Pirtek USA celebrates 50th location

[caption id="attachment_19985" align="alignright" width="253" caption="Morgan Arundel, left, president of Pirtek USA, greets Pirtek International executive director Glenn Duncan at the Florida headquarters of Pirtek USA."][/caption] Since opening its first location in 1996, Pirtek USA has grown steadily through economic booms and busts to reach its 50th service center in the United States this month. That expansion has led the way for Australia-based Pirtek International’s growth outside its home market the past few years, and the hydraulic-hose repair franchise is poised for growth to accelerate further in the United States, according to Pirtek International executive director Glenn Duncan, who made an official visit to commemorate the brand’s milestone this week. Speaking from Pirtek USA’s Rockledge, Florida, headquarters, Duncan said Pirtek could reach as many as 300 service centers in the United States within the next 10 years, which would entail a significant ramp-up in growth from the franchise’s first two decades in this market. Pirtek also has expanded throughout Europe as well as to New Zealand, China, Singapore, Mongolia, Canada and South Africa. “I just want to congratulate the Pirtek USA team on a job well done,” said Duncan, whose father Peter Duncan founded Pirtek International in Western Sydney in 1980. “I get a great feel for the family environment in the organization here, which Pirtek is renowned for, and it’s pleasing to see that the U.S. has duplicated not only that, but also the brand’s systems and business principles.” Duncan spoke with 1851 Magazine about Pirtek’s future growth prospects in the United States. What has struck you the most about Pirtek’s business in the United States? The company bouncing back from the last recession America went through is credit in itself. Pirtek was a real leader among the companies that rebounded, and that was very pleasing to see. I think the foundations the U.S. team built early on in the business have really started to come to the forefront. That foundation got them through some tough times, produced some great results and has set them up for the future. What are your projections for the U.S. business? Our manufacturing and construction sectors are starting to come back. We believe there are many opportunities to expand with additional product launches in additional markets, and it’s not concentrated in just one industrial sector. The beauty of Pirtek is that it’s become a one-stop shop in the hydraulic-hose sector, which is exciting. Having 50 centers in the United States could really be the turning point to get Pirtek to soar. The brand has more marketing strength now, and I just think success breeds success, because the name is established within the segments we serve. That’s good as we look to spread across the United States and fill the gaps, which should come a lot easier than the first 50 locations. Realistically, within a 10-year term, you could be looking at 300 service centers in the United States. If you consider that we have 97 centers in Australia, with a population of 24 million people, then by pure population, 300 centers in America is not an unforeseeable goal. We hear that all Pirtek USA franchisees will visit the Australian market next year? What are they going to learn on that visit? One of the main objectives is to show franchisees from the U.S. how having more centers within a state or region makes those areas even more successful. For example, we have 11 service centers within Brisbane and South Queensland, with a population of about 1.8 million people. Franchisees sometimes think that the bigger the territory, the better it is, but in fact by reducing the territory they cover, they can focus their business on serving the customers closest to them. The major point is to let our people understand that their service centers can be relatively near each other and still serve many more customers better.