48 | MANUFACTURING Domett Truck & Trailer Business that ‘lives and breathes trucks, trailers’ Domett Truck & Trailer designs and manufactures customised trucks and trailers. T T Sue Russell In 1987, third generation truck and trailer manufacturer, Domett Truck & Trailer, opened its doors to business and since founding the industry-leading company has never looked back. Today, the Tauriko business estate-based company employs 90 staff. Asked what factors have contributed to its success Domett’s sales manager, Wayne Monk, says its all about the experience and capability of the team and the founding principles on which the business started. “We live and breath trucks and trailers. Over the years we’ve designed and manufactured thousands of customised trucks and trailers, to meet the needs of a wide cohort of customers from small businesses to national fleets, servicing a range of industries.” Part of the secret is in finding the fine balance between strength, durability and vehicle weight and understanding the dynamics in play between each of these to create the optimum design. Payload is a critical factor impacting customers bottom-line and Domett Truck & Trailers have made it their business to deliver the best possible outcome. “Any unnecessary weight in a truck and trailer is eliminated by design, while every unit we build is thoroughly tested for structural integrity, driver comfort and performance before being signed-off – only when it’s met our extremely high quality thresholds.” The transport industry is one that experiences constant advances in technology every day and Domett Truck & Trailers embrace these challenges. “For us, these changes are exciting, but at the same time serve as a timely reminder of the need for commitment to building truck and trailer units with our founding core principles in mind –Strength, Durability and Payload.” And where the final high-quality outcomes begins is always in the design phase. Domett’s complete rigorous stress test reviews and beam analysis via their engineering programmes, before giving the tick to start the manufacturing process. “We have all the systems and skill-sets to ensure all the critical factors are locked together to deliver a solid truck trailer build that continues to perform.” While building bespoke truck and trailer designs to customers desires is second-nature, Domett also delivers clients their Generation Series, its best of breed products, harnassing the benefits, for customers of manufacturing efficiencies, passing on real financial gains to them in the process. “We’ve got the balance right between custom built and offering our own brand series and we know our valued customers enjoy that choice.” Domett’s full-wrap around service is second-to-none, offering customers focussed support tools and industry leading after sales support. “It doesn’t end when the unit is handed over either. Customers are provided with an operator’s best practice handbook, a two-year or 300,000km warranty and a unique online trailer login for customers to access trailer specific technical information, certification documents, parts manuals and more.” With the constant goal of manufacturing a unit that is strong enough to perform day in and day out, durable enough to stand the test of time and lightweight enough to maximise payload, every truck and trailer built is guaranteed to deliver on performance. “We know our reputation is only as good as our last build so we have put considerable time and energy into every component of the design and build process, to ensure we deliver the best we can on our customer satisfaction promises.” “We have all the systems and skill-sets to ensure all the critical factors are locked together to deliver a solid truck trailer build that continues to perform.” Situated at Kerepehi, Gene Petersen says locationwas one of the factors contributing to he andwife Ange’s decision to establish PTEKwithin the Tauranga, Auckland, Waikato golden triangle. Born and bred in Paeroa, Gene carries very much pioneering bones about him. His role with the Heavy Transport Wiring Loommanufacturing business, is much about developing innovative new technologies, to supply their customer base of Truck & Trailer builders. And being a pioneer is as much about being prepared to take risks to forge aheadwhen opportunities presented as Gene explains. “I was truck driving and Ange had her own hair-dressing business. When I could see there was an opportunity to develop and deliver to truck and trailer builders a trailer roll-over alarmwarning system, we just took a deep breath andwent for it.” That meant selling a rental property and the family home to establish the beginnings of PTEK and this happening at the same time as Gene and Ange welcomed their family of four children, now aged 16, 18, 20 and 22 years old. Stoic stu indeed! “I spent 8months literally just researching roll-over warning alarm technology. That researchwas undertaken in a spare space o our bedroom! I have to say a great deal of our success has come down to the attitude of some of our valued clients, such as Paul and Andy Domett from Domett Truck & Trailers, who could see the bene its of custommade wiring looms that would compliment their reputable truck and trailer designs and builds. Making wiring looms that could be easily mounted to truck bodies and trailers was key to attracting clients who knew they were on to a good thing. Gene says he’s thankful for the loyalty of his Innovative technology drives success customers and acknowledges without their ongoing support and ability towelcome the sort of new technologies he and the teamcreate, the journey over these past 19 years would have been very di erent. Always looking toward the bene its that new innovation can bring, PTEK is now involved in creating ‘wireless trailer’ technologies with Domett’s being the very irst to adopt this technology. “It’s changed the connection between truck and trailer. Now the trailer electronics are operated wirelessly and this has made a huge di erence to the old wear and tear that would occur with cabling and connections between the two.” And its satisfying too, looking back on how PTEK has evolved, to see the next generation of Petersens getting involved. Eldest daughter Morgan works in admin and is a savvy sales person, who knows the industry and product o ering. Son Marshall is back for the second time working in manufacturing. The current premises work perfectly, ending a journey of three subsequent moves as the business found its feet. Gene’s ‘happy space’ is most decidedly in product research and development. “I think its fair to say we tackle things that are considered in the ‘too hard’ basket. There are not many in the sector doing what we do.” So, any truck and trailer manufacturer looking for an innovator need to look no further thanmaking contact with the teamat PTEK. “I see delivering practical and e ective wiring loom solutions to the sector as the most important thing we do. Creating e iciencies and reliability is our core objective.
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