Sundance shining into 2010

For the past eight years now, Sundance Motors Ltd have been one of the rising equipment and service suppliers to the automotive industry in the country. One half of the company’s directorship spoke to Irish Trucker about the history of Sundance, what it has to offer to their customers and plans for the years to come.

Coltens is one of many VTN centres in the country that Sundance has provided its service to

When Sundance was first set-up in 2001 by Paul Callan and Finbar O’Callaghan back in 2001 neither knew where the bold move to delve into motor equipment business would take them.
Now, Sundance is recognised nationally as a prime specialist supplier of quality garage equipment, accessories and tools. With considerable experience and expertise, the company prides itself in providing the complete package - from the initial planning to the installation, and including full training and an after sales service.

As the company’s website boasts: “Sundance is here to turn your vision into reality.”
At present, Sundance have six full-time employees between their bases in both Cork and Drogheda. Altogether the company’s staff is made up of two people in sales, two in services and two managers, who are Callan and O’Callaghan.
The two managers met through respective business almost ten years ago and came up with the idea of starting up a business that would equip and supply service to the automotive industry. Callan, who had been working for Sun Ireland at the time, is from Drogheda, while O’Callaghan is from Cork and both now work from their respective base trying to make sure Sundance continues its growth.
“We would supply VTN centre businesses all across the country with the equipment that is used in their workshops,” Callan puts it simply.
However, there is more to what Sundance can offer to than just supplying VTN centres with their equipment, starting with workshop layout and design.

A DAF service vehicle goes through the test at Coltens

Sundance are well-known for exploring every feasible way to minimise unproductive time on the workshop floor. Intelligent and experienced design will maximize any company’s chargeable hours. For example, positioning lifts and test lanes, so that at no time will the vehicle be blocked, intensive training for technicians to ensure that they are skilled in the use of all equipment.
Range and variety of vehicles is ever changing in the motor industry, and the changes facing the workshop owner and technicians of today are more complex than ever. Sundance’s goal is to provide their customers with the most innovative products and services available, and in doing so, it provides them with diagnostic solutions and profit opportunity.
It’s little wonder why this business has prospered in its short time since establishment in 2001.

Some of the customers that have already availed of Sundance’s services would include Martin Molloy in Castlebar, Baltinglass VTN in Wicklow, AOC Commercials, Cork, Tom Moyles in Tipperary, Galway Truck Centre and Kearns and Murtagh, Dundalk.
“Sundance provided me with an unrivalled range of state of the art equipment,” said Brian Quinn of Auto Repairs, Portadown, Co. Armagh.
“Their complete package approach was what clinched the deal for me. They have a range of options that will suit any budget and the experience and technology to carry it out to perfection.”

A high quality installation is also guaranteed by Sundance. Their in house installation aspect is designed to fit workshops at the least inconvenience to the client using both manual and electrical installation services. Sundance’s high quality workmanship is fully guaranteed by the company, as compressed air, lubrication and pipe work, exhaust extraction and installation are a speciality and service and maintenance contracts are readily available.

Some of the Work Sundance Motors Ltd carried out at Coltens

What Callan really wants to get across more than any other point is about what is happening in truck bus and trailer diagnostics. This area is of huge importance to the future of Sundance and the future of the independent truck workshop.
“I have been selling car diagnostic systems from 1994, when I first sold the snap on scanner,” he explained. “Now our car customers use a diagnostic tool more than they use a 3/8 ratchet.

“This is how it is going to be for the truck workshop weather you like or not. We became the distributors in Ireland for a product call jaltest last year and let me tell you when it comes to diagnostic systems you need to be very careful. As a seller of cars systems for 15 years at the start I believed what the people selling it to me told me, then I sold it to my customer and the next time I called on that customer the unit was hopped off my head as I walked in the door followed by a string of abuse which I can’t repeat here.
“If I sell a diagnostic system I need to know it will be good for a customer’s business and make them money. We took on jaltest last year and we have three units out with people I know and trust and people that know and trust me. They’re happy with us and the units were happy with the company jaltest, so it’s all systems go next year for Sundance and jaltest.”

As Callan explains, he is a mechanic by trade from the car side and in the 1980s he served his time in working with plugs, points, condencers, coils, primary and secondary voltages, which was a good grounding from the electronics that were coming down the track. By the end of the 80s everything had electronic ignition/ fuel injection / air flow sensors cam and crank sensors etc.
However, the truck mechanic did not have to deal with as much electronics on his way through the trade.
“That’s why training is what I want to work on first and then selling, explained Callan. “Next year we at Sundance will have the people from the jaltest factory in Ireland for training. Then from training we will look at fitting a jaltest diagnostic system into your business.
“If you think this is a good idea, speak to me and help to get this training going in Ireland, Paul Callan 087 287 9206.”
What has become very clear to Callan and the people at Sundance in the last number of years is how there service side of the business has grown. Much of this is down to the fact that everything they sell they will follow with service year in, year out.

“The other thing we have found is that our competitors for the sale are only that. They don’t want or value service businesses, so we pick up on the service of products that we didn’t sell. So if you have any equipment out there that you need service on be it brake testers, column lifts, transmission jacks, pit jacks, two post lifts /four post lifts, bring it on,” says Callan
One area of equipment that Sundance think, as an industry, should be looked at is truck brake testers for fleet operators. Sundance have sold truck brake testers to customers who run there own fleet and there own workshop.
“When I go back and look at these businesses and when I do this I am trying to get a feel from the customer as to whether they see the buying of a brake tester was a benefit for the business,” said Callan.

“What I am finding is there have been a number of benefits for the business. We find major improvement in the workshop efficiency and no more messing about with trying to get it through the test. Test it if the brakes are good send it on to test and put back into service straight away, or carry out the work on the brakes test it ok send it on.
“One area that we are trying to get operators to look at is insurance. When you carry out regular brake tests on you fleet and keep the brake reports the insurance people like this and they can be talked to in regard to giving a better deal on you insurance.”