Dandenong Wheels and Castors are locals in every sense with strong roots in Greater Dandenong. This year, the business is celebrating 40 years in operation.
As a specialist industrial products distributor and wholesaler specialising in wheels, castors and materials handling equipment, Dandenong Wheels and Castors largely supports Australian manufacturers, across Australia and particularly in the south-east of Melbourne.
In 1990, Brad Taylor and his wife Kay purchased Dandenong Wheels and Castors, (established in 1985). Having a manufacturing background, Brad wanted a business he could run himself and provide opportunities for his young family down the track.
Enter Ben Taylor, Brad’s eldest son, who joined the family business 13 years later in 2003, and is now proudly the Director and General Manager. ”This is a family-run business and we are really proud to work in Dandenong,” says Ben. “My whole family have a strong relationship with Dandenong. My grandparents lived on James Street for over 50 years after World War Two. I was born at Dandenong hospital. After my parents got married, they moved to Berwick, but Dandenong has been my second home for nearly 30 years and I’ve spent all my working life in the area.”
Nowadays, the business is still keeping it in the family. Ben’s wife works at Dandenong Wheels and Castors, as does his younger brother Leigh. “Since joining the family business, Leigh has helped to further grow our business - specialising in relationship building and major accounts,” says Ben. “We look forward to growing the business together – I couldn’t do it without him!” Their father retired in 2019, but occasionally fills in if an employee is sick or on holidays.
Meanwhile, Ben has three sons of his own, aged 16, 13 and 10. Whether or not they will take over the reins one day is yet to be decided. “Working with family has its moments,” says Ben, with a laugh. “We’ve had good working relationships and we’ve tried to maintain a balance between work and home life. Dad does get a bit frustrated if he can’t find things or doesn’t know how the systems work anymore as the business has grown so much.” It’s those solid foundations which have been the cornerstone of Dandenong Wheels & Castors’ success, now approaching over four decades.
“We are excited to celebrate our 40-year anniversary this year,” says Ben. “We have partners and suppliers who have stuck with us from the very beginning, and those ongoing relationships are extremely important to us.” Reflecting on the 40-year milestone, Ben said it had been rewarding to see the business grow to what it is today. The changing landscape of manufacturing in Australia and the influx of cheap imported products flooding the market has presented challenges, but the business is focussed on providing quality products and working with emerging industries, like the automated warehousing industry.
Ben’s advice to other businesses wanting to last the distance is to operate with integrity. “If you tell someone you’re going to do it, make sure you do it. It’s not always about the bottom line; it’s about providing the best solutions for your customer base to keep them coming back. Our culture is built around good old-fashioned service.”
You can find Dandenong Wheels and Castors at 310 South Gippsland Highway, Dandenong South.
