ISUZU HELPS OUT ON THE GRAPEVINE

24 March 2011

As arguably Australia's most famous and revered wine region, South Australia's picturesque Barossa Valley produces some of our country's best wines.  Spawned from vines dating as far back as the mid 1800s, the aged woody vines and ancient earth from which they grow make a stark contrast to Vinetech Machinery's bristling new Isuzu NPR 200.

Owned and operating since May 2010 by Ben Stephen, who runs a Gregoire Vinestar grape harvester dealership and also specialises in designing, engineering and maintaining vineyard machinery, Vinetech's services are in high demand across the Barossa.

With a good portion of his time spent out in the field, Ben's NPR 200 serves as a no compromised, fully equipped mobile workshop, housing a vast selection of tools, an air compressor, hydraulic crimper and machinery parts. The truck also carries fabrication equipment required for on-site work, and with its colourful customised livery, provides an impressive mobile billboard for the business.

"I have been working in the industry for ten years and this is the first Isuzu truck I have owned. The NPR is a great field service unit - it's fully self sufficient," Ben said.

"It offers me plenty of storage space; I have even installed toolboxes under the floor line of the tray with hidden locks."

Ben purchased the truck in July 2010 from North East Isuzu. He has since taken the truck back to the dealership for its 5,000 kilometre service with no problems whatsoever to report.

"North East Isuzu are fantastic. They were very helpful when I was looking to purchase and quick to service my truck."

According to Ben, value for money was an important factor when he was in the market to purchase a new truck, and the NPR  was very affordable.

With regular driving out in paddocks amongst the vines and along farm tracks, cabin comfort is also rated highly.

"The cab is very roomy and comfortable compared to those manufactured by Isuzu's competitors. I like how the colour of the interior is dark, so it doesn't show any dirt and grease," Ben said.

With the ability to carry 4.5 tonne, Ben has installed a rear mounted crane to his Isuzu.

"The crane has a six metre reach and is most frequently used during harvester repairs and engineering work," Ben said.

"Having the crane on the back of my truck hasn't impacted my visibility at all. The truck's large mirrors allow excellent vision of what's behind me.

"Although the truck carries considerable weight with the crane and all of my harvesting equipment, it still offers sufficient power for the task."

According to Ben, operating the light duty Isuzu truck is comparable to a car in some respects.

"The truck drives like a car, it's so easy to handle. One of the truck's best features is its tight turning circle. It's fantastic as it allows me to get the truck into tight places. This is a big advantage when you're working in the harvesting industry."

With Vinetech Machinery's services in high demand, Ben will soon recruit another staff member to help him out.

"With business going extremely well, and my NPR's excellent performance, I'm considering hiring another person to meet demand, which will of course mean adding another Isuzu truck to my fleet in the near future," he said.

ends

For further information, please contact:                            For Isuzu Truck releases and photos:

Jeff Birdseye                                                                        Arkajon Communications

Marketing Manager                                                               Phone: 03 9867 5611

Isuzu Australia Limited                                                          Email: isuzu@arkajon.com.au

Phone: 03 9644 6666