Pakistani manufacturers’ association appreciative of CBI support
In early November, just before a successful visit to a leading trade fair, a representative of a Pakistani manufacturers association for automotive parts & accessries visited The Hague to celebrate a CBI-facilitated success story.
CBI support
Just days before visiting AGRITECHNICA, the world’s largest trade fair for agricultural machinery, Mashood Khan, Senior Vice Chairman of PAAPAM (Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts & Accessories Manufacturers) called in at CBI’s headquarters in The Hague. He was there to give a presentation on the success that the association and its members have enjoyed on the back of 10 years of support provided by CBI.
Automotive parts manufacturers
Founded in 1998, PAAPAM represents over 400 tier-one automotive parts manufacturers in Pakistan. Most of these members are certified to ISO/QS standards. They produce in accordance with global manufacturing standards prescribed by leading carmakers such as Toyota, Suzuki, Honda, Hyundai and FAW. The major areas of manufacturing expertise of PAAPAM members include sheet-metal stamping, plastics, rubber, forgings, castings and electrical and electronics. PAAPAM has offices in Lahore and Karachi.
Beneficiaries
CBI, assisted by its local expert Imtiaz Rastgar, has worked with PAAPAM since 2005, coaching Pakistani companies in the areas of logistics, product adaptation, productivity and work-station design. Mashood explained that thanks to CBI’s Export Coaching Programmes (ECPs) PAAPAM members have benefited substantially and several of them have become successful exporters. Moreover, since 2007, companies participating in these ECPs have attended several EU trade fairs. Their success in these fairs has significantly increased their exports to countries all over the world.
Approved BSO
Furthermore, in 2012 CBI accepted PAAPAM in its BSOD (Business Support Organisation Development) programme. During this programme PAAPAM staff and members were trained in The Hague and attended several workshops in Pakistan in which CBI expert Zaheeruddin Dar also contributed. PAAPAM was approved by CBI as a BSO in October 2013.
Skills Development Centre
Mashood concluded his presentation to CBI by explaining that during the past two years the association has developed the PAAPAM Skills Development Centre (PSDC) with facilities in Lahore and Karachi. With a view to attracting future graduates into the automotive manufacturing industry in Pakistan, PSDC has signed MoUs with several universities in the country. In a training calendar drawn up to cover the next two years, PSDC intends to offer a number of seminars and workshops for the Pakistani companies.
Promising leads
After his presentation at CBI, Mashood went on to attend the AGRITECHNICA 2015 trade fair in Hannover, Germany where, under the guidance of CBI, five Pakistani companies, all member of PAAPAM, exhibited their products. According to Mashood, most of the Pakistani exhibitors received good responses and they generated some promising leads from buyers from across Europe.