Fuchs is workshop-focussed, and local Cover

Fuchs’ 25,000 square metre manufacturing plant, opened in Beresfield, NSW, in 2018

Adding new reusable and recyclable 60-litre steel drums alongside the 205-litre size increases the more sustainable packaging options, and reduces plastic use. However, plastic still has its place, and in fact Fuchs has expanded its range of plastic pack sizes. This is a deliberate move to meet specific workshop and customer needs, because ‘right sizing’ improves efficiency, which also reduces waste. Fuchs’ channel marketing manager, Anthony Ficarra, says improving efficiency improves sustainability. As the new 7-litre and 10-litre pack sizes are better matched to modern sump sizes than traditional packs, one 7-litre pack can, for example, be used instead of two 5-litre packs. That means less plastic use overall. He says customers are increasingly taking an interest in their suppliers’ environmental credentials. “Our customers are interested in improving sustainability but it’s fair to say that’s a bit more of a priority among New Zealand customers,” he says.

LOCAL MANUFACTURE

Anthony says Fuchs has recognised the commitment of New Zealanders and Australians to local manufacture and their desire to support local industry and communities. Fuchs has deliberately gone in the opposite direction to most oil suppliers, which have moved production offshore and transitioned to an import strategy. Fuchs has a history in this region that spans 100 years and Anthony believes that history and commitment is important to customers here. In February 2018, company chairman Stefan Fuchs opened the door to a purpose-built plant in Beresfield, NSW, that tripled the capacity of the plant it is replacing. That plant is closer to the centre of Newcastle, in an area that is being rezoned, but the relocation nearby meant existing staff could easily transition to the new facility. Built at a cost of A$35 million, the new 25,000 square metre facility maximises efficient technologies and has an extensive solar array, making the most of the Aussie sunshine to provide 25 to 30 percent of the plant’s energy needs. Other moves towards carbon neutrality include more efficient practices that reduce the need for pipe flushing, for example. The plant manufactures on-site and has a laboratory as well as sales and customer service departments. The new facility is in addition to Fuchs’ primary lubricants manufacturing facility, which hosts one of Australasia’s largest R&D and quality assurance laboratories at Sunshine in Victoria. Fuchs continues to update the Sunshine plant. The company’s 230 employees at the two world-class production plants and laboratories in Australia work for the only Australian manufacturer to produce lubricants, coolants, greases, and additives for the automotive, industrial, and agriculture sectors. The company offers 1700 lubricants and related specialties. “One hundred percent of our business is lubricants. We are the lubricant people, and we manufacture 95 percent of our products here in Australia,” said Anthony. “Think of us as Australian made, with German technology.” For more information, call 0800 382 476 or see fuchs.co.nz. Channel marketing manager Anthony Ficarra

The logo as a brand-relevant element can be used in a variety of versions. It is always shown on the logotag in its positive variant.

The decision on whether the logo should be used with or without the claim is far from straightforward. Communication and marketing materials were nevertheless defined with a binding obligation to use the logo with or without the claim.

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Auto Channel is the best way to reach the wider automotive industry. The publication is direct mailed to 11,306 New Zealand businesses in the following automotive sectors:

Automotive workshops, parts importers and distributors, transmission specialists, automotive recyclers, towing operators, panel beaters and painters, crash repairers, tyre dealers, suspension and underbody repairers, steering specialists, towing operators, auto-electrical repairers, new- and used-car dealers, air-conditioning repairers, heavy-machinery dealers, trucking and transport.

PACK SIZE

1 Logo with claim 2 Logo with claim and LUBRITECH lettering 3 Logo without claim 4 Logo without claim and LUBRITECH lettering

With an ever-evolving car parc in New Zealand, FUCHS have introduced additional pack sizes for their vehicle lubricant portfolio to suit servicing needs. The new 7L and 10L packs across a selection of the FUCHS TITAN vehicle lubricants range is proudly ‘Australian made with German technology that pays back’ and delivers a flexible and reliable solution for the New Zealand automotive industry.

The logo is used with the claim when the purpose is to explain the company and recharge the FUCHS brand. In the initial contact with the customer and in markets with low levels of awareness in particular, the claim provides the observer with important information and must always be included if possible.

