I appreciate the drive and focus of Donald Trump – his non-political correct, business type approach to politics is refreshing and long over-due. Books – loved the Art of War and from a “life factors” perspective; my father had a huge influence on helping to establish my persona and long-term goals and objectives.
It saddens me daily that he passed away before having the opportunity to see what has developed with Ultra Tune and various other companies I’ve founded over the years. I am buoyed by the fact that I know he’d be pleased with those career/professional achievements I’ve managed to achieve. Also and equally influential for me has been the birth of my three beautiful daughters and I wait with bated to see how their lives unfold going forward.
Ultra Tune has faced various challenges over the years, not the least of which being an adverse legal finding after a court case with the ACCC. I was overseas at the time for an extended period of time and unfortunately (my own fault), didn’t take an active enough role in the pending case.
As a consequence the company was issued with a hefty fine. This was an operational issue, that, once I returned to Australia was immediately rectified and, thankfully our clientele has seen it for what it was – a glitch in an otherwise stellar 40 years of operation. What it did show me was the need to keep my finger on the pulse of the organization at all time. The implications could have been catastrophic, however, being such a well established and credible company allowed us to ride this setback out and thereafter the company has comeback stronger and more effective than ever before.
What are some of the vital attributes, in your opinion, that every leader should possess?
Focus, goal-setting, follow the data, build relationships, employ expertise – listen to them, don’t micro-manage them and remember; the best predictor of the future is the past – learn from your mistakes and don’t make them again in the future.
This can be difficult there’s absolutely no doubt about it, however to me it comes down to priorities. As I get older – and probably a little less “hungry” from a professional perspective, I am taking more and more joy in becoming more involved with my kids. It is a big contrast for me.
My older daughters are now in their late teens and looking to establish their own careers – something I hope I’ll be able to help/influence them in so they (hopefully) don’t make the same mistakes as I did as a younger man. Inversely my youngest daughter is only two – watching her explore and learn about the world is a joy – seeing someone so young and unspoiled by society is wonderful. Being loved unconditionally by a little person like this fills my heart with happiness.
What is your greatest life achievement?
Behind my daughters? Taking a Ultra Tune which was on the verge of collapse and turning into Australia’s leading, independently owned after-sales automotive service network brings me joy on a daily basis professionally. I also own “Ultra Thoroughbreds” – a horse racing enterprise where we breed and race quality horses all over the world. Having bought and breed some of the most sort after horses in the world (e.g. Ms Andretti, Shamus Award and Nature Strip) has been an exciting and fulfilling experience.
I often like to tell people; “Ultra Tune is an IT company that just happens to service cars.” Obviously, our car servicing is our stock in trade, but where Ultra Tune has managed to stay ahead of the competition over the years is by reading market trends and staying ahead of the curve.
In the early days we did this by introducing “dyno-tuning” before anyone else, today we aim to stay ahead of the competition by building a state-of-the-art priority IT platform which handles each and every aspect of the business – from booking a service, to reviewing service records, to sending out reminders to clients that their next booking is due, to invoicing. Our system is world leading and provides both franchisees and clients with a seamless and complete service.
You either move with the times and evolve or you perish – just ask the dinosaurs!
What are the key benefits of buying the Ultra Tune Franchise?
We see Ultra Tune expanding rapidly over the next few years. There are some key changes occurring to legislation here in Australia in 2020 which will ultimately make for a far fairer playing field in the auto-servicing market. These legislative changes will likely see the involvement of dealerships in servicing contracting which will open up more opportunities for Ultra Tune across the country.
The recent closure of Holden here in Australia for example means independent service providers such as Ultra Tune will be filling the void for the servicing of Holden cars in the future.
When you consider
(a) the cost of acquiring an Ultra Tune franchise is very competitive
(b) Ultra Tune provides an end to end support to franchisees
(c) the cost of servicing a vehicle at an Ultra Tune store is, on average, 30% lower than the charge incurred at a dealership
(d) dealership numbers are decreasing – Ultra Tune’s future looks very appealing.
Valued Ultra Tune customers, please be assured Ultra Tune’s top priority is your, and our team members, safety.
If you’ve had recent contact with a confirmed COVID case, or if you are experiencing any COVID like symptoms, please do not attend any of our centres.
Ultra Tune workshops are following expert advice from the Australian and State Government Health Departments to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Here at Ultra Tune we’ve taken a range of precautionary measures across all of our workshops that include:
Comprehensive hygiene standards for all Ultra Tune team members, including washing and sanitising hands regularly.
Avoiding skin-to-skin contact.
Wearing gloves in customers’ cars and disinfecting surfaces such as door handles and the steering wheel.
Disinfecting after handling keys and cash.
Disinfecting areas of common use, such as our service counters.
