BLK, one of China’s leading bus makers, has announced it will start operations in Australia and New Zealand in its own right from 1st February 2021, following the retirement of one of the principals of current distributor BCSA, which for the past 14 years has marketed its buses under the Bonluck name in Australia and New Zealand .
The launch of BLK as a brand in the Australian market will see the factory operating its own sales, marketing and service operation in partnership with highly experienced Australian management.
The new entity, called BLK Auto, will be headed by Jason Pecotic as managing director and Peter Aldridge as chairman, and will take over many of the resources of BCSA with the imminent retirement of principal, Athol McKinnon and the decision by Rodd Hood to pursue his used bus sales business. `.
The move by BLK to establish its own operation in Australia has been made to enable the company to pivot to an electric and hydrogen fuel cell bus operation and to give it the resources and backing to put it on a footing for a zero emission future
Director of BLK, Ken Li congratulated BCSA on the work it has done over the past 14 years and paid tribute to the work that Rodd and Athol has played in establishing its products in Australia.
“Under the Bonluck name, BCSA has done a commendable job at pioneering and building sales of BLK product into the Australian and New Zealand bus and coach industry and establishing a strong reputation for reliability, dependability and back up,” said Mr Li.
“With Athol and Rodd’s decision to retire from the business. we have taken the opportunity to build on their legacy and build the operation in partnership with Australians who are highly experienced in the bus industry,” he added.
Peter Aldridge, as Chairman has more than 40-years experience as a company director and in senior management roles for both private and public companies, as well as contracting to Transport Authorities across Australia. He is the current committee chair and been involved with Australian Standards for more than 40 years.
“Having known both Athol McKinnon and Rodd Hood for a long time, I have always respected the work that they have achieved with the BLK brand, and moving to a zero emission technology future, the offer to chair the new organisation was not a decision I had to dwell on,” said Peter Aldridge
Jason Pecotic, as managing director of BLK Auto Australia, brings more than two decades of experience in the automotive industry, including roles in pioneering other automotive brands in this country.
“I have long respected the BLK brand, and as a result when the opportunity to be a part of the new operation came about I could not pass it up,” Jason Pecotic said.
“The pivot to zero emission bus technology is an enormous opportunity and with the backing of BLK we will have the resources and expertise to take the brand to a new level in Australia,” he added.
“BLK is already a key part of one of Australia’s first hydrogen fuel cell powered bus orders, providing President 2 glider chassis for the winning tender with Hyzon Motors for Fortescue’s initial 10 bus order, for its mining operations in the Pilbara of Western Australia”.
“BLK Auto will also be distributing a new range of JAC Battery EV trucks, the first of which are set to arrive in Australia within the next two months to start trials with a number of online home delivery retailers,” Jason Pecotic added.
While BLK Auto will continue to be based in Queensland, it is immediately looking to appoint a Victorian sales representative along with a group general manager to oversee the sales and distribution throughout Australia and NZ.
BLK was first established in 1969 and is part of the CHTC Group, which employs nearly 150,000 people worldwide, and is headquartered in Beijing.
BLK’s large and modern production facilities in Nanchang produces more than 5,000 buses annually, mostly for mature western markets, including the USA, Australia and NZ while its Bus Manufacturing Division is managed by Australian, Jason McKinnon, a resident of China for more than a decade.
