Milestones

HAIGH AUSTRALIA CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF TRADE The company says it is Australia’s leading supplier of automotive, caravanning, and leisure products

In 2020, Haigh Australia celebrates 50 years of trade. The company was originally founded in 1970 as Douglas Haigh and Associates; a familyowned operation with a buy-and-sell business plan and an 80m2 warehouse space in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood, Victoria. Joining shortly after the company formation was Rick Greville, a previous associate of Douglas Haigh. Together, Douglas and Rick worked tirelessly to build relationships with retailers and within 12 months had started importing stock lines from abroad; most notably, King Klik Rivets from the UK. In 1971 after considerable growth, the decision was made to amalgamate with Morey Equity Pty Ltd. This merger immediately saw an increase in business, and with it came a realisation that a larger space was required. This led to the acquisition of a new 325m2 warehouse in nearby Abbotsford. The newly re-named Morey Haigh and Associates Pty Ltd continued to see exponential growth, year upon year, and before long, the company acquired a neighbouring block of land to build an adjacent 325m2 warehouse that was to accommodate an expansion into manufacturing. Equipment was sourced from South Australia, and soon Morey Haigh and Associates Pty Ltd was in the business of manufacturing its own lines of battery terminals, earth straps, and starter cables. With continuous growth the deciding factor, 1982 saw the company embark on another move to a 12,000ft2 facility that could accommodate an office, showroom, and much larger warehouse space in Scoresby. This new space allowed the company to take more control over its stock and, more importantly, allowed expansion of its manufacturing capability. This time also saw the introduction of distribution agents in each state to help the company streamline supply outside of its Victorian base. The 80s saw increased market share, year after year, and the decision was made to open a second office based in Sydney, NSW, as the appointed agents simply could not cope with the company’s continual growth. In 1990, the company acquired Sunland Agencies, a well-respected manufacturer of dashmats and floormats based in Salisbury on Brisbane’s southside. This acquisition opened the door for a Brisbane office to take over trading in Queensland, where this had previously been handled by an agent. 1993 marked another name change, this time to Haigh Australia Pty Ltd, and was also the year Brilaw Automotive, its largest distribution competitor, collapsed. For Haigh, growth was the key word, and in 1995 another acquisition was made. The acquiring of Qld Motor Spares and Accessories (QMSA) reportedly gave them a major advantage with “an unrivalled product range and an extensive customer base.” In 2000, Haigh Australia says it recognised the need for a variety of unique house-brands to help differentiate between product categories. This led to the creation of Cargo Mate, Battery Link and Orcon; three mainstay brands in their respective categories. 2001 saw the relocation of Haigh’s Brisbane office to its current location in Darra, and the wealth of opportunities presented led to Brisbane becoming the new Head Office for the company. The increased size of the new location meant the dashmat manufacturing process could also be accommodated on-site, which the company says meant a much higher level of quality control and productivity than ever before. In 2005, Haigh acquired Protective Plastics, based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland; a plastics molding operation that produced bonnet protectors, headlight protectors, and weather shields for vehicles.

Pat Callinan is the primary Exitrax ambassador for Haigh Australia.

With Sunland Dashmats, Floormats, and Protective Plastics now under the Haigh umbrella, Haigh Australia says it was able to refine both the material sourcing and manufacturing processes, “to become Australia’s largest and most respected distributor of vehicle-specific products.” 2011 also saw the company move into the previously unchartered territory of caravan, leisure, and 4WD products, which saw the Explore and Mean Mother 4X4 brands emerge. In the decade since moving into the caravan, leisure, and 4WD market, Haigh says it has become a well-respected supplier for these products due to dedication to innovation, education, and manufacturing standards. “Our success is built on continued innovation, quality products, and a reputation for impeccable customer service,” Haigh Australia Managing Director, Alan McMahon, said. Haigh has also recently been involved in extensive research and development of 4WD recovery boards. It explains this has resulted in the Exitrax range which it says is “arguably the biggest innovation in recovery boards with worldwide patents pending.”

