Company Information
Link1: Time-line of major events
Link2: A more detailed history of Clyde-Apac
Introduction
Clyde-Apac ©is a major global brand specializing in air filtration, contamination-control equipment for industry, health care and science. The company is a leading Australian laminar flow laboratory equipment manufacturer based in NSW. Clyde-Apac branded products and technology are exported to more than thirty countries around the world. The Company’s core technology supports the Australian Standards, perceived by industry users as one of the highest international levels.
Australian Standards are regularly referenced within global publications and some of these papers can be viewed on this web site, under technical papers.
Clyde-Filtercorp © and Macquarie Engineering combined in 2009 to create one of Australia’s fastest growing, fully integrated dust collection operations in Australia. Clyde Filtercorp manufactures space saving solutions through a range of “bag house and cartridge” design, systems including “Eaziflow”, “Mini Pulse”, and “HCP”. Macquarie Engineering provides specialist dust collection solutions along with regular on-site maintenance.
Clyde-Apac Laminar Air Flow equipment and HEPA filter products are available from authorised dealers and distributors.
Clyde-Apac: Major events in Company History
- 1945 Apac supplies the first Holden car produced in SA with a jack.
- 1951 Apac wheels used for production purposes at Holden factory
- 1954 Apac becomes the first South Australia company to win the coveted Australian Export Award.
- 1964 Clyde-Apac produced the first automotive car air conditioning called Clyde Vornado
- 1984 Clyde –Apac establishes Clyde-Farr Sales and Service operations in Australia and initiates the rail car and rolling stock filter change out process.
- 1985 Clyde-Apac acquires “Selson International”
- 1986 Clyde-Apac acquires “Wheel Products” and “Wylie” mechanical jack business
- 1986 Clyde Apac the first ISO accredited manufacturer of Farr Company (USA) Filtration products in the world.
- 1989 Clyde-Apac opens up a USA sales and marketing operation
- 1990 Clyde-Apac splits into Environmental Products Division (EPD) Materials Handling Division (MHD) and Automotive (OE) and appoints a Divisional Manager for each business unit.
- 1994 Clyde-Apac (EPD) acquires Gelman Sciences, Horizon Engineering, Filtercorp, International Filter Company, and Interfilta.
- 1996 Clyde-Apac (MHD) acquires Bassick, Shepherd and develops a series seven range.
- 1997 EPD becomes the largest operating division within Clyde-Apac with A$25M turnover, with MHD @ A$15M. Clyde-Apac with the new dual focus becomes a star within Clyde-Industries group.
- 1997 Clyde Industries Pty Ltd – announce to ASX a major $5-7M expenditure development plan for the Clyde-Apac EPD business unit in Malaysia Asia.
- 1997 Clyde-Apac acquire “Enersonics” and enter laboratory testing area.
- 1997 Clyde-Industries Pty Ltd purchased by EDI and Clyde-Apac operations merged with other EDI operations and activities in Asia closed.
- 1998 Clyde-Apac and Brian Young (EPD) manager after sixteen years depart.
- 1998 Clyde-Apac withdraw from the Email Air Handling acquisition
- 1999 Clyde Apac and Farr Company enter litigation resulting in Clyde-Apac losing the Farr licence in Australia. Farr Company USA were sold to an investment group.
- 2000 Downer merged with EDI and the new owners announced the sale of Clyde-Apac following discussions with Brian Young in 2001.
- 2004 Clyde-Apac once again flourished with a workforce numbering over 300 and high profitability.
- 2007 EAH “Clyde-Apac” operations split with “EPD” moved to NSW while “MHD” remained in Adelaide.
- 2007 EAH directorship split with Meeuwissen remaining, and Young resigning to concentrate on Clyde-Apac Air Filtration.
- 2009 EAH Air Handling Pty Ltd “Materials Handling Division” trading as “Clyde-Apac” in Adelaide is closed down.
- 2010 Clyde Apac Air Filtration launches the new Ultima series 2 range cabinet at Taiwan International Trade show.
- 2011 Clyde-Apac Air Filtration releases the new version of the S2000 and S2010 software.
A more detailed history of Clyde-Apac:
Clyde-Apac©, has been engaged in the manufacture and marketing of a wide range of products, including vehicle jacks, turbine, commercial, industrial air filtration, dust collection systems, clean room equipment, laminar flow laboratory cabinets, castors, wheels, materials conveying systems, torque multipliers, ball bearings, air conditioning units, straddle carriers, forklifts, and air jacks. Apac Ltd commenced life in a small workshop in Adelaide, then in 1923 relocating to new facilities at Finsbury, a suburb of Adelaide. At this time the Lightburn Engineering Manufacturing Company Ltd, (LEMCOL) was merged to form Apac Industries Ltd, and together they became a listed company. A further move to a large industrial complex in 1945 occurred when the North Woodville industrial corridor was developed and opened to industry.