Advising all Ultra Tune team members that those who are feeling unwell and/or have been in direct contact with someone who is unwell must follow self-isolation guidelines as issued by the Australian Government.
Requiring all Ultra Tue team members who have returned from overseas to not return to work before self-isolating for 14 days.
Paid, comprehensive interior vehicle sanitation programs – at certain centres across our network.
Ultra Tune will continue to monitor this situation closely and act quickly on the advice of the Australian and State Government health authorities adapting our COVID Safe protocols as necessary.
Ultra Tune’s vehicle sanitation program available from participating Ultra Tune stores across the country.Â
Using TGA and GEKA (no negative environmental ramifications) approved “Nanocyn” – this water-based, all natural, non-toxic disinfectant kills 99.999% of COVID19 within 30 seconds of contact with the virus.
Nanocyn has been tested by Boeing and Airbus – meeting and exceeding aviation requirements – for use within multi-million dollar aircraft.Â
You can rest assured, Nanocyn won’t adversely effect either your car’s interior or, more importantly, your and your family’s health. Keep yourself and your family safe.Â
IT’S two very different stories for a pair of Gold Coasters impacted by Melbourne’s lockdown – one stuck in a landmark high-rise, while the other lives it up on the Gold Coast.
Surfers Paradise’s Sean Buckley, owner of car repair and roadside assist giant Ultra Tune, has more recently been based in a Crown Casino apartment where he will see out Victoria’s six-week lockdown starting midnight Wednesday.
The entrepreneur shares custody of his two-year-old daughter but after lockdown ends, it will be six months since he’s seen two other teenage daughters on the Gold Coast.
“It’s half a year wasted without seeing them,” he said. “If they were to come down, it’ll be two weeks in quarantine then maybe a week with myself and their mum, then another two weeks of quarantine when they return home.
“That’s 28 days stuck in a hotel room and I’m not going to put them through that. We were hoping to see them soon, because their mother – who I’m no longer with but lives around the corner – is unwell.”
Gold Coast girl turned Melburnian Cheryl Sheppeard made it back to the Gold Coast to visit family just one week before the virus surge in Melbourne.
Cheryl Sheppeard said she was lucky to have travelled back to the Gold Coast before the outbreak spread in Victoria.
“I was able to return to Queensland on compassionate grounds last month,” she said.
“I see my family every month, but because of the borders it had been at least six months. I had actually moved my flight forward by a week and lucky I did, I may have been stuck.”
While her home in St Kilda isn’t a declared hot spot, surrounding suburbs are.
“I am considering moving back to the Gold Coast for good, it is a beautiful sunny and safe place to be at the moment.”
Here at Ultra Tune, we can’t get enough of a roadie! Whether it be a quick weekend trip, or a longer holiday, there is something so special about hitting the road and finding some space. In the current climate it’s not possible to travel so freely, but we thought it would be fun to highlight some of our favourite roadies to inspire you once we can all travel safely again.
Australia is known for it’s unreal landscape and this makes
a driving holiday all the more amazing. Whether you want the coast or mountains
or desert, there is something for everyone!
Here are our top 5 iconic and thrilling car journeys in Australia:
The Great Ocean Road – this is such an iconic drive and for good reason – the coastline in Victoria is just spectacular and awe inspiring. This roadie is perfect for a shorter trip; as you can drive it in a day. But a weekend would give you more time to explore the local beaches and towns. At the start of the road is Bells Beach which is popular with surfers for its beauty and dramatic surf. This stretch of road is famous for the 12 Apostles, huge limestone rocks which rise out of the sea and are located in Port Campbell National Park. Perfect for an all year round roadie, but especially great off season, as Summer is much more busy with tourists. At the end of the drive is Cape Otway Lighthouse – Australia’s oldest mainland lighthouse, and visit the Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre where you can learn about ancient aboriginal life.
The 12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road
East Coast of Tasmania – This stretch of coastline is just beautiful, including the famous Bay of Fires where the beaches have some of the whitest and finest sand in the world. Binalong Bay is a must see – it was voted the best beach in the world by Lonely Planet and for good reason. Another stunning beach here is Jeanneret Beach, framed by the orange linchen-coloured boulders which are famous in this conservation area. Another great stop on this trip would be Freycinet National Park which features the infamous Wineglass Bay. Starting in Hobart, you could easily drive up to the Bay of Fires in a long weekend but we recommend give yourself 5 days in order to really explore. You won’t want to leave!
