Established in Perth 17 years ago, Bull Motor Bodies has grown from a relatively small workshop to become one of Australia’s leading service body manufacturers for utility vehicles.
Five years ago, Bull Motor Bodies expanded into Northlakes, Queensland. It now operates from two operation centres, incorporating a national office, a WA branch and a distribution centre, as well as its manufacturing facility. Today the company produces more than 1,000 units per year, with this number likely to soon increase, with plans afoot to enter the South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales markets. Bull Motor Bodies is on a steady growth path thanks to an innovative manufacturing process and its partnerships with quality component partners such as Narva.
Some 80% of the company’s bodies find their way onto vehicles operated by major national fleets working in mining, emergency services, utilities and similar applications. A key to Bull Motor Bodies’s manufacturing success story and bullish growth is its use of state-of-the-art design and manufacturing processes, ensuring a quality outcome for each unit.
On offer to buyers are several chassis-mounted enclosed canopy options, as well as a tray with toolbox models and flat tray options. Each of these products come in three sizes and are designed to suit all commercial utility vehicles available in Australia, be it single-cab, extra-cab or dual-cab, in either 4×2 or 4×4 configuration.
By developing several standardised designs, Bull Motor Bodies has achieved efficiencies in the manufacturing process, delivering a fast build while maintaining the highest quality and at an affordable price. However this standardised approach doesn’t mean customers go without choice in how the bodies are equipped – the company is able to tailor the fit-out with a vast array of options and accessories depending on the needs of the application.
In keeping with the modular design approach, the company has partnered exclusively with Narva over the past four years as its lighting and electrical component supplier of choice. According to Bull Motor Bodies Business Development Manager Simon Rawnsley, it is the combination of a quality product range and national support that makes Narva a great fit for the company.
“We have been using Narva equipment for quite a while and we are very happy with their products,” says Rawnsley. “The relationship between the two brands is strong and as a company they’re fantastic to deal with. The Narva range is extensive and has every product we need to satisfy our diverse range of clients. The equipment is also of a high quality and finish, something which is very important to us.
“The third major consideration was product support and nationwide back-up. We have units all over the country so we needed support throughout Australia to ensure our customers received the best possible back-up if and when this is required.”
All Bull Motor Bodies units are extensively equipped with Narva products. Depending on the application products include the latest Ultima LED driving lights, LED light bars, LED taillights, beacons, emergency lighting, mining bars, work lamps and interior lighting. The vehicles also operate a wide range of equipment from Narva’s sister electrical power supply and battery maintenance brand, Projecta.
As well as using the clever modular design, another factor that sets Bull Motor Bodies aside from many competitors is its unique blend of automotive materials and assembly techniques.
“Aluminium features heavily in our units,” explains Rawnsley. “We use 3mm-gauge aluminium, heavy-duty composite plastic as well as steel where required. The end result is a lower-weight body that’s still extremely durable.
“Our units operate in some of Australia’s toughest conditions but normally last two to three vehicle-lease cycles. When the customer requires a new vehicle, the module will more often than not be transferred from the old vehicle. After a quick service, the transferred module and new vehicle will head back into the fleet and operate again for another vehicle life.”
Rawnsley says that customer feedback on their range of bodies is excellent: “Such is the quality of the build and the components used that the customer doesn’t necessarily differentiate between the Narva equipment and the body itself, they see it as fully integrated solution. They comment on how professional the bodies are and how well they perform in the field; they see value in the build and in what they’re getting, which includes all the Narva gear.”
While Bull Motor Bodies is currently specialising in utility vehicles, in the future the company will also look to extend its range to cover light trucks, where it will again look to team-up with Narva.