Milestones

REPCO CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

Suppliers, staff and stakeholders come together in massive week of conferencing to celebrate

One of Australia’s largest automotive retail groups, containing Repco, NAPA and Repco Authorised Service (RAS), celebrated its 100th anniversary with a huge conference in early November. Held at the Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre, the four days of conferencing was attended by 3,000 store managers and delegates and was accompanied by a huge suppliers’ exhibition – known as the Repco Xpo – and culminated in a gala dinner at Crown Palladium. The Xpo hosted 1500 customers on Wednesday evening and included 100 stands, with Repco suppliers such as AAAA members Narva, Gates Australia, Penrite, Bendix, Century Batteries, IM Group, Viva Australia, Clutch Industries, Monroe, REDARC, Bosch, Milwaukee and many more. The AAAA also had a stand where staff, including Head of Membership and Marketing, Tiffany Conway, and Membership Development Manager, Daniel Nelson, talked to Repco and NAPA representatives, suppliers and RAS franchisees about skills shortages, the EV transition, and data sharing. AAAA Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Charity, also presented to the conference while Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, Lesley Yates, was a member of the ‘Thriving for the Next 100 Years’ panel. Repco Australia General Manager Marketing, Kym Sutherland, described the conference as “a huge success.” Kym said he was particularly pleased with the Xpo and its accompanying Repco vehicle museum display. “The Xpo was incredible… there was an amazing atmosphere, and the displays were very impressive. The car museum and our Repco history displays were a real hit,” Kym said. “The Xpo was an integral part of our week of conferencing, which was capped off with the Repco 100 Gala Event at Crown Palladium on Thursday, which was a beautiful night of celebration and storytelling of Repco’s unique and unrivalled automotive history in Australia and New Zealand, and at some points in time, globally!” The car museum display featured a number of iconic cars that are very important to Repco’s history, including the BT19 of late three-time World Formula One Champion, Sir Jack Brabham. Designed by renowned Australian designer Ron Tauranac, it was powered by a Repco V8 engine built by well-known engine builder Phil Irving. Amongst the other cars on display was Brabham’s Torana LH L34 which he shared at Bathurst in 1976 with fellow F1 champion, Briton Stirling Moss, the Brabham BT17 sportscar, a Elfin MR8, and a 1946 Maybach MK1. A number of Supercars drivers attended the Xpo to sign posters and memorabilia for the visitors, including Shell Racing’s Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale as well as Penrite Racing’s David Reynolds, while most of the suppliers provided door prizes for some lucky attendees. For more information, visit www.repco.com.au

PREMIER AUTO TRADE CELEBRATES 30 YEARS

The company was established in 1992

Premier Auto Trade (PAT), a leading importer and wholesaler of Vehicle Management Components, is celebrating its 30th year in the Australian Automotive aftermarket. For 30 years PAT has been distributing products throughout Australia and has developed a loyal customer base in the Australian aftermarket via its reputable network of specialist resellers, national distributors, and leading automotive retail groups. From humble beginnings in 1992, PAT was established by Louie Cotsopoulos, from a single van servicing the local trade with auto electrical components. Over the years PAT has undergone many changes including diversifying from auto electrical products to becoming a leading importer and wholesaler of EFI and engine management components. Joining Bapcor’s Specialist Wholesale group in 2017, today PAT has more than 50 employees and operations across Australia, with multiple offices and warehouses, along with hundreds of distributors and reseller customers throughout the country. PAT says it prides itself on the high quality products and partnerships it has with some of the world’s leading automotive parts manufacturers including Delphi, Bosch, Pierburg, Denso, Continental, Walker Products, Walbro, NTK, Hitachi, Bremi, TE Automotive, Hella, Airtex, Intermotor, FAE, TI Automotive and Valeo. “We are proud of our company’s success and our 30 years supporting the Australian Automotive Aftermarket,” PAT General Manager, Darren Van Gerrevink, said. “We are proud of our ability to maintain an edge in the market, where there has been so much change. “We look forward to serving our customers for the next 30 years with continual innovation and want to offer a huge thanks to our employees, past and

Original PAT founder Louie Cotsopoulos and son Jim (centre), with current GM Darren Van Gerrevink

present, whose dedication and professionalism has allowed the company to grow. “We remain focused on our customers and suppliers in allowing us to deliver leading products and services, our history has been an interesting journey, but we think the future is looking even more exciting. “To have 50 employees sharing our passion and providing exceptional customer service and product solutions is something that I am very proud of. “I also want to offer a huge amount of thanks to our employees, past and present, whose dedication and professionalism has allowed the company to grow, while also building a strong foundation for the future”. For more from PAT, visit www.premierautotrade.com.au