MILESTONES
HELLA AUSTRALIA CELEBRATES 60TH ANNIVERSARY The company provides the aftermarket with many new and innovative products HELLA Australia is marking a major milestone, celebrating its 60th anniversary as a manufacturer and supplier of high-quality products and services to a wide range of customer groups including parts wholesalers and retailers, vehicle manufacturers and specialists across Australia. HELLA Australia Managing Director, Darren Robinson, said he sees a bright future ahead for the Australian company. “HELLA Australia was established in 1961 as the first HELLA production facility outside Europe,” Darren explained. “The company was set up to develop and produce lighting for Australian vehicle manufacturers who wanted products that were developed specifically for the unique requirements of Australian vehicles and road users, and to reduce freight times and cost. “With a large production facility in Australia and with the development of HELLA’s state of the art factory in New Zealand in 1973, both aftermarket and special Original Equipment customers benefitted from the local presence and the HELLA brand gained an undeniable reputation for quality, innovation and durability that remains to this day.” More recently, HELLA Australia has diversified its offerings to the retail and trade markets, ensuring it remains at the forefront of the rapidly accelerating changes in vehicle technology by expanding its product portfolio to deliver and support the most advanced automotive technology in use today and into the future.
“Today, HELLA Australia comprises four separate sales divisions, all supported from our 5,800 square metre head office and warehouse in Mentone, Victoria,” Darren said. “Specialist sales and technical teams are a large investment for the company, we truly believe that we need dedicated people with specific experience and passion for each of the numerous customer groups we supply, to ensure we deliver world class service, technical advice and support for their individual requirements. “Our independent Aftermarket Division supports our wholesale distributors and, while lighting remains a key focus, our product portfolio supports workshops with a wide product range comprising of HELLA lighting, electrics and electronics, HELLA PAGID Brake Systems, MAHLE AC and Thermal management programs, and SCANGRIP lighting. “All these European brands are leaders and innovators in their respective fields, and all have a no compromise approach to quality. “Workshop Equipment is our newest division, having only been set up two years ago. It is staffed by a great team of technical specialists who are focused on providing access to our HELLA GUTMANN SOLUTIONS range of diagnostics and ADAS calibration equipment, as well as providing training and technical support via our technical helpline. “We have invested heavily in this area, as we see significant growth potential as vehicle technology
Dr. Walter W.J. Uhlenbruch AO, Founding Managing Director of HELLA Australia, officially opened HELLA Australia’s new National Headquarters with current Managing Director, Darren Robinson.
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Australian Automotive Aftermarket Magazine July 2021
continues to develop, and we believe that we have a duty to train and support independent workshops so that they can carry out the same work that the vehicle manufacturers’ franchised workshops provide. “HELLA Australia’s Special OE Divisions for On Highway and Off Highway offer lighting, electrical and electronics solutions for local manufacturers across a wide range of applications including truck, trailer, municipal, leisure, emergency services, mining, marine and agriculture sectors.” With this array of products and services aimed at such a wide swathe of the transport industry, HELLA lives by a series of corporate values that ensure consistency across the company’s activities. “Our products are innovative, designed and manufactured to be of the highest quality and performance, and to perform under the most extreme conditions, whether the products are in use at sea, on road or gravel tracks, at mines or construction sites. With such high levels of performance and a long lifespan they provide great long-term value,” Darren said. “As a global company of more than 35,000 employees who advocate a local focus, we rely heavily on our employees in Australia to drive our business. We have a high level of technical know-how within the business and our people are dedicated and passionate, as well as possessing a desire to continuously develop and improve. “Our company values – Caring, Passionate, Progressive, Accountable and Collaborative – were written by our employees and are truly embedded throughout our company.” “Alongside our values we have a set of guiding principles. These are: to focus on individual customer needs; to ensure that we are easy to
