TRT (Tidd Ross Todd Limited) appointed Glen Harnett as General Manager (GM) of Capital Whole Goods at the beginning of this year, dedicating his 13 years of experience with TRT products to helping customers find the right transport solutions for their business.
Glen Harnett was appointed as General Manager of Capital Whole Goods on January 1, 13 years after he started with the company as a trailer sales engineer.
In 2010, his aim was to increase trailer sales and provide support for TRT’s growing customer base. In his new role as GM of Capital Whole Goods, Glen will have responsibility for the front-line focus on capital wholegoods sales in New Zealand and Australia. This includes TRT’s full range of cranes and other OEM-manufactured products including Heavy Haulage Trailers, ESS Platform Trailers, Crane Trailers, and the TIDD Pick and Carry Crane.
TRT’s Director of Innovation and Sales, Bruce Carden, says “I am pleased that Glen has accepted the role of GM of Capital Whole Goods. This is a critical role for TRT, and we need the right person to lead this. We needed someone that shared our vision for the future while acknowledging the rich history and legacy of TRT that was created by the innovative thinking and intuition of its founders. Glen is that person”.
Bruce continues, “Glen has demonstrated commitment and notable success in executing new strategies that have delivered significant results for TRT. His considerable experience in business management, heavy steel fabrication and engineering, positions the company to provide better support for our growing customer base and a greater level of focus to out-serve our customers.”
Glen’s knowledge of the industry derive from when he started his own company building car transporters. Following this, he joined BPW Transport Efficiency NZ Ltd as a Sales Manager for eight years. This is when the relationship with TRT started, as TRT was one of BPW’s largest parts and service customers.
Glen says, “product knowledge is very important when providing customers with transport solutions. Knowing what the customer wants to achieve and being able to provide this is very rewarding. We have many customers that continue to buy TRT products because they trust the product, the people, and the complete ongoing company support.”
“We strive to provide high-quality products that provide the ultimate solution for our customers. Being an ISO 9001:2015 manufacturer, TRT must meet stringent auditing standards. All processes are managed in-house at our head office and manufacturing facility in Hamilton, New Zealand, from engineering design right through to customer delivery so we can be confident we are providing the end product the customer expects.”
“TRT was created by the innovative ingenuity and relentless hard work of its founders, the Carden family, and has grown into what it is today. I love what I do, and I am looking forward to trying new things both internally and externally and influencing decisions that benefit the future development of TRT,” said Glen.
Towards the end of 2022, TRT confirmed its commitment to innovations and future development when announcing the launch of the Tidd PC28-2 pick and carry crane.
Leading from the front, TRT continues to enhance the overall Tidd crane operator experience and performance. The upgrades to the newly named Tidd PC28-2 are driven through TRT’s focus on continuous improvement, with consideration of industry and operator feedback.
“The Tidd PC28-2 is the better pick and carry crane experience. The new upgrades to the Tidd PC28-2 stem from our continuous focus on innovation and actively exceeding expectations for our customers,” said Robert Carden, TRT’s technical director.
“These new upgrades deliver a better all-round experience for the life of your crane, and we are looking forward to delivering the first orders to our customers next year.”
There are four key areas of improvement in the upgraded Tidd PC28-2. It features more powerful front suspension cylinders. This new system offers a greater lift capacity when articulated and working on a side slope, boosting lift capacity by up to 17 per cent.
New steps have been added to improve lift control. An additional three steps on the Tidd PC28-2 load chart deliver significant improvement when the crane is articulating. So, for the operator, this means that, as the crane articulates, it reduces the rate of the load chart decrease.
The Robway Tidd crane operating software has been upgraded with improved functionality. This enables faster processing and greater control responsiveness for the Tidd PC28-2 operator.
“TRT has always focused on the people when considering advancements in technology for the Tidd crane,” said Robert.
“With operator and dogman comfort central to the design of the Tidd crane, this new model also features a re-engineered ROPS cabin.
“This has been tested with a measured reduction in cabin noise levels by 8dBa at 80km/h when on the road.”
As well as these considerable upgrades, TRT has been focused on ensuring that Tidd customers and operators are fully supported for the life of the crane, from onboarding of operators to parts and service support Australia and New Zealand-wide. TRT also launched its new Tidd Crane Operator Familiarisation Program.
“From the start, the development of the Tidd crane was intended to set new standards in articulated crane performance, and we continue to focus on how we can advance this to provide the best possible solution for our customers,” said Bruce Carden.
“The Tidd crane has come a very long way in terms of design, capacity, and functionality. The new Tidd Crane Operator Familiarisation Program is another example demonstrating our commitment and focus towards providing a better overall experience for Tidd crane operators.”
The new program includes a new Tidd Crane Operators Familiarisation Video, designed for experienced pick and carry crane operators to quickly and easily understand the Tidd crane operation, its functions, and the features of the crane, with access 24/7.
“This exclusive program is designed to suit our customers’ operations,” said Bruce.
“We also offer in-person training from one of our factory-trained experts, online manual access 24/7, remote video with one of our experts, and a dealer and service support network Australia-wide. We truly believe that this journey has created an overall better experience that pick and carry crane operators have been demanding.”
TRT’s dealer support and service network includes Baden Davis Crane Connection, based in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, RMB Service Group in South Australia, Ronco Construction Equipment and Engineering in Western Australia, JDM Diesel Services in Victoria and Complete Crane Solutions in Western Australia, Karratha, Pilbara Region.
TRT’s dealers and service agents are selected based on their experience and knowledge of cranes and pick and carry cranes, and as importantly, on their commitment to providing a continued high standard of ongoing customer service and parts support locally.