Business View Oceania | April/May 2022

51 52 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 reputation for heavy builds that were a long- term, bulletproof solution for clients’ needs.” Norden Body Works now supplies primarily for van fit outs, bulk loaders, cable trailers, and special vehicle projects. Rob also provides his insight into the evolution of Norden Hydraulics. “Hydraulics was born out of necessity. We found we were in constant need of supply, so I was able to go and learn my way around hydraulics as I shifted into the business with my father, and as a result we became a distributor for Aeroquip hydraulics. That story is a real testament to our core principle; if we see a problem, we go out and fix it, and we enjoy looking for the most innovative and effective way to do so. Now we are able to supply not only ourselves, but also key players in petrochemicals, food processing, automotives, freight, manufacturing, and more- we have a great range of equipment and the knowledge to match.” Mark Jasper speaks on Norden Group’s Conversion division, which has carved out a special place for the business over the last 30 years. “Norden Conversion began when Ron Anson was approached following a demonstration at his local rotary club by an operations representative for the local hospital, and challenged to convert a vehicle for wheelchair access according to a strict budget. Now, Ron was never one to shy away from a challenge- that’s a philosophy we still honour today. So in his true entrepreneurial spirit, he said, ‘bring it on’. Now, I doubt we actually made a profit on that first conversion! Rob was on the workshop floor when it was built, and they spent many hours getting it right. But eventually, they did, and they saw a real opportunity to fill a gap in the market. Nowadays, we can complete anywhere from 200 to 300 conversions a year.” Norden Conversion is now considered an industry leader in vehicle adaptation for access by members of the community with a disability or reduced mobility. Rob chimes in, “We have worked with non-profit organisations, fleet management organisations, dealerships, taxis, and more. And in line with our values around development and innovation, we committed to a full body crash test. That crash test was attended by representatives of Toyota, VicRoads, and the CPPV (Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria), just to name a few. It was a real success. Just recently, two significant vehicle manufacturers have reached out for us for advice on wheelchair access and some issues that they are dealing with. At the end of the day, it’s up to them if they want to make noise about it, but it gives us confidence in our reputation with OEM suppliers and vehicle manufacturers.” Norden Conversions also provides servicing up and down the East Coast, he says. “Essentially we thought, if we are building these products and distributing them, it’s in our best interest to make sure they perform to a high standard and maintain that quality throughout their lifespan. Especially for large disability service providers that work across and between states, it’s important that they have consistency in their services, and who better to see that the people that built the product in the first place? The service division goes throughout Victoria, up into New South Wales, and Queensland.” Norden Group has received a number of awards and achievements for their contributions to the industry. The company was the first in Australia to be confirmed as a Van Partner with Mercedes Benz and took home gold medals at the 2017 and 2016 VACC industry awards for manufacturing and business leadership. Rob shares, “We also have second stage manufacturing capabilities, so our vehicles can be converted prior to registration with approval from the National Registration and sold no differently to any other vehicle. Because of this, we can deliver nationally without any compliance qualms, and there are massive cost savings associated with shipping back and forth across state lines for registration purposes. And we’re the only ones in Australia that have done it.” NORDEN GROUP