SA Bias has a successful history spanning almost 90 years. A summary of key milestones is presented below.
1933
Sam Clapper founded SA Bias Binding Manufacturers, which supplied bias binding and waistbands to the garment industry in South Africa.
1977
SA Bias Binding Manufacturers acquired Schnider, a competing bias binding manufacturer.
1981
Philip Coutts-Trotter was appointed as Managing Director.
1984
Christopher Seabrooke, CEO of Sabvest, was appointed to the Board.
1981-1987
16 Acquisitions were made in South Africa, including the Narrowtex Group. SA Bias was transformed from a small bias binding business into a diversified industrial group.
1987
Listed on the Johannesburg Stock exchange.
1991
ITL, a subsidiary of SA Bias at the time, established its first offshore operation in Congleton, United Kingdom. This began SA Bias’s expansion outside South Africa.
1997
ITL expanded into Hong Kong
1997
SA Bias was delisted from stock exchange to facilitate a management buy-in
2001
ITL China and ITL Sri Lanka established.
2002
ACM, our elastics business, was established.
2005
Carl Coutts-Trotter joined the board
2002-2008
ITL factories were set up in India, Turkey, and Mexico,
2009
Sabias Investments Division established
2012
Acquired 60% stake in Flowmax Holdings Limited.
Flowmax acquired Castle Pumps Limited.
2015
ITL Bangladesh and ITL Vietnam operational. ITL acquired 76% stake in Overheer Systems.
SA Bias acquired the remaining 40% of Flowmax, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary.
2017
Sale of International Trimmings and Labels SA (Pty) Ltd, Sabias International Limited and its subsidiary companies including all ITL subsidiaries.
2018
Flowmax acquired Pumptronics Limited.
2019
Flowmax acquired Petroy BV and Whisper Pumps Limited.
2021
Flowmax acquired Essco Controls Limited.
The NTX Group acquired Specialised Ropes SA.
2022
Flowmax, via Essco, acquired YG Prefab
2023
Flowmax acquired Rob Pond
2024
Flowmax, via Essco, acquired Tacotherm
The Group continues to actively expand through organic growth and acquisitions.