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Aftermarket companies recognised by AFR
AFTERMARKET COMPANIES RECOGNISED BY AFR A number of AAAA members have been recognised in the 2020 AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies list
AAAA members Ryco Filters, Brown & Watson International and AutoGuru feature amongst the Australian Financial Review’s BOSS Most Innovative Companies rankings released for 2020.
In 2020 Ryco has been recognised for its groundbreaking Ryco Vehicle Specific Component Kits (RVSK), after making the top three last year for its RCC350 Crankcase Filter. In an industry first, Ryco explains it devised a vehicle specific component kit designed for the dual or single installation of Ryco Fuel Water Separator and Ryco Crankcase assemblies. The convenient kits come supplied with specifically moulded hoses and brackets that are engineered to fit each unique vehicle engine bay. The speciality kits are aimed at rugged utes including the Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50, Nissan Navara, Holden Colorado, Mitsubishi Triton, and Toyota’s Hilux and Landcruiser options. “Ryco’s innovative spirit and inherent curiosity about the problems facing our customers has led us to design and develop our own products rather than duplicate existing offerings,” Ryco Filters General Manager Engineering and Innovation, Alastair Hampton, said. “Ryco’s own original equipment products help differentiate the brand and create new markets and segments, contributing to continued growth. “Products like this directly serve the booming ute and SUV segments, and we will continue expanding our range with new vehicle applications and products that draw on more advanced technology.”
Brown & Watson International, the company behind leading automotive brands including Narva and Projecta, has been recognised for its innovative Narva VR (Virtual Reality) Driving Light Experience. The VR Experience – which is available on the Narva website (www.narva.com.au) – sees the user seated as a front passenger of a four wheel drive at night, and allows them to select from a variety of LED light bars, LED driving lamps as well as non-LED lighting over three terrain types: highway, dirt road and a four wheel drive track. As well as giving an accurate visual representation of each product’s performance, a narrator provides the key benefits of each light as selected and this is supported by performance data including colour temperature, and Lumen and Lux details to the left of screen. Typically, driving lights are purchased during daylight hours from a retail automotive showroom or online, with buyers rarely having the opportunity to see how the lights would operate in ‘real world’, low visibility conditions. The VR Experience addressed this situation by offering an innovative solution. “As a company we strongly believe that continuous innovation is key to remaining relevant in our industry – buyers of Narva products should know that we won’t be slowing down anytime soon,” Brown & Watson International Chief Operating Officer, Kabel Davis, said.
AutoGuru – 10th in technology
For AutoGuru – which states it is Australia’s number one booking site for car servicing and repairs – 2020 marks three consecutive years of recognition in these prestigious rankings. The Gold Coast-based company was recognised for its innovative response during the COVID-19 Pandemic. “I knew (when restrictions were first announced) that we needed to quickly mobilise our network to secure bookings for our members,” AutoGuru Chief Executive Officer, Eden Shirley, said. “Within one week of announced lockdowns, the call went out to see if workshops had mobile vans that they were willing to put on the road, or if they were willing to pick up customers’ cars and bring them back to the workshop to work on. with a good number of traditional workshops registering a mobile van, and 383 workshops nationally signed up for Valet Servicing. In the weeks that followed during the peak of the pandemic, we saw mobile services account for over 36 percent of bookings which is a huge increase.” AutoGuru says the real innovation happened after AutoGuru significantly scaled its mobility services and realised the needs of mobile suppliers are uniquely different. Due to the limited capacity of individual mobile providers and rapidly scaling demand, the booking platform’s traditional marketplace approach didn’t work at scale. The bookings team was inundated with rescheduling requests and cancellation numbers increased. “We solved that problem by changing the way we presented and booked mobile providers and the results were incredible,” Eden said. The AFR Boss Most Innovative Companies list (previously the BRW Most Innovative Companies list) is now in its ninth year. The list ranks the most innovative organisations in Australia and New Zealand, by industry, and is the only national list of its kind. In 2020, the list comprised of ten industry lists, compiled from over 600 nominations.
