US saves the day for HSV

GROWING demand for American pick-up trucks is opening up new opportunities for Holden Special Vehicles.

The Melbourne automotive manufacturer has spent $30 million upgrading its factory in Clayton since Holden announced it would stop making cars here in 2015.

The business, owned by the Walkinshaw Automotive Group, was built on transforming Holdens into Holden Special Vehicles. The Walkinshaw Commodore was its most famous product.

The business employed 150 workers and upgraded 3000 vehicles a year — adding in 250 new parts per car — before Holden stopped making cars in Australia.

Holden shut its car making plant in South Australia in 2017.

HSV has pivoted its “remanufacturing” business to convert US vehicles such as Chevrolet and Ram pick-ups and the Chevrolet Camaro sedan to right-hand drive.

HSV now employs 350 workers and transforms 6000 vehicles a year, adding up to 600 new components.

It began running one of its production lines around the clock earlier this year.

The specialty manufacturer’s latest investment has been to introduce software from German industrial giant Siemens to better control its workflow and boost productivity.

“We are a far more complex business than we were – there is a lot more engineering, a lot more parts flowing through,” HSV chief Tim Jackson said.

“We have quite a few growth ambitions and we have some new products lined up.”

Mr Jackson said the company was at a crossroads in 2015.

But support from Chevrolet and Ram opened up a new opportunities and local demand for US pick-ups was on the rise, he said.