In an historic announcement Volvo Australia has revealed that it will acquire its long time Western Australian truck dealer operation, Truck CentreWestern Australia (TCWA) on the 1st July this year, purchasing the dealership from the Winkless family after almost 50 years of operations in WA.
As a apart of the deal Volvo said that Truck Centre Western Australia will become a business entity under the Volvo Australia banner and will include all eight existing TCWA branches and all service centres around Western Australia.
Truck Centre Western Australia operates from its from its headquarters at Forrestfield in Perth’s South East industrial suburbs, with branches across regional WA from Albany in the south to Port Hedland in the Pilbara.
Volvo Australia said that TCWA’s identity will remain intact and its workforce of more than 300 people is expected to transition with the new business owners .
President and CEO of Volvo Group Australia, Martin Merrick said it’s an exciting time for both Truck Centre Western Australia and
Volvo Group Australia.
” To be able invest in a business that has played such a pivotal role in Volvo Group’s success in Australia is a fantastic opportunity,” Merrick said.
“It also gives us the chance to go some small way towards repaying the enormous debt of gratitude we owe Max and his team for laying the foundations of what has become Volvo Group Australia all those years ago,” he said.
“Western Australia is a key market for Volvo Australia and the team at Truck Centre Western Australia have done a fantastic job at building our brands across the region.”
“I’d like to thank the Winkless family and Truck Centre Western Australia staff past and present for their efforts and we look forward to welcoming them into the Volvo Group Australia fold,” Merrick concluded.
Max Winkless opened his WA Volvo truck operation in 1977 after a stint as managing director of Volvo Australia on gather East. Coast.
TCWA as an entity was formed in 2007 through the merger of Truck World and Max Winkless Volvo, representing both Volvo and Mack across the stare, while UD joined the operation in 2009.
Prior to that, Max Winkless , who is now 97 years of age and recognised as the father of Volvo in Australia, became the first importer of Volvo trucks in 1965 when he formed Swedish Motors, importing a range Volvo Trucks, which quickly gained favou, establishing Volvo as a local entity in its own right.
When the Volvo F88 was introduced in 1968, Winkless had to decide between Mack and Volvo, the two marques he’d cut his teeth on, choosing the Swedish brand, a decision that set up his uninterrupted history with Volvo.
Winless became general manager of Volvo Australia Pty Ltd, going on to oversee the establishment of the new assembly plant for trucks and buses, at Wacol in Brisbane, and in 1972 when AB Volvo bought out its Australian shareholders Winkless was appointed as managing director of the company.
In 1977 Winkless resigned from Volvo Australia, moving to Perth and setting up Max Winkless Volvo as the sole dealer for the truck brand in Australia’s largest state, with the announcement bringing an historic chapter in teh Australian truck industry to a close.