For more information, visit www.haigh.com.au

R&J BATTERIES CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF SUCCESS Today, the battery specialist services all of Australia and New Zealand

R&J Batteries, Australia’s fastest growing battery company, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The battery distributor has 24 company-owned branches and a footprint of more than 8,000 stockists and distributors throughout Australia and New Zealand. It supplies batteries for all applications including automotive, commercial, motorcycle, marine, deep cycle, solar and industrial. Established in December 1995 by Ray Robson and John Webb, R&J Batteries’ journey to becoming the renowned battery specialists they are today started from humble beginnings. As young adults, Ray and John moved from Avoca in Victoria to Ballarat in search of work opportunities. After finding work at a local battery company, they gained various skills including hand building batteries. When the time was right to venture on their own, they invested every cent they had in a run-down shed in La Trobe Street, Ballarat and this was the beginning of R&J Batteries. While John eventually left the business in 2011 to pursue other interests, Ray remains a hands-on Managing Director, actively involved in all aspects of the business. R&J Batteries’ rapid growth since the opening of its second branch in Bendigo in 2001 saw subsequent branches open in Tullamarine, Doveton, Stapylton, Hervey Bay, Fyshwick and Wetherill Park followed by Dubbo, Bayswater, Beresfield, Adelaide, Geelong, Townsville, Brendale, Cairns, Truganina and more recently Darwin, Bairnsdale and Tablelands. Along with merging with Island Batteries Hobart and Launceston, this expansion has reportedly earned R&J Batteries the reputation of being the ‘fastest growing battery company in Australia.’ Its success in Australia paved the way for international expansion in 2017 when R&J Batteries opened its first branch in Auckland, New Zealand; followed by a second branch in Christchurch in 2019 to keep up with the demand for quality batteries in the highly competitive New Zealand market. 2019 also saw R&J batteries enter into a purchase agreement to acquire New Zealand based battery importer and distributor, ACME Batteries. Today, R&J Batteries services all of Australia and New Zealand with its 24 company-owned branches and 8,000 distributors. R&J Batteries says its formula for success is a simple but strict adherence to its founding principles: “Our People, Our Products and Our Service.” Over the years, R&J Batteries says its commitment to providing the best in battery technology for its customers has led to the inclusion of world-class brands such as Delkor, ACDelco, Fullriver, U.S Battery, BAE, Deka, RELiON, Hardcore, Motobatt, Odyssey, Optima, Predator and Fuchs to its extensive brand portfolio. Furthermore, the company says it strives to hire, develop and retain the best quality staff as they are a key part of the business’ ongoing success and responsible for delivering the customer service that R&J Batteries is well known for. “One of the key factors to our continued success is securing distribution rights for the highest quality products available then having the best people on the ground providing a high level of customer service,” R&J Batteries Managing Director, Ray Robson, said. “We have supported brands like Delkor, Fullriver and Fuchs for more than 20 years. This has earnt R&J Batteries respect and above average support from these world class organisations. “I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank our loyal customers for their continued support and our fantastic staff that make this company what it is today.” Despite the unprecedented circumstances of 2020, R&J Batteries says it has been busy throughout. It opened its 23rd branch in Bairnsdale, Victoria in June and is set to open its 24th branch in Tablelands, Queensland in November. The battery distributor has also added three new battery brands, KOBA, ALLiON and Zenaji, to its brand portfolio which covers a range of applications. Further, R&J Batteries’ strong interest in motorsports also saw the company sponsoring Nick Percat’s #8 Commodore throughout the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. “2021 and beyond is going to be very strong for our company,” R&J Batteries Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Hamilton, said. “We already have plans in the pipeline for additional company owned branches and distribution points across both Australia and New Zealand. “Our R&D team have several new products in the pipeline which will allow us to further expand our product line up. Sourcing the highest quality products possible remains our product focus and these new lines will reflect this commitment. “We can all look back and be proud of what R&J Batteries has achieved in the past 25 years. Equally we look forward to the next 25 years with great anticipation as we continue to grow and prosper.”

For more information, visit www.rjbatt.com.au