Spandex Asia-Pacific has completed the acquisition of two suppliers to the wide format signage and display industry - Plas Image and Qualsign.  From November 2013, both businesses became Spandex Group companies, trading under their own names for the next 12-18 months while full integration takes place.

Plas Image, a distributor of rigid materials and digital media based in Sydney's Northern Beaches, was established by Stan Vidaic in 2000 and was soon joined by Ed Oleksyn as a partner. Under their stewardship, Plas Image has grown to be a major supplier of top-brand rigid and digital roll media.

Qualsign, a distributor of aluminium composite sheets, cut vinyl and digital media based in Perth, Western Australia was established by Merv Hopkins in 1995 and has an existing relationship with Spandex as a reseller of Arlon and Avery signage materials.

Alex McClelland, Managing Director and Vice President of Spandex Asia-Pacific explains the acquisitions: "In today's business environment, we cannot stand still; the status quo is not an option. Real quality opportunities for acquisition do not come along that often and we were fortunate to find two this year that offered expansion into new product areas and adjacent markets. The addition of highly experienced industry people is another positive as we begin the task of integration. While there are some inevitable parallels in our customer bases, for the main part, Plas Image and Qualsign bring new products that Spandex did not previously offer. We are delighted with these acquisitions and welcome staff and customers alike into the Spandex family."

He adds: "These acquisitions are just part of our mid to long term strategy and we will continue to look for suitable acquisitions which will further enhance our position in the market."

"The hard work really starts now," says McClelland, "because successful integration of such acquisitions must be accomplished with zero inconvenience to customers. This is why the businesses will initially continue on as normal while the tasks of synchronizing SKU codes, MIS systems, logistics, premises and staff are addressed professionally and calmly. Fortunately, the global scale of Spandex gives us access to some of the business world's best IT and back-office systems integrators. It's an exciting time in the industry with overall growth surpassing the rest of graphic arts. With Plas Image and Qualsign now part of Spandex, we have filled in several gaps in our product range, added human skilled resources and are ready to reinforce our leadership position in supplying and supporting the region's wide format, signage, display, POP, exhibition, architectural, interior design and photographic sectors."