TRADE TALK
PASSION, POWER AND PERFORMANCE Harrop Engineering Managing Director and passionate motorsport enthusiast, Heath Moore, has been the driving force behind this iconic Australian brand The company was founded in 1955 by Len Harrop and his wife Elsa, who started out producing weaving machines from a small shed in the Victorian suburb of Brunswick. Their formula for customer satisfaction was good old Australian ingenuity and hard work – a formula that is still embraced by the Harrop team to this day. “The business grew steadily, and they expanded into other areas, including industrial foodprocessing equipment and heavy haulage and earthmoving accessories. But when their son, Ron, joined them in 1963 after completing a boiler making apprenticeship, the dye was cast for the business to take a new direction,” Heath explained. Fast forward to 1968 and Beechey’s Speed Shop and Jane’s Autoland car yard were both operating out of the Melbourne Suburb of Brunswick as well. It wasn’t long before two Australian motorsport legends, Norm Beechey and Bob Jane, were filling work orders at Harrop Engineering for machining and fabrication work to help support their on-track programs. Ron’s enthusiasm for ‘making things’ began at an early age. Ron was welding together go-karts in the back shed by the time he turned ten. In his teenage years, his passion would extend to modifying cars. By the time he’d started developing parts for Norm Beechey and Bob Jane, Ron was also working on his own projects – beginning with an MGTC powered Morris Minor, followed in quick succession by a much-loved Holden EH and his famous FJ, Harrop’s Howler.
“At drag strips around Australia, Ron and his FJ quickly earned a reputation as a giant-killer. The formidable pair were claiming wins and breaking records at almost every race meeting they attended,” Heath explained. “This is impressive when you consider Ron originally bought the FJ from Norm Beechey for $29.” ‘Harrop’s Howler’ would ultimately record an 11.8 second standing quarter, with a top speed of 118mph. “At the start of the 1970s, Harrop began working with Harry Firth and the Holden Dealer Team,” Heath said. “This increased the volume of work significantly, and Harrop Engineering quickly built a reputation for quality, precision and innovation. “While the business has changed significantly, these values remain woven into the fabric of the business some 65 years on and include third generation leadership with Len’s grandson, Tim Harrop, as our Operations Manager.” Heath’s journey at Harrop started 13 years ago when the ADRAD Group acquired Harrop in 2008. His background in corporate, including a stint at Macquarie Bank, armed him with the commercial skill set to plot a course for what was an already iconic and admired Australian automotive performance brand. On his arrival at Harrop, Heath discovered a passionate, highly skilled engineering, design and manufacturing team, with which he quickly developed a strong bond. When the opportunity to join the team as the Commercial Manager was
Heath Moore, Managing Director (left) and Tim Harrop, Operations Manager (right)
offered, Heath was quick to accept with a shared passion for performance. “Right from day one, I was confident the business had the technical expertise to move forward. But the product mix, sales, distribution and marketing functions needed an overhaul so that was my initial focus,” Heath said. “Over the last ten years, we’ve executed well on these critical components, developing a more robust and complete business model.” To continue to build brand equity and drive awareness, Heath invested heavily in marketing, putting a significant focus on growing Harrop’s digital footprint as an early adopter of social media. “We wanted to engage more directly with our existing and potential customers, so we kept doubling down on our investment in digital media and we’ve been reaping the rewards ever since,” Heath said. Today, Harrop Engineering’s most extensive product category is vehicle-based and performance-focused, but it’s not just about passenger vehicles. “When we talk about vehicle performance, it could be a train, a tram, a truck, an aircraft or a boat,” Heath explained. “While cars are the majority of the business, we are continually developing new products and programs for customers with vehicles that are non-traditional from an enthusiast’s point of view.” Heath explained that to secure the future of the business, the team at Harrop has to continually foster new markets to ensure they have an
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Australian Automotive Aftermarket Magazine February 2022
