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Whites Diesels celebrates 25 years in business

Leading supplier of truck and bus parts marks 25 years since opening

 

A major Mercedes-Benz parts supplier for the truck and bus industries has notched 25 years in the game.

Whites Diesels Australia is this year celebrating a major milestone after opening as a one-man operation in 1991 in the suburb of Sandgate, about 30 minutes north of Brisbane.

Since its humble beginnings, Whites Diesels has morphed into a nationwide operation with seven distribution points throughout Australia.

It specialises in Mercdes-Benz parts and is one of the largest stockist of engine and body parts for Mercedes-Benz trucks in Australia. Whites Diesels also boasts an extensive range for other European makes including Volvo, Scania and MAN.

Darryl White founded the company in 1991 as an independent supplier and then partnered with Rodney Hemaridis to begin turning it into a national operation by expanding into New South Wales seven years later.

Both men are still actively involved in the day-to-day operations of Whites Diesels through positions on the board. White also runs the second-hand products range and Hemaridis supports the sales and products teams.

“If there’s one thing we’ve learned in 25 years of business it’s that you have to know your strengths and weaknesses and focus on doing things well, not doing them your way,” White says.

“We’re both back doing what we love and what we’re best at, and Whites Diesels is better for it.”

White faced challenges early on to establish his business.

“I had $10,000 and couldn’t even afford statements. I had to put white stickers on borrowed ones,” White says.

“And then my local suppliers pulled the rug out from under me. No more wholesale prices, which meant no more margin. So I got on a plane, went to a trade-fair in Germany and sourced all my own parts suppliers.”

White says this allowed him to run the company as a completely independent supplier.

Whites Diesels overcame more challenges when establishing a footprint in NSW in 1998.

“The first month, I worked out of my car and we earned $400,” Hemaridis says.

“But the next month, we leased a shed. The month after that, we hired another salesman. Each month things got better.”

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