APRIL 2020
     

Mr Waldron and Mr Gason announcing the takeover.

'We see this as the best fit'

Deal on track to keep brands in Australia

  Have your say

VICTORIA-based TRACK has acquired the longstanding Australian RV brands Trackmaster and Pioneer, ensuring the brands stay in Australia.

Negotiations began last December and the agreement transfers all intellectual property for the design, manufacture and marketing to the new owner.

TRACK’s OUTBACK HQ showroom and service centre at Bayswater North will provide ongoing service and parts for both brands and warranty services on behalf of Gason for all Gason-manufactured products.

"As a board, we have assessed it over the past year and being a family-owned business of 75 years in October we felt we wanted to come back to our core business in Ararat," managing director Wayne Gason said.

"We just felt TRACK was that right business.

"They are family owned, building high quality products like Trakmaster and Pioneer and we just see this as the best fit in Australia to take these products forward and develop them into the future."

TRACK director Gerard Waldron said the Australian RV industry had been on notice 12 months ago that federal RVSA legislation would bring light trailers into a similar compliance scheme to that existing for cars and trucks.

"The challenges of this and the slow economy were already drivers of industry consolidation," he said.

"TRACK recognised this and was already seeking opportunities to expand its offering. The opportunity to acquire these two highly regarded brands with compatible design and production systems seemed ideal."

New Trakmaster and Pioneer models will be released next year but OUTBACK HQ has 2020 models available for immediate sale.

"Clearly the COVID-19 virus was not part of our plan, but in common with everybody else we are dealing with it as best we can," Mr Waldron said.

"At present both our showroom and production facilities are open and operating, with additional hygiene and social distancing.

"We may be required to close in future and we will be hibernating just like many other businesses."

TRACK and OUTBACK HQ are still at work and hopes sales will continue throughout the crisis, even if at a diminished level.

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