Success Stories: Brian van Rooyen Heritage Tanks Australia Pty Ltd
Exporting water tanks to his home country of South Africa has proven a successful business decision for Brian van Rooyen of Heritage Tanks Australia Pty Ltd.
With years of experience in the manufacture and installation of rainwater tanks, Mr van Rooyen migrated to Western Australia five years ago.
He established Heritage Tanks two years ago.
Made from zincalume steel, Heritage tanks feature a heavy-duty linear, low-density polyethelene liner and range in size from 52,000 litres to 600,000 litres.
Engineer-designed and certified, the tanks’ applications range from rural domestic use to water storage.
After securing a strong market share in WA after a year in business, Mr van Rooyen decided to look into exporting. He heard about TradeStart through the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC).
“SBDC’s TradeStart officer has given me some excellent — and ongoing — guidance,” Mr van Rooyen said.
“Through those initial discussions, I realised it was too soon to proceed with exporting, but I’ve gone ahead with it this year,” he said.
“Through TradeStart I’ve been linked to Austrade offices around the world.
“With Austrade’s support I participated in this year’s NAMPO agriculture show held in Bothaville, South Africa.
“That really helped start the export ball rolling, as does my ability to speak Afrikaans.
“Future export markets I’ll target include Colombia, Mauritius, the Middle East and other countries within Africa.”
Mr van Rooyen said he was also keen to sell his products to the Eastern States.
“To other businesses interested in exploring the export market, I highly recommend the TradeStart program,” he said.
