All roads lead to Doosan

Manufacturers Monthly sat down with Rick Foster, general manager of Hare and Forbes Machinery House, to learn more about the almost 100 year history of the company and its range of Doosan Machine tools.

Hare and Forbes Machinery House can trace its way back to the 1930’s where it started under the Hare and Forbes name, and it still remains family owned to this day.

Beginning life as a secondhand machinery and scrap metal dealer, the business has continually – in its near 100 year history – evolved to meet customer requirements as a supplier of new and used workshop equipment across Australia and New Zealand.

Its humble beginnings saw customers rummaging through bins and 44-gallon drums for a required part, with much of the stock made up of World War II army surplus. The company has moved a long way from this but maintains the same support for its customers it always has.

Joining the company 35 years ago, Rick Foster has seen a lot of change during his time at Hare and Forbes Machinery House and in his current role of general manager is proud of where the company is today.

“When I started at the company, we were selling close to 80 per cent second-hand equipment and 20 per cent new,” Foster explained.

“We were selling second-hand gearboxes, electric motors and water pumps,” Foster said. “But as supply of these began to dry up, we knew our customers wanted more from us – so it was time to expand our horizons and open up new opportunities.”

Hare and Forbes consistently identified areas to support its clients better throughout its history, including building and importing power hacksaws, air compressors, lathes, and milling equipment. The company was even one of the first to import an angle grinder from Japan that sold for $99, an incredibly good value at that time, it later become the well-known brand Makita.

Every step of the way was about improving what was available to clients in Australia and bringing fresh products to the local market. The next big step for Hare and Forbes was to expand its base from Sydney and the first step was to head north to Brisbane.

“We started off in a small car yard in Brisbane and we would forklift our machines out into the yard each day and then back inside at the end,” Foster chuckled.

“It was a humble start, but it allowed us to find our way into the Brisbane market and we learnt a lot from each time we expanded and moved forward,” he said.

In 2002 Hare and Forbes acquired Herless Machinery who were based in Melbourne and Perth, allowing the company to expand its footprint to Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne in the early 2000s.

In 2007 the company was then contacted by a number of employees of a reseller in New Zealand asking to open another branch across the Tasman. Recognising the opportunity to grow further the company leapt at the opportunity in 2008.

While Hare and Forbes Machinery House has grown rapidly, Foster explains how they have maintained the values that have seen its success.

“It is still a close-knit family environment; when I started back in the 80’s we had 23 employees and have now grown to over 200, and we know most of each other by name,” Foster said.

“We all work hard for each other and then, in turn, work hard for our customers; it’s a fantastic environment,” he said.

Through its history, Foster and the team at Hare and Forbes Machinery House have grown relationships with a number of suppliers in both Taiwan and Korea and one that has been beneficial for the team is the partnership with Doosan.

Doosan has a strong history dating back to 1976 when it opened its first machine tool factory, and it now has close to 400 different machines available.

Foster explains why the team at Hare and Forbes brought the Doosan range into the fold.

“We always wanted to get into the CNC market, we began bringing in our own range from Taiwan but when we acquired the business in Melbourne, they were stocking what was known as the Daewoo range at the time and they have now rebranded as Doosan or DN Solutions as they are known nowadays ,” he said.

The brand has become very well trusted in Australia; I think people were initially nervous about buying a product from Korea when we brought it on board, but customers are thrilled with it. After buying one machine we will see people coming back for a second and third; that repeat business is great for us to see,” Foster said.

Foster believed that in the early days the DN solutions range was used as a bargaining tool when companies were sourcing a Japanese machine, but this has long since changed.

“It was disappointing when we saw that, but the tables have turned now and we have a strong position in the market and the machines are very well respected in the manufacturing space,” he explained.

“We have probably close to 1000 machines out in the Australian market and what has been imperative for us throughout the process is providing the backup support needed to make sure down time is minimised for users,” Foster said.

The machines are so well respected in Australia Hare and Forbes recently sold into Brad Jones Racing and will help the Chevrolet team with its machining.

Each of the Hare and Forbes branches has several technicians trained by DN solutions who can quickly mobilise to support customers.

“All of our service technicians are sent to the DN solutions factory in Korea to learn from the engineers on all of the DN solutions machines, ensuring they have a firm grasp of the range,” Foster said.

“The factory supplies the machines, the training and warranty parts, but it is up to us here at Hare and Forbes to make sure we deliver on our end and that is something we take very seriously,” he explained.

With each branch maintaining a crew of technicians, much of the country is covered, and with plans to open a branch in Adelaide the support will only grow from there. While the backup support was pivotal, it was also important to maintain strict quality controls for the machines they imported, as Foster explains.

“I think the thing people do not realise is that we have strict quality control on all of our products. Each and every time a machine shipment comes in from overseas one of each type of machine is taken out of the packaging and put into our workshop to be diligently checked by our technicians,” he said.

“This can be from the smallest milling machine for hobby use all the way through to our biggest CNC machines.

“We will take them out of the box and a report is completed on them in which we will pay close attention to the safety features on the machines. We will then also add any extra safety features someone may require like emergency stop buttons and other things they may need for their specific business,” Foster explained.

For Hare and Forbes Machinery House, DN solutions is not merely a supplier but a true partner; they work closely with the Korean based company.

“It is fantastic for the team that there is only a two-hour time difference between us, allowing technicians to quickly communicate with the head office. We can ask them a pressing question and we can have a response within business hours, again supporting us with the backup support we provide,” Foster explained.

“Once a shipment arrives, we can go back to the factory with something that we want to get fixed or adjusted to improve the product. When the next one comes in, we will check the changes and the process continues again after that.”

“We are working with the factories to make the product better,” Foster said.

Foster explained how value for money is a big part is of why people look into the DN solutions machines – but there is more to the DN solutions range than just that.

“While they originally find them good value for money, they also stand up well to the needs of the user; they are coming back again and again,” Foster said.

“We sold a DN solutions sliding head lathe to a local manufacturer, he bought his first and has since bought six in four years.”

“He had used Swiss machines in the past, but now prefers the DN solutions as they have better backup support and the value for money is better,” Foster said.

When it comes to finding the right machine for the user, Hare and Forbes Machinery House takes a partnership approach to sourcing machines for customers.

“We will look at the work a manufacturer is doing or the work that they have coming when it comes to deciding what they need. They may have also just won a contract and that will help us in deciding what their needs will be,” Foster explained.

“The thing that is important to consider is future proofing your machines, so we make those considerations as well.”

“We will go out to someone who is considering a machine and we will discuss their options and make a suggestion to help them decide what machine is best.”

“We did a similar process recently, recommending a machine for Qantas to repair the wheels on its planes, so they can make repairs quickly as opposed to relying on the product to come from a supplier,” Foster said.

Hare and Forbes’ long and varied history has delivered it to the position now where it is setting itself up as a one stop shop for equipment. The company stocks a range of CNC cutting systems, CNC Metal Machines, welding equipment, machine tools and accessories.

A range of lifting and handling equipment, hand tools, meat processing equipment, workshop equipment and wood working machines are also offered by Hare and Forbes. The company has even branched into the automotive restoration space, an area that is growing quickly in Australia.