Volvo Group Australia has celebrated its 50 years of Australian manufacturing milestone by handing over two special trucks to two key customers.
Scott and Regina Harvey at SRH Milk Haulage were handed the keys to a 50-year branded Volvo FH700XXL; and Nathan Stephens of Ipswich based JR Stephens took delivery of a 50-year themed Mack Anthem.
SRH Milk Haulage was started in 1996 with just one Volvo at Hexham, NSW. Today, it operates across three states, with over 60 trucks wearing the Mack and Volvo badges.
“It’s been an adventure that’s for sure,” said Scott Harvey, managing director at SRH Milk Haulage. “But I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it all the way through. For me it’s the people and the relationships that make it work. The backup and support, especially when you’re on milk 24/ 7, has always been there for SRH without a doubt.”
For JR Stephens, the relationship with Mack Trucks extends many decades.
Tom Chapman, vice president at Mack trucks Australia said, “We’ve actually been building trucks in Australia for 59 years now, and this year marks 20 years of Mack trucks being built at our Wacol plant. And JR Stephens have been here from the beginning, they have been with us on the journey for the entire time. They are also a logistics supplier to our factory which I think is testament to the relationship.”
General manager at JR Stephens, Nathan Stephens, added, “Over 50 years we’ve built a relationship with Volvo Group, it’s definitely the people that make the business, from the salespeople to the workshops to engineering, we really appreciate the rapport that we’ve been able to build over the years.”
At the anniversary event, Volvo Trucks International senior vice president, Per Erik Lindstrom, said, “We talk about the Volvo family, and you as customers are part of that family,” he said. “I am super proud to be here to help celebrate 50 years of building trucks here, this country is very important to Volvo Group, and we are here to stay.”
President and CEO of Volvo Group Australia, Martin Merrick, added, “While this is a celebration of our success and longevity in one of the toughest trucking markets on the planet, this is also a celebration of customer success.”
Merrick says without long term customers like SRH and JR Stephens, the manufacturer wouldn’t be able to mark this special occasion.
“Our customers challenge us to go on the journey with them. As they grow and succeed, we too grow and succeed,” he said.
“These companies are just a small part of the colourful tapestry of characters and stories that make up the Australian transport industry yet their contribution to our society and our economy is invaluable.”
Volvo Group Australia’s Wacol manufacturing plant in Queensland was established in June 1972. Since then, over 70,000 Volvo and Mack trucks have been produced at the site. Production of battery electric trucks is also expected to commence at the Wacol plant by 2025.
