Inverell's Rick Holder was already well entrenched in the spare parts world before he bought a store on the Gwydir Highway, opening up his own one-man operation in 2005.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
His trucking empire is now one of the largest trucks and automotive spare parts operators in Northern NSW, so much so he's decided to sell to Truckline.
It was a decision which will see them become more automated, and more "streamlined for the future" while he still manages the Inverell and Moree branches.
READ ALSO
"I started with one person on the first of August '05, myself, and was just hoping to survive," Mr Holder told the Times.
"The growth has been crazy, in the past 12 months in particular," to the point where many of his staff found themselves bogged down in manual paperwork, taking them away from the customer service they valued above all else.
Starting off with a single white Holden Crew ute, Mr Holder now has a fleet of two trucks and trailers, and four delivery vans - and has had a growth rate of adding one staff member every year since.
He opened up the Moree branch in 2014, solidifying their position in the New England North West.
"Our free delivery runs has really seen us expand into new places and going further, to the point where some of our regular customers have never even been through our doors!" he laughed.
"Especially during Covid, our free delivery runs just took off even further, especially in the start of the pandemic, everyone was really scared."
He said the key to his success came down to two main things: building lasting relationships with his clients, and having a great team to work with, and the sale will help them return to those core values.
"I also want to reassure everyone that it'll be business as usual as I will be manager of the Inverell and Moree branches and all current staff will remain as part of the team," Mr Holder stated.
"Through our plans for expansion in both branches, the whole Truckline team are very excited about our future."
Truckline themselves have 69 years servicing the Australian trucking industry, already building up an extensive national network of 33 company owned stores.
In a statement, the company said the purchase of Mr Holder's "exceptional" business will reinforces their position "as a leading supplier of commercial truck parts".
It's part of a larger plan to have a network of over 50 stores in the next two years, employing over 120 people.
The purchase "ensures the network grows within both metro and regional areas remains a key priority as Truckline welcomes New England Truck and Auto Parts to its growing national footprint."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark inverelltimes.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @inverelltimes
- Follow us on Instagram @inverelltimes
- Follow us on Google News