History evolves

One of Australia’s oldest names in engine parts has expanded in a bold move forward

Nason, a name synonymous with engine rebuilding in Australia for almost 75 years, has made a statement on its future with a major expansion to its central distribution warehouse plus the construction of a modern and spacious new administration building. Founded in 1947 by E.R Nason as a machine shop servicing the fledgling motor industry, Nason Engine Parts today portrays a very different modern image with a broad inventory base, direct representation in five states of Australia, and distribution throughout Australasia. Nason says its original Elizabeth Street, Melbourne landmark site, occupied from the time of the company’s inception, was the epicentre of the automotive trade until well into the eighties. The first move for the company was to a site in North Melbourne which almost tripled the floor space to 35,000 square feet, leaving long-standing employees of the company to ponder how they had coped for so long in such cramped conditions. The association of the name Nason with the automotive scene goes back even further to 1927 when E.R. Nason, an accountant with a mechanical flair, started up a motorcycle parts manufacturing business with an associate, Herb Pollard, under the name of Central Motor Engineers. Their first acquisition was a small engine reconditioning business allowing the duo to begin manufacturing hard-to-get motorcycle pistons and components. An innovative company for its day, the company was the first to cast an aluminium motorcycle piston in Australia. During the Second World War the company was called on from its newly built Maidstone factory to manufacture valuable components such as pistons and parts, gaining in expertise throughout these years. On the death of his partner in 1950, E.R. Nason bought out Herb Pollard’s shares and his brother Syd joined the company. Prior to this, E.R. Nason had planned to start a separate business which would concentrate on supplying parts as well as reconditioned engines to the trade. Under the name of E.R.Nason and Co, the idea was revived and initiated, thus becoming the embryo of Nason Engine Parts today. Under the Nason name, the original Automotive Components Ltd (ACL) was founded in 1951. This company was later sold to Repco in 1965 and as a result of a management buy-out in 1986 the new owners reinstated the ACL Company name. In 1991 Nason was purchased to become part of the Headmod Group and a further shift was made to relocate it from the North Melbourne site to Mulgrave in 1992. Also acquired by the Headmod Group were Brisbane based Amalgamated Engine Parts in 1995, Adelaide based H.E.Sibley in 1998 and Engine Parts Australia of Sydney in 2001. The company’s Head Office and central distribution warehouse was relocated to a green-field site in Victoria’s distribution and manufacturing heartland of Dandenong in 2002 where it remains today. Whilst the face of Nason may have changed throughout these years with new multiple locations and new ownership, the company’s culture has remained the same with long service employees carrying with them a lifetime of experience and traditional high levels of customer service. In 2011, Nason Engine Parts became the first international share holder for Australia and New Zealand in the Engine Pro Group of the USA. Founded in 1989 by independent distributors, Engine Pro sells high quality performance parts at very competitive pricing exclusively to engine rebuilders, machine shops and resellers. This is as a result of volume buying to service its 36 distribution centres throughout USA, Europe and Australasia. Today, the company says it represents Australia’s most extensive range of leading brand engine parts providing one of the greatest programs available to the trade. The range also includes Nason Engine Parts private label products under the NEP brand which currently covers engine gaskets and water pumps. In the high-performance engine category, the company also promotes such names as KB Icon Pistons, Eagle Crankshafts and Conrods, Hastings Piston Rings, Mahle/Clevite, Fel-Pro Gaskets, Melling Oil Pumps, Durabond Cam Bearings, ARP Performance Bolts and Driven Oil. Nason says the combination of its highly skilled and experienced long-serving staff; sales and warehouse facilities in five states coupled with strong marketing support, will ensure that the name of Nason remains synonymous with specialised automotive engine parts as the history of this industry continues to evolve. For more information, visit www.nason.com.au

ABMARC MOVES TO AARC

The relocation allows AMBARC to offer even more support to Australia’s aftermarket

Leading automotive engineering consultancy, ABMARC, has completed its move to the Australian Automotive Research Centre (AARC). Located near Anglesea in Victoria, the AARC is now home to one of the world’s most advanced vehicle safety testing facilities with the completion of a $2.8 million investment to upgrade the existing facility and the introduction of a new suite of driver safety assist (ADAS) test equipment operated by ABMARC. ABMARC says it has selected world class equipment from Humanetics, including steering and braking robots, automated target vehicles, and pedestrian and cyclist dummies. The target platform can operate at speeds up to 100km/hr and also in wet weather, increasing its usefulness for vehicle R&D work. The system is also suitable for use with heavy vehicles to validate the effectiveness of automatic emergency braking or blind spot detection systems on trucks. Moving its business to the AARC in late 2020 also allows ABMARC to provide most of its testing and engineering services in one place. In addition to ADAS testing, ABMARC supports clients through a range of engineering and test services to the light, heavy and associated aftermarket sectors, including: • Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for GVM upgrades and design optimisation • Testing to a range of standards including ANCAP,

EuroNCAP, UNECE, ADRs, SAE such as: Driver Safety

Assist (AEB, LKA), ESC, braking (including trailer), noise, trailer sway, tilt test, constant radius and more • Durability testing • Vehicle and product evaluations and benchmarking (including off-road performance) • VASS engineering • Metrology and materials testing to support component strength analysis (perfect for GVM and GCM upgrades) • Emissions testing (laboratory and on-road with PEMS) • Engine calibrations • Electric vehicle testing • Small engine dynamometer • Controller design and manufacture (prototype) • Wiring harness manufacture (prototype) • Fuels and lubricants testing / performance validation ABMARC also offers a range of second stage manufacturing services such as Commonwealth Government homologation (SSM) and vehicle conversions, stating that these capabilities provide an integrated services solution for clients. “We are excited to offer even more support to Australia’s aftermarket industry,” AMBARC Managing Director, Natalie Roberts, said. “Moving our business to the AARC allows us to offer a greater range of services in one place and benefits our clients greatly. “In our drive to improve road safety outcomes, we are also conducting important research, including to better understand the impacts that vehicle modifications may have on the effectiveness of driver safety assist technologies.” For more information, visit www.abmarc.com.au