Scully RSV unveils new facility to triple production

Scully RSV is once again entering a new era of growth. CEO, Andrew McKenzie, reveals a new Queensland facility is underway, which upon completion will further grow the Scully RSV network.

“It will be state-of-the-art for rigid body manufacturing in this country,” he says. “It will be a full production line taking into account all of the modern OH&S requirements and equipment that we’ve been able to obtain from our exposure and relationships with the biggest trailer manufacturers in Australia and Europe.”

The site itself is around 12,000 square metres with a 1,500-square-metre shed, which Andrew says will enable Scully RSV to manufacture up to 60 rigid bodies a month.

“It’s really exciting for us,” he says. “It sets us up for the future. With all of our corporate head office facilities and manufacturing on that site, it also gives us the ability to offer trailer rentals here in Queensland with a trailer fleet on site.”

In hindsight, unprecedented demand for the product as well as refrigerated transport equipment across the board is what fundamentally led to the development of Scully RSV’s new site.

“We’ve seen exponential growth in our rental business,” Andrew says. “Balancing growing our rental fleet while still maintaining the expectations of our loyal customer base has meant that we’ve reached a point where we need to move into this new facility.”

Taking the lead in investing in safety and efficiency is ultimately what Scully RSV is doing – and it’s leaving no stone unturned.

“There are no expenses being spared,” Andrew says. “It’s a blank canvas and we’ll be setting that up for us long into the future. The industry has really been calling out for someone to take the lead in refrigerated rigid body manufacturing – it is a fragmented segment in the market from a manufacturing standpoint. We know the trailer manufacturers don’t want to make rigid bodies, so there needs to be someone at the table to provide that national offering.”

Scully RSV, Andrew believes, is perfectly positioned to do just that.

“We’ve got our main factory here in Brisbane, but we’ve got Scully RSV sites in all of the main capital cities all over Australia with extensive coverage up and down the eastern seaboard and also in the west,” he says. “Buyers of our rigid bodies will be able to leverage that rental network along with the rental and repair service facilities already at our disposal.”

The future for Scully RSV customers will be a reality where they can buy rigid bodies and get service and support in any corner of the country. With rental and repair service facilities already at its disposal, and a growing national footprint with no end in sight, Andrew says it will become possible sooner rather than later.

“We have that national footprint of sites that enables us to be able to help, support and manage customers regardless of their size or location,” he says. “So, this new facility will bring in a new era for Scully RSV and its customers. Meanwhile, we will retain the Archerfield site here, which will be our dedicated service and repair, truck sales and rental facility. All of the factory operations will move to Rocklea.”

As part of this new venture, Scully RSV will also pursue its strategic alliance with Queensland University Technology (QUT). This will see graduate engineers continue to help Scully RSV design, engineer and market its products.

“We’ve got graduate engineers here working in the business today as part of their development and their education doing industrial work experience,” Andrew says. “They come and form part of the team, so continuing to grow and build that manufacturing footprint means we will be able to continue to build and grow those alliances with universities like QUT and provide pathways for the next generation of young Australians.”

With the help of partnerships and alliances like QUT, the Rocklea site will represent a world class rigid body manufacturing facility completely dedicated to Scully RSV’s customers.

“At this stage we’re looking to produce our first trucks out of the new facility by September,” Andrew says. “That is our timeline, so work is actively underway now at the facility.

“We’re driven by our customers – we’re here to serve them. So, like our expansion in other markets, we’re really focused on following our customers to wherever they want to go. We’re a customer-central organisation and our customers lead us, so the demand for our product has necessitated the need to expand our facilities.”