It all started in the middle of 1994. We had this inspiration of starting a business selling truck and machinery mirrors. Before that we had been in the auto and truck repair business, opening up a garage in 1973 near Rangiora. As with most small-town mechanic shops we serviced and repaired cars, trucks, tractors, and machinery. The business grew and our sons, Richard, Mark, and Lincoln, all grew into it.
We wanted a change, so took the big step of selling shatterproof mirrors to transport and machinery operators. Of course, they were a great product to sell - but not being breakable, meant we had very little repeat business! So next came standard glass mirrors used in the industry, then came all sorts of other associated products like truck and safety lighting, alloy loading ramps, and so on.
With Lincoln and myself now full time in this part of the business, we decided to sell the garage and all concentrate on the TransQuip side of the business. We sold Motorwell Services in 2002 and moved to the new TransQuip premises in Rangiora.
Along the way, we were growing and adding products and continuing to service our great customers, many of whom have come along this journey with us, and whom we owe so much. One of the main products we took on was a system of trench shoring. This ticked along until the earthquakes came. Of course with Canterbury shaking like it was, no one would go into a trench without protection. The demand for these was tremendous and our Rangiora premises became too small, so we leased some land in Christchurch, and set up 2 containers and a yard, mainly to give our customers better service with the trench shoring.
The property that we are now in came up for sale and we purchased that in 2012. This is in an excellent location with many of our Christchurch customers being in the Hornby and Sockburn areas. As well, we are near to the main courier and freight companies which are very important for dispatching our products throughout New Zealand quickly.
We have good growth at times and also many challenges along the way. As all of our customers would know, the present business environment is fraught with challenges, as well as with many opportunities. At TransQuip, we are looking these challenges in the eye and enthusiastically moving forward to give you - the customer, excellence, and quality in products and service.
We have a great team of 17 now, with Bonnie the first of the next generation starting with us when school finishes this year. She will be in the office so keep an eye on this space. As already mentioned, we couldn’t have progressed this far without our great team of loyal customers, and our fantastic team of staff. You will be hearing about them in future posts.
Our market is New Zealand; small, medium, and large companies, YOU as customers are the most important part of our business. We love hearing from YOU, as YOU are part of our business. You may have heard of a new product that could make things more efficient for your business. Give us a call as we source from all around the globe. Or it might be that something hasn’t gone quite right and we need to change something. We love to hear back from you, as if we don’t know - we can’t do anything to improve our systems. Feedback, Feedback, Feedback, yes, we need it constantly, so don’t hold back. Communicate with us!
Finally, as the year is drawing to a close and with THE SEASON coming upon us again we would like to say a big THANK YOU for doing business with TransQuip. We wish you, your staff, and your families all the best and look forward to 2016 as a prosperous and happy new year!