International’s reputation has been built on big, uncompromising North American iron, however, NZ assembler and distributor Intertruck Distributors is putting greater focus on lighter and smaller medium duty vocational vehicles, including cement mixers and tippers.
Comer Board, Intertruck managing director, believes these smaller products offer great promise for Intertruck’s future business growth: “My gut feel is that these smaller vehicles will become a big part of what we do because a lot of our customers like the advantages that the smaller North American products have to offer.”
Board is realistic on where smaller North American products fit in the marketplace on price: “We’ll never compete against the Japanese trucks, but we will against Europeans in that small category.”
The Intertruck difference is that the company makes the truck specific to the customer’s requirements, and to the job it needs to do. Japanese and European truck importers can respond to that – but Intertruck can build it, at Mt Maunganui.
It is as truck-builders rather than truck sellers that Intertruck aims to steal a march on traditional NZ import-and-distribute sellers.
Board is disappointed that the Government has focused so heavily on a well organised and vocal export sector, without paying dues to importers, especially when it comes to job creation: “Importing seems to be almost discouraged, but we wouldn’t be here today, employing 50 plus people, if we weren’t the importers and distributors of International vehicles,” says Board.
“We have tried to lobby the Government around that, but didn’t get very far,” says Board.
More favourable economic indicators, combined with Intertruck’s ability to react and respond swiftly to market requirements, means the company’s order book is filling up once again.
Their business model of importing CKDs (Completely Knocked Down units) and assembling them in NZ – once the norm before going out of style – is now once again offering real advantages to truck buyers needing specialised heavy transport and vocational trucks.
