Turners signs up Downer

Turners Group has announced an exclusive partnership with Downer New Zealand to manage the sale and disposal of all of its vehicles and plant assets in this country. Turners expects to sell several hundred units a year for Downer – from trucks, trailers, loaders and excavators to mowers, scrub cutters and plate compactors. They will predominantly be sold through Turner’s new online channels. Todd Hunter, Turners’ chief executive officer, says: “We have provided a specialist service valuing, appraising and selling trucks and machinery to New Zealand and international customers for the past six years. “Our goal is to deliver the best possible results for clients and we’re proud of our track record in this competitive area. We are looking forward to a long and productive relationship with Downer.” Downer is a leading provider of engineering and infrastructure management services. The partnership with Turners provides it with the means for it to implement asset replacement and disposal policies, says Mike Colbert, Downer NZ’s national plant asset manager. “Earlier this year, we went to the market looking to establish a disposal partnership with a business that understands our disposal requirements,” says Colbert. “Turners was the obvious choice as its core values are aligned to Downer and it’s a reputable company. It provides a quality of service and support that’s required when you do business with a national company, and it embraces technology through multiple sales channels. “If the initial trials we have completed are anything to go by, we will have a long and successful partnership with Turners.” Growing sales volumes in its commercial division have prompted Turners to expand its facilities with a new specialised commercial yard recently opening in Christchurch. A site in Roscommon Road has also been acquired to meet increased transaction volumes in Auckland and Turners is now investing in online channels for commercial assets. As well as buying through traditional auctions, its customers can buy commercial vehicles and kit through seven-day online auctions running in parallel on Trade Me and Turners’ website.