Page 10 - Australasian Paint & Panel Jan-Feb 2020

NEWS
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PAINT&PANEL JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020 WWW.PAINTANDPANEL.COM.AU
SAPE PARTNERS WITH SPANESI
THE SAPE GROUP, AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST
supplier of automotive paint, equipment and consumables to the automotive re- pair industry, has announced a new part- nership with Spanesi, a global leader pro- ducing innovative collision repair equipment and technology.
Headquartered in Padova, Italy, Spane-
si has become synonymous with con- stant growth and improvement in the collision industry. Spanesi has become the global leader by producing the high- est quality collision repair tools and equipment available, including structur- al repair benches, vacuum systems and spray booths. Spanesi equipment is ap-
proved for use by companies like, Audi, General Motors, Jaguar, Land Rover, Por- sche, Tesla, Volkswagen, and Volvo.
This new partnership will signifi- cantly strengthen SAPE’s existing equipment portfolio, and is part of a wider strategic intent to be seen as the leading supplier of collision repair equipment in Australia. Key compo- nents of the deal include the distribu- tion of Spanesi frame machines and fix- ture systems, vacuum and dust extraction systems and high-perfor- mance spraybooths in Australia.
"We are especially excited to partner with Spanesi, a company that is recog- nised for being at the forefront of innova- tion in the automotive repair industry" said Paul McMartin, Director of the SAPE Group. "This partnership offers exciting possibilities for Spanesi to expand its presence in Australia and we look for- ward to working closely with Spanesi. We welcome the Spanesi Family to the SAPE Group.”
“Our organisations have a lot in common. We were both recently awarded Platinum status by SuperRat- ings as ‘best value for money’ funds, and we both have a strong focus on ex- cellence. By combining our strengths, we are creating a multi-industry fund providing quality, customised service to members and employers across the country,” said Edwards.
The combined fund’s scale will pro- vide efficiencies that can be passed on to members through improvements to products and services, low fees and strong returns.
“Scale will help drive efficiencies and provide greater buying power,” said Brumby. “This merger will enable us to negotiate top quartile investment man- agement fees and take advantage of fee scale discounts. This means better val- ue for money for our members.”
The merger comes as super funds face increased pressure to ensure they have sufficient scale to provide competitive products and services into the future.
MTAA SUPER MERGES WITH TASPLAN
INDUSTRY SUPER FUNDS MTAA SUPER
and Tasplan have finalised an uncondition- al agreement to merge on 1 October 2020.
MTAA Super oversees over $13 billion in retirement savings for workers in the motor trades and allied industries. Tas- plan is a multi-industry not-for-profit fund managing $10 billion in assets.
The merger will create a combined na- tional super fund with more than $23 billion funds under management and approximately 335,000 members.
The decision follows a comprehensive due diligence process ensuring both parties are satisfied the agreement is in the best interest of members of both funds. The combined fund’s corporate and trustee functions will be based in
Canberra, with satellite offices in Tas- mania and other locations, in recogni- tion of the merger’s ‘best of breed’ ap- proach. MTAA Super’s administration services will be moved in-house to Tas- plan’s Hobart facilities.
Fund Chairs, John Brumby of MTAA Super and Naomi Edwards of Tasplan, said the merger was driven by shared values and a desire to secure better member outcomes.