Apac Industries Pty Ltd became the first member of NSW engineering group Clyde Industries when it was acquired in 1954. Clyde-Apac Pty Ltd as it was now known continued to enjoy a number of firsts, and these have been briefed within the attached. Throughout the late 50’s and 60’s Clyde-Apac continued to grow with new product licensing arrangements such as “Yale” “Clayton” “Farr Co” and “Kysor” and employment numbers on or about 1,000.
By the early 70’s Clyde-Apac was facing a problem, export exceeded supply and to cope the management scaled back export operations resulting in sales and distribution centres in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New York being closed. By the mid 70’s Australia was starting to face economic problems at home, and due to the loss in export revenue employment levels sank to just on 45 employees. In 1974 the Clyde-Apac Pty Ltd name disappeared from the Asic registered list and “Clyde-Apac” become a trading division of Clyde Bayswater.
With the eighties came the first of the great rationalization periods for Australian manufacturing and many of the traditional business products were either, sold, transferred out, or closed. A manufacturing focus towards becoming better at a few things, rather than a master of none, was the future. For Clyde-Apac with an evolved integrated manufacturing structure, this was a difficult process for management. Even when a tough decision “to quit” an agency line after years of debate was taken, it could become a “must keep” if a large order as happened with “Valmet”, “Shuttleworth”, and “Xenerol”.
With the opening up of Australian markets to free trade in the 90’s Clyde-Apac was continuing to become pressured by market forces and it when the threat of complete closure came about then change eventually come about.
Clyde-Apac in 1993 was split into three operational units Materials Handling, Automotive, and Environmental Products Division (EPD). Only a complete split would suffice the executive of the day and so it was done with two divisional managers appointed Brian Young (EPD) and Colin Bourner (MHD), while Automotive OEM, left to engineering was slated for closure. EPD the smallest division, renewed the Farr Company licence, increased its manufacturing capability and acquired a number of businesses. Within four years EPD had reached its operational target of just under A$30M with facilities in New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore. The MHD business had also soared to acquiring “Shepherd”, “Wheel Products” and “Bassick” taking turnover to just on A$15M, and a new plant opened in Thailand. Employment levels were close to 200 sales and profit was at an all time high.
In 1997 Clyde-Industries was acquired by Evan Deakin Group (EDG) and the focus on export growth changed once again towards scaling back Australian operations to suit local market requirements. Within twelve months the Asia facilities were closed and product ranges purged.
The ailing EDI group was acquired by “Downer Industries” in 1999 and the operations of “Clyde-Apac” were then faced with a limited future. Clyde-Apac was now losing money large scale retrenchments were slated during 2000/1 to cut operational numbers to just over 100.
The lengthy court case with Farr Company USA resulted in the termination of the fifty year manufacturing association with Clyde-Apac. Clyde-Apac counteracted the Farr loss by introducing its own range of filtration products, and then followed a disastrous strategy to “sell” at any cost to keep Farr out which resulted in monthly losses in excess of $200K per month. Farr Company also failed and sold in 2001.
In 2001 Downer EDI placed the “Clyde-Apac” operations on the market and discussed a sale process with Brian Young and in December 2001 the operations were sold. “Clyde-Apac” traded under EAH Air Handling Pty Ltd, for the next five years and enjoyed another successful period with employment growing to over 300, and high profit.
2006 with steel and plastic hitting an all time high and higher movement in the Australian dollar, Clyde-Apac faced new challenges to survive.
2007 The EAH business was split and the (EPD) air filtration was relocated to NSW and branded “Clyde-Apac Air Filtration” a business registered since 1999. The EAH Air Handling Pty Ltd directorship changed with Young resigning to manage the filtration operations in NSW, and Meeuwissen remaining the only director. Meeuwissen continued to run “EAH” Clyde-Apac “Materials Handling” operations alongside his privately owned “Materials Handling Company” CASP.
2008 EAH Air Handling Pty Ltd, “Materials Handling” dual strategy to close Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne combined with an import program through CASP of cheap product saw sales of “lemcol” plummet to all time lows with market share lost and national distributors switching to other brands.
2009 EAH Air Handling Pty Ltd – trading as Clyde-Apac “Materials Handling” was placed into liquidation, with assets subsequently sold and the operations in Adelaide closed.
2010 Clyde-Apac Air Filtration launch the Ultima Series 2 bio-logical safety cabinet range in Taiwan, complete with the S2010 operating software.
2011 The Clyde-Apac Air Filtration brand continues to grow. Manufacturing conducted in two Australian centres of NSW, as well as Thailand, a new facility in Taiwan, and a distribution centre within the UK.
