The Label and Tag Manufacturers Association of Australia (LATMA) and the Australia New Zealand Flexographic Technical Association (ANZFTA) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of merging into a new organisation called the Flexible Packaging & Label Manufacturers Association (FPLMA).
Members of LATMA and ANZFTA voted last week to ratify the constitution of the new association at a Special Extraordinary Meeting held in Melbourne.
In an email to members, former LATMA president Mark Easton - who will stay on as president of the FPLMA - said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the support and encouragement we have received with an overwhelming majority of support in the ratifying of the new constitution for the FPLMA."
Easton said the operating council for the introduction of the new association would contain an equal split of representation from the previous two boards. The council would include:
Mark Easton (President)
Andrew Tutt (Vice President)
Anthony Dalleore (Treasurer / Secretariat)
Lindsey Boyd
Frank Gavrilos
Peter Holywell
Yvonne Lockwood
Vince Sedunary
Kym Bridges
Easton thanked Gavrilos and Dalleore for putting in "the majority of the work in forming the new association, working many long nights after work to help secure our associations future for all." He also announced a new combined print awards program.
"We look forward to building the new membership with renewed industry events and especially a new awards program for 2016. This week you will receive the new combined print awards program for Self adhesive labels, Flexographic & Gravure Packaging. This is a great opportunity for us all to celebrate the best from within our value added industries."
The long-anticipated merger of the two groups was first floated last year, when Easton spoke of the need to move with the times.
“There are challenges facing our industry today that require our associations to come together and maintain a strong position,” Easton said at the time. “Those challenges include an ever-decreasing pool of members as acquisitions of businesses become more prevalent and consolidation continues amongst suppliers and end users. It is becoming more and more difficult to raise sponsorship dollars that we as not-for-profit organisations rely on to continue. Cash flow and budget constraints are affecting all organisations as the competitive tension grows in today’s business world.”