For more information about the AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies list, please visit www.mostinnovative.com.au
INAUGURAL MIDAS TYRE AND AUTO STORE OPENS
The new store at 73 Enoggera Road, Newmarket has been completely purpose designed
One of Australia’s best known and trusted names in automotive servicing and repairs has begun a new chapter in its almost five-decade history with the opening of the group’s first Midas Tyre and Auto Centre in suburban Brisbane. Midas says Midas Tyre and Auto stores will bring the same attention to friendly customer service and technical professionalism that has made the 90-store strong Midas group a preferred auto servicing and repair destination for Australian motorists. Midas explains that the only difference will be these stores’ focus on providing excellent value tyres and related tyre and wheel services across all brands and applications. At 73 Enoggera Road, Newmarket, Australia’s inaugural Midas Tyre and Auto Centre has been completely purpose designed to cater for all manner of tyre replacements to cover passenger cars, four-wheel drives, light commercial vehicles and trucks. Owned and operated by well-known local automotive specialist Ben Neighbour, the first Midas Tyre and Auto Centre represents the next major step in a stellar 16-year career with Midas. Midas Tyre and Auto in Newmarket also uses the From 18 to 20 March at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the event-oriented Automechanika Kuala Lumpur 2021 exhibition will uniquely combine all elements of ‘Sourcing, Entertainment and Training’ to offer a ‘S.E.T’ of solutions for fairgoers to meet their participating objectives. An all-encompassing array of onsite activities and networking opportunities will help create a dialogue between players in the passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle, logistics and IoT sectors. Event organisers says Malaysia is one of the most dynamic countries in ASEAN and a regional leader of digital development. They say digital breakthroughs in Malaysia present a host of new opportunities in the ongoing automation of traditional manufacturing and practices (Industry 4.0) throughout the automotive value chain; the recent National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2020 even placed IoT at the forefront of future thinking. Taking these factors into account, Automechanika latest specification diagnostic scan equipment and has made a major $50K equipment investment by adding a state of the art Hunter wheel alignment machine that is suitable for all vehicles including those featuring lane sensing technology. In addition to this, the new Midas workshop includes Nitrogen inflation capability, making this the one stop Brisbane destination for all tyre and wheel services along with all servicing and repair requirements. With one in every five cars presented for servicing at Midas workshops across the country displaying obvious signs of worn or damaged tyres, Midas says the establishment of Midas Tyre and Auto, along with the many Midas Auto Service Centres nationwide that also handle tyre replacements, is an important step towards ensuring that Midas customers are driving the safest possible vehicles. “Even with this store’s specialisation in tyres, it is important to note that our new Midas Tyre and Auto store will offer the same value priced servicing and guaranteed automotive repairs that Midas is renowned for,” Midas National Operations Manager, Ryan Deal, said. As a part of Australia’s largest automotive aftermarket company, Bapcor Limited, Midas Tyre and Auto says it enters the domestic tyre Kuala Lumpur says it will push the boundaries even further at its upcoming edition to emphasise the potential of the digital transformation in the automotive market. “The launch of ‘S.E.T’ is yet another development in the show’s 22-year history,” Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd Deputy General Manager, Fiona Chiew, said. “It equally weights all components, shaping dynamic growth opportunities for automotive players along the supply chain. “Each element of ‘Sourcing, Entertainment and Training’ will incorporate underlying digital trends that have the power to, ultimately, revolutionise end-user experiences. Therefore, we aim to embody this innovative spirit at the show with one-of-a-kind activities that foster a passionate albeit business-oriented atmosphere.” As a dominant aspect of the show, business opportunities are key drivers for participants replacement market with significant purchasing power to provide motorists nationwide with competitive tyre brand choice and value for money.
Midas South Australia stores gain RAA Approved Repairer Status
In other Midas news, the company has recently announced that all of its South Australian stores have been awarded Royal Automobile Association (RAA) Approved Repairer Status, meeting all RAA stringent requirements “to ensure total quality automotive service and repair to their valued customers.” In achieving this peak automotive association approval, Midas says essential criteria has been and will continue to be met by all Midas stores located across metropolitan Adelaide.
A TRADE FAIR S.E.T FOR A TWIST
Automechanika Kuala Lumpur 2021 is sparking a fresh outlook on the traditional automotive trade fair
For more information, visit www.midas.com.au
looking to find new suppliers and meet with existing clients. The 2021 event expects to host exhibitors from 16 countries and regions across all sectors at the fair. At the same time, Automechanika Kuala Lumpur will once again be more than just a trading platform. The Auto NITZ Party and EMMA Malaysia Final – Car Audio and Modifications Competition will give way to a new type of auto-cultural festival. Meanwhile, information gathering, training and applied teaching also remain huge pull factors for the show.
For more information about S.E.T at Automechanika Kuala Lumpur, visit www.automechanika-kl.com
