- ZF Services Australia is celebrating 30 years in 2017
- Australian operations commenced in 1987 with just five employees and one office
- ZF Services Australia now has over 60 staff at two distribution hubs in Sydney and Perth and state representation in Brisbane and Melbourne
- ZF Services Australia distributes a range of parts from its premium brands including SACHS, LEMFÖRDER and TRW
Leading supplier of vehicle driveline and chassis technology, ZF Services Australia will be marking its 30th year of business in Australia in 2017.
ZF Services Australia launched its Australian operations with just five employees based at Seven Hills in Sydney’s west in March 1987.
Now situated at a custom-built facility in Arndell Park (Sydney), ZF Services Australia has undergone significant expansion over the past 30 years.
Today ZF Services Australia distributes a range of products including SACHS shock absorbers and clutches, LEMFÖRDER steering and suspension components, as well as ZF’s leading transmissions and components.
TRW brake and steering parts are also available as result of ZF’s 2015 acquisition of TRW Automotive.
Throughout its 30 years, a focus of ZF Services Australia has been on establishing relationships with leading local and global manufacturers and businesses.
It is now considered a leading supplier and development partner in many industries including passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, construction and agricultural machinery, rail and marine applications.
Automotive OE partnerships
ZF Services Australia’s involvement as an original equipment supplier to the local automotive industry began with the Holden Commodore VN SS Group A in 1990.
The relationship with Holden was further strengthened in 2006 when ZF-LEMFÖRDER began supplying corner assemblies and axle systems directly to the Holden factory.
This 27-year relationship will conclude later this year with Holden Special Vehicles’ final production model, the HSV GTSR W1 which has been fitted with a SACHS twin-plate clutch and a solid flywheel.
ZF transmissions were also utilised by Ford Australia in their Falcon and Territory models since 2005, with the partnership receiving global recognition.
From 2008, ZF also supplied suspension and damping components to the Ford Falcon.
“ZF Services Australia is absolutely committed to the local automotive industry,” Mark Sookias, Managing Director, ZF Services Australia said.
“Our partnership agreements with global manufacturers continue to go from strength-to-strength with ZF transmissions, SACHS shock absorbers and clutches and LEMFÖRDER steering components fitted as OE to an increasing number of passenger vehicles on Australian roads.
“We pride ourselves on offering our customers full product and service solutions including a highly-trained service team, workshop training along with a comprehensive OE replacement part catalogue."
Marine, Bus & Truck
In the marine sector, the Royal Australian Navy has been a major client since 1987, with ZF distributing and servicing an extensive range of products including transmissions, bow thrusters, ZF controls and shaft brakes.
ZF is also a major supplier in the local bus and coach market with over 90 per cent of the automatic buses on city roads fitted with ZF transmissions.
In 2015, ZF’s AVE 130 electric drive axle featured on the first Australian all-electric bus, developed by Bustech.
Additionally, trucks on Australian roads fitted with ZF transmissions and components are in service with MAN, DAF, Hino, Isuzu, Iveco, Foton and others.
Motorsport Success
ZF has also seen significant success on racetracks across Australia, thanks to its 13-year partnership with Triple Eight Race Engineering.
Since 2005, Triple Eight has been fitting SACHS Formula Matrix dampers and carbon racing clutches to its race-winning Supercars, including the 2017 line-up of vehicles driven by Craig Lowndes, SACHS’ Australian Brand Ambassador, and his team-mates, Jamie Whincup and Shane Van Gisbergen.
In fact, since the partnership began, Triple Eight and SACHS have claimed incredible success with eight Driver Championships.
By Your Side
At its Arndell Park base, ZF Services Australia has a remanufacture and service centre and warehouse.
This facility is supported by the Western Australian branch to enable increased service capability and local parts availability on the Western seaboard.
“Locally we began operations 30 years ago with just over five staff in one office. Today we number over 60 employees, have distribution hubs in Sydney and Perth and service partners strategically located across Oceania,” Mr Sookias continued.
“Our service partner network provides extensive sales, servicing and support for all ZF products and ensures our customers have ready access to our products, brands and technical support.
“ZF Services Australia has grown significantly over the past 30 years and we have our customers to thank for that.”
Looking ahead, ZF is prepared for the aftermarket of the future with its Openmatics intelligent connectivity solutions and products including advanced driver assistance systems for autonomous vehicles.
For further information on ZF Services Australia, please visit www.zf.com/au.
Captions:
1. ZF's premises in the 1990s in Australia
2. ZF Services Australia's premises today
3. Mark Sookias, Managing Director of ZF Services Australia
4. ZF Services Australia distributes a range of products from its premium brands including SACHS shock absorbers and clutches.
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