| 85 T T Hugh de Lacy Towing company a Dunedin icon Reilly’s Towage and Salvage today has a fleet of 12 vehicles and a staff of 10 operating throughout Dunedin and Otago, AUTOMOTIVE Reilly’s Towage and Salvage “Besides the general public seeking road-side rescues, our main clients include all major insurance companies, the Police, the Automobile Association, First Rescue and the Dunedin City Council.” With over 75 years in the business, Reilly’s Towage and Salvage has become an icon of the Dunedin vehicle recovery sector. Founded in the 1930s by the Reilly family, the company has grown steadily over the years, keeping its name while passing through a series of ownerships. It is currently owned by Robert Williams, who bought out previous owner Brian Lilley in 2014, after Brian had owned it in partnership with Ian Smaill and Phil Burrell since 2002. Phil’s wife Deanne Burrell is still with the company as office manager after 14 years, broken only by a stint as a rural mail contractor. “Reilly’s Towage and Salvage today has a fleet of 12 vehicles and a staff of 10 operating throughout Dunedin and Otago, and its frequent presence in truck shows and processions, and continued involvement in community initiatives like the Rigs for Kids and the More FM Halftime Heroes has made its name a by-word in the region,” Deanne says. “Besides the general public seeking roadside rescues, our main clients include all major insurance companies, the Police, the Automobile Association, First Rescue and the Dunedin City Council.” The company’s towing services were launched with a Studebaker sedan, which had once carried the Prince of Wales on a visit through Southland, though it was later replaced by a new Fargo truck with a labour-saving power winch. The Fargo itself was eventually replaced by a heavier Bedford, then by a seven-tonne Austin truck and, in 1966, by another Bedford fitted with the industry-changing sliding deck developed by Scotts Garage in Christchurch. In 1971, the Reillys sold the business to a partnership of Bob Henderson and Wolfgang Fechner who added a second hydro-deck truck, plus a 4WD International C1300 that is still in the fleet for off-road duties. They then moved to a new company headquarters in the Kaikorai Valley. Gerald Shaw took over the business in 1981 and shifted it to Ward Street, Dunedin, and acquired a Kenworth W923 former logging truck and a three-car transporter. The company changed hands again in 1988 when it was bought by Ron Gilkison who further expanded the fleet with a Mazda Titan electric wheel-lift and a decked truck. Reilly’s Towage and Salvage took over its main opposition, Wylies, in 1991, adding another hydro-truck, a V8 Bedford and an AEC heavy salvage truck to the fleet, while the Kenworth was sold off to a classic truck enthusiast. After Brian Lilley, Ian Smaill and Phil Burrell acquired the company in 2002, the AEC was replaced by a Mack, and the company was bought by Robert Williams 12 years later. The Mack is currently being restored to its former glory and will be ready to go back on the road again in time for this year’s Rigs for Kids event. Robert has also added more capacity to the fleet with two underlifts, a Fuso Shogun eight-wheeler, a Mitsubishi Fighter with a seven-metre deck, and a five-axle Freightliner for the heavy salvage work. Email: admin@brownlieandscoles.co.nz Web: www.brownlieandscoles.co.nz Proud to support Reilly’s Towage & Salvage Ltd Dunedin - Ph: 03 477 1999 Proudly Supporting Reilly’s Towage & Salvage Ltd Transport Ltd • General Cartage • Trombone Trailer • Container & Artic Work • Fly Jib • Crane Trucks with Winches & Man Bucket REILLYS CANNOT AFFORD A BREAKDOWN, SO THEY RUN KUMHO TYRES CALL US 0800 80 90 96 blairs@blairs.co.nz www.blairs.co.nz ONE OF NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING TYRE WHOLESALERS
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