Page 16 - Australasian Paint & Panel Magazine Sep-Oct 2019

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News • In Focus
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PAINT&PANEL SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2019
WWW.PAINTANDPANEL.COM.AU
SAM STREET TALKED TO AMA HEAVY VEHICLE DIVISION CEO DARREN WALES ABOUT THE CONSOLIDATOR’S RECENT ENTRY INTO THE MARKET.
AMA GETS HEAVY
identity, setting up 24 hour call centres and developing a national first response service including hazardous goods.
He believes that there are huge oppor- tunities to reduce costs by leveraging economies of scale. “It’s not just the con- sumables market, we can work with manufacturers and drive a better deal for our customers on OEM parts and with ancilliary suppliers which will have a beneficial flow on effect for insurers.
As CEO of a national
group I believe there will be more opportunity to effect changes on important safety
issues nationally.”
“As CEO of a national group I believe there will be more opportunity to effect changes on important safety issues na- tionally. One of the big things on my list is training. I’ve been trying to get a dedi- cated I-CAR truck training course but be- cause of the fragmented nature of the market this has been impractical. Now we can offer to partner with I-CAR or a dedi- cated RTO to deliver truck related training and perhaps badged repair courses.
“There’s a lot on my agenda but I’m enjoying it. I’m passionate about our industry and really excited about the future.”
ARREN WALES IS A SECOND
generation, multi-award win- ning truck repairer. As well as the established Wales Truck Re- pairs, he has also set up a highly suc- cessful bus and coach repair and fitout company. Wales is also a prime mover in the Australian Heavy Vehicle Repairers Association and has successfully cam- paigned for a number of safety initiatives including the NSW WOVR register for trucks which he continues to advocate as
a national initiative.
The heavy vehicle repair market is ripe for consolidation, like it’s lighter ve- hicle relative there are a lot of business owners approaching retirement age and looking for an exit strategy.
Wales is the ideal candidate to head
up AMA’s heavy vehicle division. “It’s exciting times and we will make mor
of an inroad into the market buying m businesses,” he said. “The Heavy Vehicle Repair sector is an enormous industry in itself. There are marked opportunities for expansion and growth of revenue streams
which provide a natural fit for the AMA Group.
“Having a national offering will be very a welcome development to the marketplace. Our client base has been crying out for it as they are looking for consistency of repair and a national warranty. Insurers and brokers are looking a repair network with an Australian footprint.
Wales has his work cut out for him with a long ‘to do’ list includ- ing working on a national brand
MAIN: Wales Truck Repairs in Sydney. LEFT: Darren Wales.
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