APV Celebrates 20 Years – Proudly keeping you safe as a global leader within the Passive Safety Systems market

As we celebrate this milestone of 20 years, we acknowledge the substantial journey that APV has undertaken to establish itself as a leader in safety products and services.  Our commitment to research and development ensures that we stay at the forefront of safety technology and testing capabilities.

Our fundamental mission is “Keeping You Safe”.  From keeping our children safe in the child seats we test and the replacement seatbelts we manufacture for their first car, to coaches and school bus passengers, miners, industrial equipment operators and Ground Support Equipment operators within the aviation industry.  It is truly impressive to see the broad contribution that APV makes to transport safety and the many industries we serve around the globe.

Whilst APV turns 20 yrs young today, our foundations date back to 1966 for APV Eng and Testing Services – undoubtably the oldest operating Australian NATA accredited Laboratory with an incredibly rich history and APV Safety Products dates back to the forefront of seatbelt design in 1959 under the stewardship of CoolDrive Consolidated Industries. 

Our Australian designed seatbelt retractor was developed in the mid-80s and with the subsequent purchase of CoolDrive by Autoliv the retractor became the benchmark in safety across S.E. Asia and Australia.  Its DNA still forms the foundations of our offerings today.  Within Australia and New Zealand, undoubtably the aftermarket seatbelt you purchase for your car is likely to come from APV Safety Products, and we supply over 80% of the seatbelts for the Australian Bus and Coach industry for Australian manufactured seats requiring seatbelts. 

Our Test and Evaluation work is supported by our ISO17025, FIA accredited laboratory, that undertakes environmental and durability testing, dynamic, crash and high-speed high-definition (HSHD) photography and data acquisition projects. The capabilities of the lab are world class and along with our virtual test capability using LS-Dyna Simulation tools, we are undertaking a broad range of projects that include assessing injury levels during crash events and seat development programs.  Our HSHD photography and associated data acquisition is regarded as World Class.  The standard we set is often commented on by the Car Companies for its quality, and capturing those unique details they are seeking to understand as a customer.  We proudly support ANCAP in the testing of passenger vehicles to allow you to make informed decisions about the Safety of your next car. It may surprise you that we test a car every week in our Lab and close to 600 child seats per year.  At APV we undertake seat development Test and Evaluation programs for the Bus and Coack, Truck and Rail industries.  Our capability is world class with programs undertaken for international companies for their overseas Motorsport and Energy Absorbing Helicopter seats.

With our own patented products and IP, we are about to see APV Safety Products dominate the Aviation Ground Support Equipment market internationally with our Easi-Grip restraints. With our seatbelt solutions previously adopted by Qantas and Menzies Aviation in Australia, a key customer in the U.S. has completed a successful trial of Easi-Grip at Dallas Fort Worth airport, and this will now be rolled out internationally. Last month we exported 1,000 Easi-Grip restraints to Europe, and we are now positioned to export 1,000 units per month.  Again, the story is more than a seatbelt, it is establishing a safety culture in the workplace, that is supported by a restraint that is easy to use in an industrial environment - a restraint that is patented by APV!

Moving forward, we aspire to continue our legacy of excellence in safety, building on our rich heritage and experience. We will not only maintain our high standards but will seek new opportunities to partner with industry to support your research and development, and safety culture objectives.  Partnering with our customers, we stand ready to take on any challenge sent our way.

In conclusion, our mission of “Keeping You Safe” is more than just a catch phrase; it is ingrained in our DNA.  From our extensive product offerings to our cutting-edge testing capabilities, APV is dedicated to ensuring that safety remains paramount for all transportation sectors.  I wish to thank all our customers and suppliers for their support and making this such an exciting company to lead and work for.  We look forward to the future and to making a positive impact in the lives of individuals around the globe through our unwavering commitment to safety.

Harry Hickling

Managing Director