The customer always comes first for Matthews Brothers Engineering, one of the biggest reasons why the company is expanding its business from the east coast to the west. General Manager Richard Bailey explains.
From agriculture, to mining, transport and even World War II, Matthews Brothers Engineering’s (MBE) expertise has contributed to, and intersected with, a wide variety of industries and historical events.
No matter the decade, industry or task at hand, MBE has taken great pride in delivering the best possible outcomes – a philosophy that’s sustained to this day.
Richard Bailey, General Manager – MBE says the manufacturer of Bitumen Sprayers, Bitumen Road Tankers, Tack Coaters, Bitumen Melting Tanks and Aggregate Spreaders has successfully delivered on this vision for its strong customer base on the east coast of Australia.
But what about its customers around the rest of Australia?
Acknowledging the challenges presented by interstate communication with operators, MBE’s leadership began discussions around how the company could better cater for its Western Australian customer base.
“We’ve got a great presence on the east coast, and we support our customers really well,” Bailey says.
“But there will be times when a Western Australian customer might ring up on a Friday afternoon to ask for a part. Due to the time difference, our production staff might be unavailable or closing for the day, but for the WA customer it’s still the morning.”
Bailey’s well-rounded skill set and broad understanding of business operations across several roles at MBE, under the tutelage of company Director Paul Matthews, made him an ideal candidate to become the company’s first permanent representative for the Western Australian market.
Paul Matthews, MBE Owner and Director, says Matthews Brothers is a proud Australian company that sees Western Australia as a key part of its future.
“Sending Richard across is a strategic move, not just to support our growth, but to deepen our relationships with valued customers in the region,” he says.
“WA is known for its laid-back lifestyle, but when it comes to equipment support, we know our customers want things done right and done quickly. The good news is, our gear rarely misses a beat, but when support is needed, we’ll have someone local to make sure downtime is kept to an absolute minimum.
“Richard brings a wealth of experience and the right attitude to represent Matthews Brothers. He’s there to support our current clients, form new partnerships, and ensure WA operators get the best of what we offer – Aussie-built trucks made tough for Australian conditions, backed by full parts availability and on-the-ground service.”
Bailey, who joined the company seven years ago, says the Western Australian move reflects not only the “exciting progression” of the company, but also his own growth in the business.
“Sally (Rolfe – Operations Manager) and I have worked really hard to drive efficiency across the business, we’ve brought in new equipment and new staff for key roles. That has allowed me to step back from the project management aspect of the role,” he says.
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“The nature of my role has evolved a lot. I was originally brought in to run the design engineering department, but it just kept on expanding.”
The move marks MBE’s first major geographical expansion beyond the east coast, indicating the company’s ambition to become a larger equipment provider. Bailey says the shift also demonstrates MBE’s progression and growth, from a small family business to a more sophisticated operation.
“Seven years ago, would I have imagined that we’d be in Western Australia? No, probably not,” he says.
“It’s about getting amongst the customers and understanding how we can support them better. The need for a contact and representation in the west was a common theme in customer feedback.
“Without our customers, we’d be nothing, and our great Western Australian customers deserve the same level of support that we offer on the east coast. We want our customers to have the opportunity to take advantage of local spare parts and maybe in time, service and maintenance support or even local manufacturing. This move puts MBE one step closer to achieving that.”
Delivering on season
Another key aspect of MBE’s expansion to the Western Australian market is the opportunity to provide local expertise and parts during the busy bitumen sprayer maintenance season. Bailey says a local presence will help to provide the technical support team with eye and ears on the ground, allowing them to diagnose equipment issues quickly, while also ensuring the correct replacement parts are ordered first time.
“The feedback that we’re getting around our support and maintenance is really positive, but that hasn’t stopped us from refining our process, as well as machinery upkeep, to make sure operators are keeping their vehicle within optimum running conditions,” he says.
“Our aim for the future is to effectively forecast and plan what stock levels we need to hold over here, so that we can respond to client requests much more efficiently.
“We want to move away from ‘we’ll get that to you in a few days’, to being able to provide requested parts to our customers as early as the next day, maybe even same day, by getting ahead of the demand. Our goal is to ensure we can consistently meet customer demand for parts, in terms of both availability and lead time.”
Bailey adds that this approach will be gradual and customer-led, saying MBE will evolve support capabilities based on what customers actually want and need.
“We want to deliver the same level of service, that’s comparable to our east coast operations, with the flexibility to adapt to local market requirements,” he says. “In terms of delivering on what the customer wants, MBE has set the benchmark in this area. MBE sprayers are the number one sought-after unit, so we want to be able to deliver this and more to operators and fleet managers.”
The quality of this service is not only a priority for MBE, but also a matter of personal pride. As Bailey explains.
“I’m very proud of the product that we can offer, it’s one that we’ve been able to stand behind, time and time again,”
he says.
Sky’s the limit
While it is an exciting shift, Bailey explains that MBE’s WA presence is still very much in its infancy, with what has been achieved so far being a building block for future success.
“The sky’s the limit, but at the core of every decision is servicing our customers and exploring how we can provide a better service for them,” Bailey says. “That’s a journey that’s ongoing and one that we’re looking forward to taking with our clients into the future.
“I’m excited to work with our partners and clients to say, ‘let’s build something together’. That’s what it’s all about.”
This article was originally published in the June edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
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