Plumbing Connection Autumn 2016

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7 8 PLUMBING CONNECTION AUTUMN 2016
AUSTRALIAN MADE CERTIFICATION
A ustralian manufacturers have to meet some of the
highest quality and safety standards in the world.
While this can be onerous and sometimes translate
to slightly higher prices, locally manufactured products
are made to last, ethically, so buyers can purchase with
confidence knowing they will be fit for their purpose and safe
for use. In potentially hazardous industries such as building
and construction any opportunity to reduce risk should be
capitalised upon, so it makes good sense to buy Australian-
made goods, to help ensure the wellbeing of contractors
and end-users, and avoid costly disasters. Access to backup
services and repairs is often far easier when dealing with
local manufacturers too.
LOOK FOR THE LOGO AND AUTHENTICATE ONLINE
To be sure a product has genuinely been made in Australia,
buyers can look for Australia’s registered country-of-origin
certification trade mark. The green-and-gold Australian
Made kangaroo logo has become synonymous with
Australia’s high quality and safety standards. As a third-
party accreditation tool it offers influence and credibility,
and can help differentiate and justify charging a premium.
It has been used to promote genuine Aussie products for
almost 30 years, and can be found on more than 15,000
products, many of which fall under the categories of building
and construction. All certified products can also be found on
the online product directory at .
THE CAMPAIGN BEHIND THE LOGO
The not-for-profit Australian Made Campaign ensures
compliance of the logo, and also promotes it in a
multi-million dollar marketing and communications
campaign each year. Part of its role involves developing
partnerships with organisations around the world to help
certified businesses market their products, and facilitate
conversations between buyers and suppliers. The campaign
has supported the National Excellence in Building and
Construction Awards for more than a decade. The Australian
Cablemakers Association is also a Campaign Associate.
CONNECT WITH OTHER BUSINESSES VIA THE AUSTRALIAN
MADE B2B PORTAL
Australian Made recently launched an interactive
resource hub for Australian businesses. The ‘Australian
Made Business-to-Business (B2B) Portal’ can be used to
search for certified Australian Made products with a B2B
application and access exclusive business opportunities.
The centrepiece of the portal is an online connection point
for buyers and suppliers of Australian products. Powered
by Industry Capability Network (ICN) Gateway, it enables
suppliers to search for project opportunities and register
their company’s interest in just a few easy steps. It also
offers a sophisticated supplier search functionality for
procurement professionals and project managers.
The Australian Made B2B Portal can be found at www.
BUILT-IN QUALITY AND SAFETY
CHECKS
WITH A NUMBER OF IMPORTED BUILDING PRODUCTS QUITE LITERALLY COMING UNDER FIRE THIS YEAR FOR BEING
UNSAFE AND NON-COMPLIANT WITH LOCAL SAFETY REGULATIONS, THERE IS A STRONG ARGUMENT FOR TURNING
BACK TO LOCALLY MANUFACTURED ALTERNATIVES.
Contact: