VACUUM & HYDRO EXCAVATION
KOR’s Anthony Briggs and Reece McCrystal who focus on customer engagement and service.
Pushing to become the best strategic supplier: KOR 10 years on Growing its national footprint to support contractors across Australia and New Zealand, KOR is succeeding in its vision to make it simple for customers to secure and maintain world leading products.
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ounder and Managing Director Steve Pewtress established KOR in 2011 after identifying a gap in the market to deliver high-quality equipment to the trenchless industry. After finding himself in a senior leadership role overseeing procurement of large equipment at another company, Pewtress became disillusioned with the current supplies in Australia. “Through varied circumstances I was introduced to Cappellotto Spa - an Italian manufacturer - and through commercial dialogue and discussion, that opportunity was extended to me to take on the distribution and start my own company,” he says. “With the support we had, and continue to have, those discussions 10 years ago were the right ones.” A key to KOR’s success over the past 10 years has been a constant focus on seeking the world’s most innovative products, identifying industry best practices, and collaborating with supplier and internal engineering capabilities to supply the Australian market. Pewtress says its manufacturing partner in Cappellotto Spa has delivered the world’s highest quality, most efficient and ergonomically designed vacuum trucks for more than 65 years. “Supported by our extended range of products from KEG nozzles, Duebre, Southland Tools, Polyflow Cobra Sewer Hose and Uraca water pumps, our Cappellotto product is supported by the highest performing 50 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA DECEMBER 2021
accessories from across the globe,” he says. Following an aggressive start-up, Pewtress employed industry professionals that believed in the Cappellotto products and supported the business. He says this was another key aspect that helped the company grow to what it is today. KOR has further expanded its product offering with a leading street sweeper provider, Schwarze Industries. This complementary partnership provides the market with sweeper units and parts across KORs Australian and New Zealand distribution network with mobile service options already deployed in a number of locations. The ongoing vision for the company is to secure a great product, develop a great team, and service the market by way of a customer-faced business. This includes a full-service support capability, spare parts centres across Australia, unit availability to support the demand for contractors, and a 24/7 customer service focus to support its clients. “Organisations that embrace the commercial power associated with proactive fleet management are able to become highly profitable,” he says. “They realise the value of preserving capital, leveraging finance, procurement and retirement modelling with maturing equipment specification development.” KOR has the experience and expertise to assist its clients in creating these fundamental financial strategies for their shareholders with fleet development and flexibility. In 2016 Pewtress formed a commercial partnership with Marcus Birrell, an industry leader in the automotive sector. This partnership allowed Pewtress and Birrell to accelerate KOR’s growth strategies and advance the service offering to customers nationally and in New Zealand. “We are now operating in QLD, NSW, four sites in VIC, one in WA, and continuing to grow and looking at further geographical expansion,” he says. “KOR continues to invest in its people with a team of close to
