A Great Occasion

Young, old and in-between came together on 16 October at the AAAMSA offices in Midrand to celebrate the 50th anniversary of AAAMSA. Old faces brought up fond memories of the beginnings of the Group and young talented members ensure many more years going forward.

Six founding member companies got together in 1974 to represent our interests, never imagining I’m sure, that 1 775 would now make up our numbers, and these are companies not individuals. Having started life as the Architectural Aluminium Association of SA, the Group has significantly expanded its influence to include all things glass, interiors, thermal panels and expanded polystyrene.

We have a presence on SABS committees, talk to building inspectors, architects and quantity surveyors regularly, check in with the JBCC, work closely with the Master Builders Association and take training seriously with our recently-acquired premises housing large training and meeting rooms. Our testing and certificates are trusted to uphold standards, and our inspections give peace of mind.

Paying homage

This is just a snapshot of who we are and what we represent. Much more difficult is to pay homage to the large number of people who have led and guided AAAMSA from the beginning through to where we thrive today. A history of long-serving Presidents and Executive Directors have kept a steady hand at the helm supported by members, working committees, branch chairs and hard-working staff among others.

These men and women all deserve a mention so I am including a montage of photographs taken on our special day, showing some no longer with us, some enjoying their retirement years, many captains of industry, valued technical experts and others just hitting their stride.