Bay of Fires, TAS
Gibb River Road WA – This is an iconic 660km adventure and one for a longer trip, encompassing some of the most spectacular scenery Australia has to offer! It is only open outside of the wet season, and a 4WD is a must through this rugged Kimberley wilderness. Must sees on this trip are the Windjana National Park where there is a brilliant camping spot and swimming at Lennard Gorge. Also the El Questro Wilderness Park which takes you past the popular swimming spot at Durack River crossing, Jack’s Waterhole, the Cockburn Ranges and the outstanding Pentecost River. One for a longer trip, we recommend taking 2 weeks to really explore and relax.
Alice Springs to Uluru – This trip takes you to the red centre of Australia, with the magical Uluru taking centre stage. Alice Springs is the at the epicentre of the Explorers Way (a 3000-kilometre route from Adelaide to Darwin), and is the main hub for anyone looking to explore the Northern Territory’s outback. The beautiful landscape here is simply breathtaking, with indigenous dream trails and many places to camp under the stars. Our favourite spots include swimming at Ellery Creek Big Hole and Ormiston Gorge as well as hiking Mt Sonder.
Ellery Creek Big Hole, NT
Melbourne to Daylesford – This is a short day or weekend trip which is perfect for city dwellers to escape to the country. Driving out of Melbourne into this part of Victoria is so relaxing and when you get to Daylesford there are so many things to do. At it’s heart is Hepburn Springs, home to the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia with Hepburn Bathouse a calming oasis and a great place for a weekend retreat. Visit the Daylesford Lake for a walk around the jetty or you could hike a trail nearby such as the Goldfields Track. A short roadtrip out of the city but well worth it.
Lake Daylesford, VIC
Ultra Tune keeps you safe on the road! From car tuning, to roadside assist, we are never far away! Download our app, available on iTunes and Microsoft.
Our new Unexpected Situation has aired! Starring the one and only Pamela Anderson of course!
Here at Ultra Tune we are so proud of this ad and the hard work the team put into it. Working with an icon such as Pamela Anderson was truly brilliant, she was lovely and a lot of fun on set. Alongside Pamela Anderson, we also featured our much loved rubbergirls Parnia Porsche, Laura Lydall and Tyana Hansen as well as the legendary Warwick Capper.
Also making an appearance was our very own Rod Cedaro and we think you will agree it could be our best one yet?!
ULTRA TUNE SIGNS PAMELA ANDERSON FOR LATEST IN THE SERIES OF UNEXPECTED SITUATIONS TELEVISION COMMERCIALS (TVC’s) AND PAMELA CHALLENGES SCOTT MORRISON TO STAND UP FOR JULIAN ASSANGE
Ultra Tune Auto Service network, recently signed iconic Baywatch actress and animal activist; Pamela Anderson to star in their latest incarnation of their “Unexpected Situations” series of television commercials.
Photo credit – David Fierro
Ultra Tune Executive Director, Sean Buckley stated Pamela is a perfect fit for our brand. She’s sassy, smart, funny, beautiful and a true crusader for women’s rights. Some of our commercials have been called “sexist” and “out of touch” supposedly portraying women in an out-dated manner as “victims” with men always “saving” them. Some have even been banned after complaints to Ad Standards from a verbal minority of politically correct zealots. So we thought, let’s tip this on its head. This time Pamela will be the hero, Pamela will take charge. Let’s see if the politically correct brigade still get their knickers in a knot when a woman saves the day?!
Ms Anderson is expected to be in Australia for filming in the later part of 2019, with the new TVC expected to first air in conjunction with the 2020 Australian Tennis Open and Big Bash Cricket. I enjoy traveling to Australia. I’ve watched the previous Unexpected Situation commercials. I see them for what they are; tongue in cheek hyper-reality and comedic. Having seen the concept for this next edition of Unexpected Situations, I think this will take the comedy to a whole new level. What is also important to me about this visit is the opportunity to speak to the Australian people and petition Prime Minister Morrison to intervene on behalf of Australian citizen, Julian Assange, who is being made a scapegoat of and suffered inhumanely for disseminating factual information we all should know about. Mr Morrison made a series of personally, disparaging remarks about me and I’d like to challenge him to debate this matter in front of the Australian people.
When pressed as to what the next TVC will be about Mr. Buckley was somewhat candid and coy. Pamela will feel right at home location wise for this shoot. She’ll be joined by some familiar faces including the Rubber Girls, Warwick “the Wiz” Capper and our Roadside Assistance guy, but this time we’re going to dial the drama (and comedy) up and rely on Pamela to save the day.
Ultra Tune is Australia’s leading, independently owned after-sales automotive service provider with some 270 franchise stores across Australia.
For more information contact Ultra Tune National Marketing Manager Rod Cedaro at rodc@team.ultratune.com.au or on 0419390318
To discuss interviewing Ms. Anderson during her visit to Australia please contact her manager Matthew Berritt at matthew@pamelaandersonfoundation.org or call + 1 305 3103210
