries like downstream manufacturing, infrastructure and defence." "After all, the more successful we are as a local manufacturer, the bigger we become. The bigger we become, the more jobs we create for the local community and Victoria as a whole."
John Egan (CEO, APT) emphasised the importance of local manufacturing for customers. "The flexibility for fabricators and manufacturers using our product comes from the fact that they can access our products with potentially short lead times, or order project-specific sizes and grades. Without a local manufacturer, our customers would be forced into a standard product offering from overseas. We offer much more flexibility." QUALITY AND CUSTOMER CARE
APT has built its success over the last 11 years on two key pillars: customer service and the provision of superior quality products. "It’s hard to say what comes first: the customer or product quality. We produce everything to stringent Australian Standards and have an experienced quality manger on-site. All our testing is performed at an external lab, and
