| 47 T T Richard Loader Service sets company apart Knight & Dickey’s fleet includes curtainsiders, tippers and trailers, hiabs, flat decks, as well as bulk fertiliser spreaders, bulk water tankers, livestock transport, and a chiller unit. Knight & Dickey CONTRACTING “Our drivers are the face of our company. They are the ones out there seeing customers and getting the job done.” Family owned business Knight & Dickey’s by-line ‘the firm built on service’ is what sets the company apart, says managing director John Dickey. “A lot of people pay lip service to this but for us it really means something,” he says. “Honesty, integrity and service excellence are the cornerstone of who we are. It’s about sorting any issues out quickly and ensuring customers are happy, going the extra mile.” It was about a year ago that John took over the company started by father Graham over 60 years ago. He has focused on streamlining the business to create efficiencies and deliver an even more effective service. Heavy investment has likewise been made in fleet with around ten new truck and trailers updated out of the fleet of 70 plus 30 trailer units. Fleet includes curtainsiders, tippers and trailers, hiabs, flat decks, as well as bulk fertiliser spreaders, bulk water tankers, livestock transport, and a chiller unit. Investment in software and systems, both on trucks and in the office, has further enhanced reliability and the general service offering. It’s the family name stamped on every job completed and is still very strongly family operated. John’s wife Denise works in the office administration team and cousin, and previous Franklin Mayor, Mark Ball is operations manager. John and Denise’s son Karl is a despatcher and adds to the team of 38 full time staff. Drivers are versatile, skilled and capable of multitasking, says John. This is important as the company offers a broad range of transport services such as hauling livestock, bulk aggregates, fertiliser carrying and spreading, plus delivering bulk drinking water, general freight and speciality products daily around Auckland, Pukekohe, Tuakau and Waiuku. The company has also invested in a purpose-built facility at its depot to store steel coil for the Glenbrook Steel Mill “From our responsive logistics team to our highly skilled drivers and our dedicated fleet management staff, all have a ‘can do’ attitude, backed by years of experience delivering on time, every time, where and how it’s needed,” says John. He says that Knight & Dickey is always looking for drivers from Class 2 to Class 5. Many staff have worked for the company for over 20 years so there is a lot of experience in the team. “Our drivers are the face of our company. They are the ones out there seeing customers and getting the job done. Clients often ask for certain drivers as they know what that client wants,” says Mark. “Those personal relationships are important as some clients been using our services for many years,” says John. “One client, who sadly passed away recently, had been using Knight & Dickey since its inception 62 years ago.” It’s the greatest accolade and testament to its service the company could want, says John. Knight & Dickey’s reputation for excellence extends further than its customer base though and it is proud to support a lot of sports clubs, schools and other local organisations. It is also a supporter of Auckland Rescue Helicopter in West Franklin and made its defibrillator available to the community by working with Waiuku Lions Club to fix it to a wall outside the company office. “From our beginning, helping the local community has been important to us,” says John. “At Knight & Dickey we like to give back to the region we work in.” Cairnscorp Canvas, PVC and PE Specialists We manufacture an extensive range of high-quality products like Shade Sails, PVC Screens, Awnings, Outdoor Blinds & Truck Curtains from commercial and industrial fabrics. 0800 75 76 77 sales@cairnscorp.co.nz 25 Crosbie Road, Pukekohe TYRES Phone: 09 238 8396 Mobile: 021 827 826 84 Adams Drive Pukekohe www.tartantyres.co.nz
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