Australian Made

Australian Made by Couplemate Trailer Parts

Couplemate is a proud member of the Australian Made program. It supports local suppliers and helps bring business back to Australian shores. However, it has also become increasingly important for product suppliers, as lead times from international importers become longer due to Covid-19 import delays.

Couplemate Trailer Parts commenced its Australian Made program in 2017. We recognised a need to maintain consistent supply lines. But recently, we have noted strong demand across the market for Australian Made caravan and trailer parts. 

The facts are simple; Australian Made goods create employment in Australia.

As a result of this demand for Australian Made products, we have seen more local job opportunities, creating more wages and more PAYG tax.

Ultimately, more money is spent on GST and domestic spending occurring within Australia. Since the beginning of 2020, Couplemate has employed extra staff due to increased demand.

Purchases of caravan and trailer parts are a powerful spend force and are not easily fooled by imported products.

Furthermore, consumers demand rugged, tested and proven products.

Long Term Consequences

In the 1970s, the Australian Government recommended the level playing field method of trade. This level playing field resulted in the exportation of Australian jobs overseas.

Australian manufacturing investment slowly stalled until our machinery became redundant, antiquated, and eventually scrapped.

This trend has been reversing in recent times.

Demand for Aussie Products Creates Two Outcomes

• A requirement for increased investment in local procurement by suppliers.
• Longer production lead times if the same workforce is maintained.

Recently, we heard of one particular caravan manufacturer with an 18-month lead time from the placement of orders.

At Couplemate, we endeavour to maintain the shortest production lead time possible. Thus, accepting longer lead times due to our import replacement scheme was not an option.

Our solution was to employ more workers to shorten lead times, create more local job opportunities, and support products made within Australia.

In other words, re-employing those jobs lost to overseas manufacturers.

Opportunity For Government Support

Covid-19 has created a new era of unknowns, where companies and customers are learning to adjust to a new normal. At Couplemate, we have looked closely at retooling and testing.

Reinvestment in equipment and the testing of products is an expensive exercise.

The Australian Government is the largest beneficiary of increased jobs through PAYU, GST, Company and associated taxes. One also has to consider a likely increase in GST in exchange for removing state taxes.

Retooling locally creates an opportunity for job creation for toolmakers and testing centres while increasing Australian Made products’ sales.

Finally, Government support to retool industry and accelerate the ‘Buy Australian’ campaign could substantially fund debt levels due to increased tax collections.