Transport champions celebrated
Monday, 26 September 2016
Hundreds of people from New Zealand and Australia have gathered in Invercargill to celebrate the induction of six people into the NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame this month.
The hall of fame, set up by HW Richardson Group's Scott and Jocelyn O'Donnell, aims to honour and applaud the outstanding contribution people have made to the New Zealand road transport industry.
More than 570 guests attended the event at Bill Richardson Transport World in Invercargill.
Associate Minister of Transport Craig Foss presented the awards, the fifth of their kind.
Inductees are considered legends in their own right, having contributed significant time, effort and resources to forging the way for the future of road transport in New Zealand.
The O'Donnells started the awards after attending a similar awards function in Australia in 2011.
They returned to New Zealand and initiated the concept on this side of the Tasman just nine months later.
The 2016 inductees are:
Stan Williamson – Taranaki/Bay Of Plenty
Now semi-retired at the age of 90, Williamson formed Maketu Contractors Ltd in 1953.
The company prospered until illness of one partner meant the breakup of the business, with Williamson taking on the burgeoning logging sector.
His company expanded within the usual ups and downs of the transport industry and he built a successful business before selling the last of his fleet to Rotorua Forest Haulage Ltd.
During all of this he was heavily involved with the Road Transport Association NZ (RTANZ) and in 1983, he was made a life member of No. 2 Central Executive, a life member of RTANZ Region 2 in 1983, and a life member of RTANZ in 1993.
Paul Balneaves - Southland
In 1974 Balneaves joined Inland Revenue Department, which eventually took him to London. He was still employed by the IRD when his father gave him a small shareholding in the family transport business.
In 1980 he moved from London back to Pukemaori in Southland and four years later stepped up to the challenge of running the company.
Purchases of log transport companies Crosbie Bros and Mason & Raynor, plus HE Melhop in Invercargill and Dunedin followed, and the name changed to Commercial Vehicle Centre Ltd.
Other purchases were made and in 1996 Log Marketing NZ was successfully established.
Under his leadership he's seen the business go from a 33 truck fleet in 1980 to a 125 truck fleet in 2015.
He has contributed as president of Region 5 of RTANZ, the president of the Southland branch, and as RTANZ conference chairman.
Mervyn Solly – Collingwood, Nelson
At the age of 15, Solly became a driver for his father's business. At the age of 23 he became the manager.
In the 1980s he began growing the business. He began Sea Tow Ltd and more purchases followed including TNL Group Ltd's Golden Bay rural operation in Takaka.
Today the business has spread throughout New Zealand.
He took a small local five truck business to a 100 truck national business, while keeping the local focus the company began with.
He is a member of the RTANZ and the Contractors Federation.
Don Wright – Northland/Auckland
Wright began his career as an apprentice mechanic at International Harvester Co in Auckland when he was 15 years old.
He then took an opportunity as a Kenworth dealer for Dalhoff and King before moving on and selling Komatsu machines and Nissan trucks in Auckland.
In 1973 he bought a Commer TS3 with a friend and used it to cart phosphate, but sold it a year later to buy a Valiant ute, contracting to NZ Steel.
When they changed their transport methods, he saw it as an opportunity and overcame adversity to become the biggest Scania dealer of the day.
That was the beginning of his business Trucks and Trailers Ltd, which now employs more than 90 staff in three branches.
When Cable Price dropped Mercedes Benz, Trucks and Trailers Ltd became Mercedes Benz dealers.
He remains today as director of Trucks and Trailers Ltd and Heavy Trucks Ltd.
Derek Dumbar – Southland/Otago/Bay Of Plenty
Originally from Invercargill, Dumbar joined Europa Oil (NZ) in Dunedin as marketing officer after attending the University of Otago.
In 1976 he became office manager and operations manager for Taieri Carrying Company in Mosgiel.
When the company purchased Maramara Products Limited he moved to Tauranga as general manager, a position he still holds today.
He is a life member of both RTANZ Region 2 and the Road Transport Forum NZ.
Bert Watchorn – Taranaki/Waikato
At the age of 17, Watchorn started driving a GMC logger for his older brother, hauling logs.
After time in Australia he and his family arrived back in NZ, settling near Paeroa where he got a job with a transport operator named Gilbert Sarjant.
In 1953, he bought a small, run-down transport company just out of Te Puke and in 1963, he and five other operators formed Te Puke Transport.
He eventually took over the total shareholding of Te Puke Transport and about five years later sold the Te Puke end of that company.
In the early 1980s he bought 2 logging trucks with contracts, wanting to change his direction again.
The stock cartage was sold on and the logging side of the business grew, still operating general freight as well, until he sold the business.
RTANZ has recently honoured Watchorn with a life membership after his 63 years in the industry.