Business North October 2021

54 | Dodson Motorsport REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Dodson’s expertise goes the distance Richard Loader The Dodson Motorsport workshop is busy kitting out high-performance vehicles. 021 243 3343 info@envirovac.co.nz www.envirovac.co.nz At Envirovac we’re dedicated to solving your water and waste problems for both residential and commercial customers. We o er exceptional service, complimented by years of experience. • Water Tank Cleaning • Concrete Tank Repair • Emergency Flood Water Removal • Cesspit Maintenance Services • Grease Trap Cleaning and Maintenance • Concrete Wash and Slurry Control • Drain Unblocking • Septic Tank Cleaning • Chemical Spill Clean Up • Hydro Excavation W ith its engine modified from 600hp to a thunderous 2,000hp the sleek Lamborghini Huracan accelerates down the drag strip popping wheelies with its front end pointed skywards — and that is where Dodson Motorsport’s expertise shines with its after-market dual clutch and intricate gearbox componentry which harnesses the horsepower on tuned-up exotic cars. Based in Auckland’s North Shore, Dod- son’s success story started in 2004 as a small racecar shop, a passion for racing cars and the ‘can-do’ attitude engrained in the Kiwi psyche. Things took on a new dimension in 2008 when founders Harry Dodson and Glenn Cupit bought the ground-breaking Nissan GTR, one of the first production cars showcasing a dual-clutch transmission. Initially designed for Formula 1 technology, the dual clutch transmission is a complex electronic gearbox now used in high-end cars like the Lamborghini Huracan. Essentially it provides the efficiency of a manual transmission but replaces human inefficiency with on-board computer de- cision-making. Modifying and racing their Nissan GTR, the Dodson team began break- ing transmission parts, particularly the dual clutch. At a time when the only alternative was to send the $30,000 gearbox to Nissan in Japan for repairs, the Dodson team set about designing their own parts and that is when Dodson was really born. Posting on Facebook that they had devel- oped technology to fix dual-clutch transmis- sions they started receiving enquiries from passionate motoring enthusiasts overseas. CEO Dave Sweas says that while the busi- ness started out designing, developing and machining parts just for the Nissan GTR, it was soon realised this was a great niche market and Dodson is now the number one brand in upgraded dual clutch transmissions globally. “If you bought a Porsche 911 and used it as your “daily driver” to the supermarket and the office, you would have no need for us. “Where we come into the picture is when you want to modify that car and take it to the track or make it faster. “As soon as you start fitting after-market parts, that very sensitive dual clutch inside this high-end electronic gearbox is no longer adequate. We make the clutch, but as soon as you modify the clutch you are just pushing the problem further downstream and you will probably break something else. “We will trace that back and whatever it is that people are breaking we will make the replacement. “So in addition to clutches we do gears, axle shafts and all the intricate components that allow the transmission to shift gears.” A business-to-business operation, Dodson’s products are sold to a network of over 200 dealers in over 40 countries and all six conti- nents with 95% of products exported. The business shifted into high gear when Booster Kiwisaver bought a stake in the business in 2019, providing capital for further growth and expansion. In February this year the company moved to its new production facilities, completely refitted with hi-tech equipment including CNC machinery and finishing equipment. “When I came into the business late 2019, I was employee number 19. “We now employ over 30 staff. On average we hire a person a month and these are good quality jobs in the Auckland area. “We like to create and provide these jobs; good paying jobs in the local economy. These are highly skilled engineers, tradespeople, and professionals. “We could have lost them overseas if we didn’t have the opportunity here. So it’s creat- ing good jobs but its also attracting talent and keeping it here in New Zealand.” Dodson is a classic Kiwi success story that has been built upon passion and an uncom- promising attitude for believing it can always be done and done better.