ROADHOG
TRAILERS
FEATURE
King road OF THE
South Africa Magazine profiles Roadhog Trailers, established in 2002. By Ian Armitage
E
stablished in 2002, Roadhog Trailers has, in the words of director Gordon Moyle, “grown steadily and speedily through hard work and dedication”. Looking at its trailers, it is easy to see why the business has grown. Its trailers are distinctive. They’re strong. They are desirable. But who is to thank? Moyle, who recently spoke with a South Africa Magazine researcher, says Roadhog owes its success to its 2
www.southafricamag.com
dedicated staff, “loyal customers, and its many efficient suppliers”. Things, he added, started small – a business run by its owner and current MD Gary Reddan, a mechanical engineer. Reddan is still in charge. But it isn’t small anymore, producing around 70 trailers per month. “The thing about our trailers is that they really do speak for themselves,” says Moyle. “The best advert for our products is that our trailers outperform
Roadhog Trailers FEATURE
in terms of reliability, strength and quality.” The result is that Roadhog is one of the fastest growing trailer manufacturers in the country. The firm’s website takes up the story, “In order to accommodate a growing client base and the phenomenal demand for these exceptional trailers, new premises have been built in the Northdene
The thing about our trailers is that they really do speak for themselves
industrial area. Customers are offered a professional aftersales service centre for the servicing and repair of trailers. Roadhog Trailers is set on embracing all the opportunities and challenges it will encounter. Its objective is to grow the operation into a truly national company, providing trailers to the transport industry that will ‘carry the load into the future’.” www.southafricamag.com
3
Roadhog’s vision is to “be the leader” in its industry by “exceeding the expectations of our customers, employees and suppliers”, while it’s mission statement is to “provide topquality heavy-duty trailers that will meet customers’ precise requirements” and to be the “preferred supplier in our industry by delivering exceptional value to our customers and setting the standard for quantity innovation and leadership”. It is doing that. “We take pride in the quality of the trailers and trailer components we produce,” Moyle explains. “That is probably the thing that distinguishes us the most. You can tell the quality. Customers know when they buy a Roadhog that they are assured of the best quality and finish available.”
We strive to do better than our competition by making quality trailers that are strong, lightweight and that have been tested thoroughly
4
www.southafricamag.com
Roadhog Trailers FEATURE
Roadhog Trailers has what Moyle described as a “Three-Phase Quality Assurance Process” to ensure quality – it is a step-by-step process, from which quality is built into the trailer. “It is a way of ensure all trailers are of the highest possible quality,” he says. Like most manufacturers, the global financial crisis and subsequent slowdown in global markets has subdued business. Roadhog was making around 100 trailers a month before the crash. It is at 70 now. That is still a remarkable figure, Moyle says. “At the height of the recession this figure dropped to almost what it had been when the company first began trading. It was very low. But we have rebounded and since then business has improved, and while we don’t employ as many people as we once did, we are making an impressive amount of trailers a month. If the current trend continues, we will catch up with our pre-recession success soon and be back at or even above the 100 mark.” One challenge for Roadhog -- and this is one that all South African businesses have to overcome -- is a shortage of skilled labour. Regretably, says Moyle, this has had an effect on what Roadhog is able to do, and how it would like to grow. “There is a shortage of skilled labour. Fortunately, most of our production staff – fitters, welders, and boilermakers – are in separated into divisions this saves on training, but means that new designs may require
more supervisors attending to the production staff to ensure quality,” he says. “Quality, I must stress, is everything. We strive to do better than our competition by making quality trailers that are strong, lightweight and that have been tested thoroughly.” Roadhog’s trailers aren’t just your typical, off-therack trailer - often they are made to specific customer requirements. “We are able to offer a bespoke service,” Moyle says. “We are eager to continue growing the business and have strategies in place to achieve that,” he adds. “To this end, we have been designing new trailers and monitoring the competition to stay a step ahead. Any new trailer, as with any Roadhog, will be strong specialised trailers made from the latest materials.” END To learn more visit www.roadhogtt.co.za.
The value for money paint Distributed by Super Auto Paints Head Office: 247 Aberdare Drive , Phoenix Industrial Park Tel: 031-5077781 Fax: 031-5002867 Email: phoenix@superautopaints.co.za Springfield Park: 1 Peters Road, Springfield Industrial Park Tel: 031-5777323 Fax: 031-5777322 Email: springfield@superautopaints.co.za Pinetown: 117D Old Main Road, Pinetown Tel: 031-7015449 Email: pinetown@superautopaints.co.za
South Africa Magazine, Suite 9 and 10, The Royal, Bank Plain, Norwich, Norfolk, UK. NR2 4SF TNT Multimedia Limited, Unit 209, 16 Brune Place, London E1 7NJ ENQUIRIES Telephone: +44 (0) 1603 343367 Fax: +44 (0) 1603 283602 andy.ellis@tntmultimedia.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Call: +44 (0) 1603 343367 andy.ellis@tntmultimedia.com
www.southafricamag.com
20 Wiltshire Road Northdene, 4093 P.O. Box 41549 Rossburgh, 4072 Tel: 031 791 0021 or 0861 ROADHOG Fax: 031 791 0028 Email: info@roadhogtt.co.za
www.roadhogtt.co.za