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In April of 1972, representatives of the United Kingdom's National Association of Warehouse Keepers and British Public Warehouse Keepers Association met in London with leading European warehousing association members to discuss ways to best exchange views, ideas and learn how each country operated its warehouses.
It was decided that a Federation of warehousing associations should be formed that would meet regularly as a forum for discussion on topics affecting the industry. It was agreed that in April 1973, an inaugural meeting of the Federation would be held if sufficient interest was forthcoming.
Within a year of the initial meeting, the inaugural convention of the INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PUBLIC WAREHOUSING ASSOCIATIONS (IFPWA) reached a successful conclusion in London on 13 April 1973. The philosophy of the Federation was, to quote from the newsletter issued to commemorate the meeting: To represent Public Warehousing Organisations throughout the world that would be encouraged to join and exchange views and news of interest to members. |
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The Federation, a non-profit making body, was developed to fill the need for a truly international organisation comprising people whose main business is the storage of customers' goods. Other organisations deal with the handling and movement of goods but the IFPWA was developed to solely address warehousing matters of global interest: it will foster the good relationship of public warehouse keepers throughout the world.
At the 1973 meeting there were present representatives from Australia, Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Iran, Switzerland, the USA and the UK. The first president elected was Mr H.F. Marks of the UK and Committees for Administration and Technical matters were formed: the Secretariat was established in the UK under the control of Mr S. Burgess, the N.A.W.K. Secretary.
After the presentation of two technical papers, one by Mr J.A. Riviere of France entitled "Warehousing Practice" and the other by Mr A. McCraig of the UK called "Warehouse Design and Layout", there was discussion about future meetings and Mr Besio of Italy offered the hospitality of the Italian Warehousing Association for a meeting in the spring of 1974 in Florence. It was also suggested that Interim Meetings should be arranged, six-monthly, so as to maintain contact. |
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Thus it was that Mr Besio was elected the second President to enable him to host the 1974 meeting. This established the precedent that has been followed ever since - that the President for the year hosts the annual conference and his Association makes the necessary arrangements. It can be seen from the locations of the Annual Conventions that the membership of the Federation has expanded since its inaugural meeting and now comprises: Canada, China, China-Taiwan, Cyprus, France, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mauritius, Mexico, Spain, the UK, the USA and Vietnam. Secretaries of the organisation have been:
The Treasurer is also Mr Roger Williams (UK). In 1999, the name of the Federation was changed to the INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF WAREHOUSING LOGISTICS ASSOCIATIONS (IFWLA). |