Western Truck Group (WTG) has announced the acquisition of New South Wales truck company Southern Truck Centre (STC), which currently operates two dealership locations in the state.
A head of agreement has been reached between the two companies, with a view to final settlement and transfer of ownership in May 2025.
STC was established in Queanbeyan in 1994 as the local Volvo, UD and Mack trucks dealer for the area, and was subsequently purchased by current owners Steve and Lisa Barlow in 2008.
It expanded into Wollongong in 2011 and currently employs 95 staff.
WTG was established in 2018 following the acquisition of Queensland Truck Centre, which had previously operated in Toowoomba, Mount Isa and the Sunshine Coast since 1993 and is a Dealer Partner of Volvo Group Australia (VGA). It serves communities across Queensland, the Northern Territory and regional NSW.
President and CEO of VGA Martin Merrick says Volvo is supportive of the ownership transfer.
“I’m delighted to see Southern Truck Centre become a part of the WTG network,” Merrick says.
“Our dealers and their workshops are the lifeblood of our customers’ businesses. Their success is our success.
“This evolution of our dealer network will only serve to build on that legacy of success, providing industry leading customer support across some of Australia’s busiest freight routes.
“We’d like to thank the Barlow family and the entire STC team for making the business what it is today, and we look forward to continuing to work with them under the WTG banner.”
Current STC owner Steve Barlow says the time is right to part ways with the business.
“After starting with Volvo Group in 1996 in the UK and enjoying an association with Volvo Group Australia since 2004, I have decided the time is right to hand over my lifetime passion and business to Western Truck Group,” he says.
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