Unimog is an offroad vehicle brand like no other – a legendary name with a cult following among collectors and recreational off roaders that is also a highly valued commercial vehicle.
Gold Coast-based Unidan Engineering, incorporating the Mercedes-Benz Unimog Centre, is a leading dealership for new Unimog trucks plus a specialist facility for customisations, refits and rebuilds. It was founded by Daniel Mavin in 2011, almost by happenstance.
Unimog is an offroad vehicle brand like no other – a legendary name with a cult following among collectors and recreational off roaders that is also a highly valued commercial vehicle.
Gold Coast-based Unidan Engineering, incorporating the Mercedes-Benz Unimog Centre, is a leading dealership for new Unimog trucks plus a specialist facility for customisations, refits and rebuilds. It was founded by Daniel Mavin in 2011, almost by happenstance.
Passion turns into Business
Daniel’s daughter Tiarni, who has been working alongside her dad since she was seven and is now Business Development Manager for Unidan Engineering, tells the story of how an unusual hobby turned into a booming business.
“Dad’s background is in the motor-fabricating industry and he’s spent many years building and driving 4WDs, camper trailers and motor homes. The first Mog we had in 2007 was already fitted out as a camper, and we restored it completely, for ourselves,” she says
When they started working on their second Mog, the idea for a business was sparked.
“We got a call from a guy in the US who said he had seen some pictures of our latest project on Facebook and we thought, we don’t even have Facebook! It turns out a friend had posted some photos and this guy really wanted to buy our Unimog. We said it wasn’t for sale but he kept offering more and more until it got to the point we couldn’t refuse.”
From there, the Mavins found themselves running a business from their backyard, initially importing the vehicles or buying them privately to refit while taking on projects for other Mog owners. When the Australian Army started selling off their Unimog fleet about six years ago, business really took off.
Quality leads to growth
With remarkable growth underpinned by the team’s reputation for exceptional work, Unidan Engineering and the dealership now operate from a 4,000 sq.m facility at Yatala.
“I've got probably 40 Unimogs in the yard right now,” Tiarni says. “Ten of those are for a New South Wales State emergency department. We probably have about 150 trucks come through the yard every year and we sell about 25 brand new trucks.”
While the business initially focused on the recreational market, about 60% of Unidan’s projects are now in the commercial vehicle space.
Unidan trusts UES to meet expectations
With a team of highly experienced tradesmen who are committed to exceptional workmanship, Unidan caters to clients’ every need. That means ensuring every component used in every project must be of the highest quality, completely reliable and supplied by a company that values relationships, which is why they choose UES.
The business has purchased nearly 3,000 parts from UES since 2018, from toolboxes, drawer slides and springs to gas struts, handles, steps, seals, pins and fasteners. In addition to supplying outstanding product, UES also supports the brand with trustworthy advice.
“I recall one build of a safari body where UES helped us with the seating in the rear, recommending the JANY seats and legs and ensuring this option would meet regulatory requirements. They are also great about getting CAD files to us easily and quickly, which is really important to us.”
Tiarni notes that when there is an issue with any part of a Unimog they sell or work on, it’s Unidan’s reputation on the table.
“We simply won't put something into our builds unless we are absolutely confident in the quality, because if it fails, we can't go back to our customer and say it’s the supplier’s fault, they blame us, we're the ones that have that ongoing relationship with them.
“If they're in the middle of the desert and their drawers are flailing around and everything's failed, we get that bad name – plus we really care about our customers having a good experience. It’s not just about us, it’s about them.”
“We literally do not put anything in our builds that we don't trust, and that says something about how we value UES’s products,” Tiarni says.
