WesTrac

WesTrac (WesTrac Pty Ltd) is the licensed Caterpillar dealer for Western Australia, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and northern China.

Caterpillar is the leading global construction and mining equipment provider and WesTrac is one of Caterpillar’s top five (by sales value) dealers globally (out of 182 dealers).

Ownership

WesTrac is owned by Seven Group Holdings limited (ASX stock code SVW) which is a diversified operating and investment group, with interests in industrial services, comprising heavy equipment sales and services and equipment hire; media and broadcasting; and investments. SVW is domiciled in Australia and operates predominantly in two countries, Australia and China. SVW’s majority shareholder is ACE Group Entities (incorporating KM Stokes and associates).

In 2012 Seven Group Holdings operations in industrial services delivered approximately 80 per cent of the company’s earnings before interest and taxation. These earnings were predominately underpinned by WesTrac’s record total revenue and other income of $3,536.1 million.

Headquarters
WesTrac’s head office is based in South Guildford, Western Australia but the company also maintains a New South Wales operational headquarters in Tomago, just outside of Newcastle.

History
Prior to being purchased by ACE (a privately owned Stokes family company) in 1989 and renamed WesTrac in 1990, the Caterpillar dealership in Western Australia was known as Wigmores. Wigmores had been operating in Western Australia since 1925.

After 10 successful years of running the WA dealership, WesTrac was awarded China’s north eastern dealerships in 1999 and WesTrac China was established a year later. In 2002 the company expanded its Chinese operations and was awarded China’s Shanxi province dealership. In 2003 WesTrac was then awarded the NSW/ACT dealership.

In 2006, WesTrac closed its agricultural dealerships in Australia, resulting from a decision by Caterpillar to cease production of agricultural equipment.[6] Customers of Westrac were concerned that their warranties would not be honoured.

On 22 February 2010, it was announced that WesTrac would be merged with Seven Network Limited. Kerry Stokes, who owned 49 per cent of Seven and all of WesTrac at that time, emerged with a 68 per cent stake in the combined company, which was to be called Seven Group Holdings. The merger was valued at $3bn.

On 1 June 2012, WesTrac successfully completed the acquisition of the Bucyrus distribution and support business in Western Australia, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory from Caterpillar. The transaction valued at US$400 million further strengthened WesTrac’s leadership in the supply and service of heavy equipment to the mining sector. The business has been successfully integrated into WesTrac’s management structure and now trades as WesTrac Expanded Mining Products (EMP).

On 30 August 2012, WesTrac officially opened its multimillion-dollar NSW operational headquarters located on WesTrac Drive, Tomago.

Over the course of 2013 WesTrac was forced to make approximately 1000 employees redundant as the business adjusted its operating model to suite changing market conditions.

Products and Services
WesTrac provides customers with a wide array of machinery and construction equipment as well as a comprehensive whole-of-life management solution designed to make owning and operating equipment as easy, profitable and safe as possible – from selection and finance through to maintenance and resale. WesTrac sells a huge range of equipment including:

• Articulated Trucks
• Asphalt Pavers
• Backhoe Loaders
• Cold Planers
• Compact Track and Multi Terrain Loaders
• Compactors
• Draglines
• Drills
• Electric Rope Shovels
• Feller Bunchers
• Forest Machines
• Forwarders
• Harvesters
• Highwall Miners
• Hydraulic Excavators
• Hydraulic Mining Shovels
• Knuckleboom Loaders
• Material Handlers
• Motor Graders
• Off-Highway Trucks
• Pipelayers
• Road Reclaimers
• Skid Steer Loaders
• Skidders
• Surface Mining – Belt Systems
• Telehandlers
• Track Loaders
• Track-Type Tractors
• Underground – Hard Rock
• Underground – Longwall
• Underground – Room & Pillar
• Underground Mining – Belt Systems
• Wheel Dozers
• Wheel Excavators
• Wheel Loaders
• Wheel Tractor-Scrapers
  
  

They also provide after sales service and support to their customers who predominately come from the Building Construction, Commercial Engines, Forestry, Heavy Construction Equipment, Earthmoving, Industrial, Local Government, Mining Equipment, Highway Trucks, Quarry and Aggregates industries.

WesTrac supplies Caterpillar mining trucks to large customers like BHP, Rio Tinto, Peabody, Whitehaven Coal and other large mining companies, as well as smaller building construction equipment to builder and landscapers. They also supply Caterpillar engines for power generation and marine transport and sell Cat on-highway trucks.

External links

• Official website