PETER ROWLAND
By Jim Brown

Proskid was founded by Peter Rowland, the fourth generation of a family with a fascination for tracked machinery. His great grandfather was a William Adams distributor in 1899, his grandfather drove a tank in the first world war, and his father was a fanatical earthmover. You could say he has a real “tracked record!”

After ten years in corporate finance, Peter operated Backhoes, bobcats and excavators while studying for an accountancy degree. But his passion for mechanics soon led him to move into repairing, reconditioning and trading in these machines, employing 11 people in Hawthorn, Collingwood, and then Nunawading.

In 1986 Peter founded the Skid Steer Loader Association, uniting owners and operators to address the issues facing the industry; and became its first President, then magazine editor, then treasurer. In these roles he met hundreds of earthmoving operators, learned to understand, and help them develop their businesses.

The recession "we had to have" caused many adjustments, including the move to the much larger current premises at Lee Parade, Mitcham - ideal for access, central location, workshop, and enclosed showroom.

In the early 1990s the company supplied New Holland skid steer loaders, Jaden and then Dingo Mini Loaders, and Polaris track loaders, but the search for better quality products and service continued. When wet winters caused a big demand for tracked vehicles, the opportunity was quickly seized. "The only over the tyre tracks on the market were rediculously expensive - about $5000 a set, so we designed, built and sold our own for half that price. And they had replaceable pins and bushes."

In 1996 the newly formed PROskid (short for Professional Skid Loaders) was appointed the sole Toyota skid steer loader distributor for Victoria. In the first year Toyota sales jumped from 7 machines to 56, and continued to increase rapidly. "We immediately initiated many new concepts, including free loan machines to minimize servicing downtime, onsite demonstrations of all models, and regular servicing seminars." "We introduced the new 4 series, and for over ten years consolidated our solid stable and successful reputation. Sales were strong, our customers and suppliers were happy, and we were the recognised customer service industry leaders. Then the next opportunity arose."

After years of trying, PROskid won the prestigious Takeuchi dealership for excavators and Track Loaders, and in the first 12 months sales soared from less than 10 to nearly 100 units. Peter had wanted to supply Takeuchis since he wrote to them in 1988. "I knew then that they were good quality, but they have since wildly surpassed our expectations."

With their personal knowledge of the equipment hire industry and the flexibility to suit it, PROskid won national supply contracts with Kennards Hire, first for 1.5tn and then larger excavators. The Kennards experience led many other hire companies to seek Takeuchi machines, making PROskid easily the largest supplier of excavators to the Victorian hire industry. Peter says the hire company experience speaks for itself. "The majority of hire companies have little say in how the equipment is treated on site, yet must always have it ready for the next day's work. The machines are abused in every way possible yet the Takeuchis just keep going. Many hire companies say their Takeuchis are suprisingly more reliable, cheaper to maintain and more popular with hirers."

After eleven years and well over a thousand Toyota machines sold by PROskid, it was obvious that their levels of customer service had become unsustainable. So after earnest discussion in July 2007, "We resigned the agency rather than disappoint our customers by doing it poorly. We enjoy the right products and the right attitude from our suppliers, and are just plain not prepared to be half-hearted."

By contrast, Peter describes PROskid's future with Takeuchi as "fabulous" because they keep designing better products, and improving old ones. "I have found Takeuchi to be extremely customer responsive. A good example is the new TL120 standard "skid steer sized" track loader which has obviously been built with a large amount of advice supplied on Australians' requirements."

The Mercedes Benz or BMW of the industry, Takeuchi machines are better designed, stronger, more intelligent in the things they will do, and offer many new refinements and options not available to others. "[Takeuchi] products are so far ahead it's a joke - it really is. Takeuchi is the only full zero swing excavator available in Australia, and hydraulic offset to boot. It means you can work between two walls, load in front of you and put the dirt behind you. No other machine can do that because the boom would hit one of the two walls."

Few can match Peter's "hands on" commitment to his company. "PROskid is my business, but I don't think of myself as a Chief Executive. I turn up each day, give the best personal service and learn from my customers while I'm helping them."

Peter has an excellent working relationship with his workshop manager, Fred Edwards. "We are both interested in the mechanics of our equipment, the people we work with, and most importantly, in getting the job done properly the first time. We are both very busy people who just want to get it right."

"It doesn't matter what vehicle you work on, we want it to work first time, be safe and economical. We don't want to be huge, as we enjoy being big enough to handle the volume, and small enough to do it properly."

Outside working hours Peter Rowland and Fred Edwards have common interests. "Fred and I share a fascination for machinery, and after work we restore old Mack trucks, Star model Customlines, Austin Healeys, and my grandfather's 1930 Chrysler. Whether it's for business or pleasure, our love for mechanical things only grows with each new project."

That's the key to PROskid's remarkable success story. The man at the top is passionately committed to his machinery, customers, staff and suppliers; and his enthusiasm infects all those who work with him.