Don Kyatt Spare Parts, the Melbourne company behind the Terrain Tamer 4WD brand, has been named Governor of Victoria Exporter of the Year in the Manufacturing and Advanced Materials category. The award recognises sustained international growth and the company’s role in taking Australian engineering and manufacturing overseas.
Victoria’s Governor, Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, presented the award at Government House in Melbourne on 3 September. Founder and Managing Director Frank Hutchinson accepted it.
60,000 parts, 80 countries
Now in its 57th year, Don Kyatt supplies a catalogue of more than 60,000 automotive components to customers in more than 80 countries. Terrain Tamer products are designed and engineered at the company’s Victorian headquarters to meet or exceed original-equipment specifications, proven in some of the harshest operating environments in the world, with applications across mining, agriculture, defence, infrastructure, emergency services, and remote transport.
Export sales have grown significantly over the past three years and now make up more than a quarter of total company revenue. The company sells through nine company-owned international branches — New Zealand among them — on top of 10 branches in Australia and a network of more than 50 independent stockists.
The most significant recent step has been a North American operation, giving Don Kyatt an entry into the world’s largest automotive aftermarket. Senior Australian staff set it up to carry the company’s technical expertise and service standards into the new market. Expansion has continued across Latin America, Africa, Europe, and the Pacific on the same model: international branches handle warehousing, technical support, and customer service, and Australian teams provide leadership, training, and operational support.
Hutchinson said the award recognised the people and the Australian capability behind the company’s growth. “Don Kyatt has always been proud of its Australian roots, and it is incredibly rewarding to see the expertise, innovation and hard work of our people recognised at this level,” he said. “From Melbourne, we have built a business that now supports customers in more than 80 countries. This award is a tremendous honour for our entire team and reinforces our belief that Australian engineering and manufacturing can compete successfully anywhere in the world.”
As the Victorian category winner, Don Kyatt Spare Parts goes on to represent the state at the Australian Export Awards.
For more information, visit donkyatt.com.au
