While maintaining side loaders for clients in the early 1990s, Mobicon System's Tom Schults had the thought; "there must be a better way of loading containers than this?" That thought triggered an interest in container handling.

With a background in Automotive and Mechanical Engineering for large fleets at F&H Transport followed by time at TNT as a Fleet Manager during its earlier days as a large transport company, Tom was in a unique position, understanding the needs of these logistics companies in terms of how their containers were handled, loaded and unloaded.

At this point Tom asked himself; "in 20 years, will we still be doing this the way we're doing it now? No? Well then it may as well be me who invents this something new".

With the right knowledge, education, experience and background as well as being in the right spot to understand the requirements, Tom knew he could find a better, cheaper and more efficient way. And so began the beginnings of an idea. Firstly Tom worked at trying to improve a side loader, but that idea was unsuccessful, it wasn't going to change the world of container handling. Then, while trying to sleep after too much coffee one night, he thought 'hey!' and the idea of the Mobicon Straddle Carrier was born.

Knowing that market research would need to be done before bringing the idea to life, while understanding that in his current employment position the task would have to be undertaken by someone else, Tom recruited his wife. After teaching her all about the Mobicon, its features and benefits, out she went to see people in the logistics industry to see what they thought and the responses were overwhelmingly positive.

From here Tom started a new company, Mobicon Systems in 1994. In 1995 he resigned from TNT to work solely on the development of the Mobicon.

There was no money for development so Tom spoke to contacts and family who became investors as well as A&S Steel and a local Engineering company; Techniplan, all who agreed to donate their time and skills and be paid if and when the first Mobicon was sold. From here, Tom started designing and building the first Mobicon as a one-man show. And his contacts at A&S Steel gave him permission to build the prototype on their property.

Unfortunately the first prototype didn't steer, drive or brake properly.
After mulling over some of the problems with no answer in sight, Tom still recalls driving to the opera with his wife one night and having a "light bulb moment" where the solutions came to him out of the blue, like all great creative moments are known to do.

What followed were many modifications and tests and the first finished model was ready for market in 1997. At this point Tom spoke to contacts from his days at F&H Transport about trialing the machine in their yard. They agreed, and after 2 weeks they were so pleased that they didn't want to let it go. They bought the machine then and there and to date Tom recalls it as the easiest sale he ever made.

From that point Mobicon Systems moved from strength to strength providing solutions to the logistics industry all over Australia with the first international model sold into New Zealand in 2000, followed by South Africa in 2006. Now Mobicon Systems have machines in the UK, Japan, PNG, Angola, Mozambique and the USA.

Mobicon Systems also won the contract to provide a purpose-built Mobicon for the new United States Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project. This Mobicon was desiged to specific requirements being more maneuverable and lighter than any other container handlers worldwide in order to move around the hull of the LCS efficiently and effectively. First delivery of the Mobicon to the USA was completed in 2008 and this relationship continues to date.

In 2012-2013 15% of Mobicon sales are international with the rest sold into the Australian market, however Tom predicts that 2013 will see more international activity. To date, they have never initiated the international sale of a Mobicon; these global companies have sought out Mobicon Systems as being able to provide the solution they needed. 2013 will see Mobicon Systems launch a brand new international web platform to stimulate the international market further.

Mr Schults says; "We are ready to release the machine all over the world. What's that saying... it takes 15 years to become an overnight success?"

Please contact
Colin Francis or Tom Schults
email: send us a message
web: www.mobiconsystems.com/
Phone: +61 7 3811 5049
Fax: +61 7 3881 1914

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