The logo must always be used with the claim on the following materials:

The logo is used without the claim when for functional reasons (concerning longdistance impact or a small image size), the claim is not legible or there is a high level of information or sender competition, as is the case with, for example, product labels.

The logo must always be used without the claim on the following materials:

 Product labels and packaging units

 Business equipment (letterhead, business cards, etc.)  Printed material / brochures  Presentations  Websites  Identification of FUCHS buildings

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

TITAN GT1 FLEX 23 SAE 5W-30 Broad application for diesel (with DPF) and petrol engines across many manufacturers

7L 10L

TITAN GT1 PRO C-3 SAE 5W-30 Designed particularly for VW / Audi engines including petrol and diesel

TITAN GT1 SAE 5W-40

Suitable for GM/Holden diesel vehicles requiring a SAE 5W-40 specification oil

TITAN SuperSyn D1 SAE 5W-30 Designed to provide broad dexos 1 approval for all GM petrol vehicles

TITAN SuperSyn F Eco-DT SAE 5W-30 An essential engine oil for use in Ford DuraTorq-Diesel engines

TITAN SuperSyn F Eco-B SAE 5W-20 Extreme fuel-economy engine oil especially developed for Ford Ecoboost engines

TITAN SuperSyn F Eco-FE SAE 0W-30 Especially developed for modern Ford diesel engines

TITAN SuperSyn Longlife SAE 5W-40 A high performance product for use in a broad spectrum of European vehicles

NZ PH 0800 382 476 www.fuchs.co.nz

Don’t leave your customers stranded this winter

BATTERY TESTING PROVIDES CUSTOMER CARE AS WELL AS DRIVING BATTERY SALES

In winter, when ambient temperatures are at their lowest, automotive batteries go through changes that can begin to affect vehicles’ starting performance. Colder temperatures can increase the friction between engine components, and an increase in oil viscosity means that additional cranking power is required to start the vehicle.

COLDER CRANKING AMPS

To add more stress to the situation, while a fully charged battery at 25⁰C has virtually 100 percent of its power available to crank the engine, at 0⁰C the battery’s power output can be reduced by as much as 35 percent as the cold will also slow down the chemical reaction inside the battery. Century Yuasa’s Australasian marketing manager automotive, Andrew Bottoms, says the combination of the vehicle’s operating conditions and a decrease in available CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) is a big factor behind an increase in battery failures leading into the colder months.

COLD HARD FACTS

“However, research has also proven the correlation between the more batteries you test, the more replacement batteries you will sell,” says Andrew. “This is particularly pertinent when we consider that approximately 110,000 battery sales are lost each year to roadside replacements because of people waiting until their batteries fail before replacing them.”

That happens simply because most people have no idea their batteries are close to failing until they are stranded at the roadside.

Century Yuasa’s data shows more than 70 percent of those vehicles would have visited a service bay or retail outlet within the last six months. Those owners in particular could have potentially benefited from receiving a free battery test during that visit. Andrew says this is particularly interesting when you factor in that approximately one in every 20 batteries identified with a ‘chance of failure’ leads to a battery sale.

ADDED VALUE CUSTOMER SERVICE

This conversion rate could be improved by reminding customers that waiting until their battery fails could leave them stranded and running late. It will most likely be on the coldest mornings at home, or on the roadside, but always when they really want to use the car. They simply won’t learn the battery has failed until the car is needed. Andrew says this perspective may help customers appreciate that the workshop is effectively on their side; it is not suggesting they buy a battery before it’s needed.

Proactive battery testing using a hand-held tester like the DHC BT521A from Century Yuasa provides accurate, on-the-spot test results in minutes. It can help identify suspect batteries before they fail and highlight problems with the vehicle’s starting and charging system. But more importantly, it helps your customers avoid the financial and emotional costs associated with a flat or faulty battery.

This will translate into increased battery sales, but it’ll also help build or maintain a business’s reputation for offering good customer service, which will further cement that business in the local community.

Contact a Century Yuasa representative on 0800 93 93 93, or visit www.centurybatteries.co.nz for more information on Century Yuasa’s extensive range of battery testing and diagnostic equipment.