“This Award endorses our efforts on behalf of our customers in Queensland over many years,” says Julian Gurney, Director of Sales for Scania Bus and Power Solutions.

“Our Account Manager for Queensland, Brian Thompson, has built up a substantial customer base through his hard work, industry knowledge and innate understanding of exactly what we as a chassis and complete bus and coach supplier need to do to win over customers.

“Our approach has always been to provide a complete ownership solution that looks after the customer from the ordering of the vehicle throughout the ownership process and this has been warmly welcomed across the state and across the spectrum of bus owners and operators,” Julian says. “We thank QBIC for this recognition. It will inspire us to go further for our customers in the years ahead.”

Brian Thompson has been the Scania Queensland Account Manager for buses and coaches for more than 10 years, and has built up a substantial network of customers in that time, from family run operations to national fleet operators.

“We are gratified to have been recognised by our industry peers, especially given the impact of the COVID years that really hit the industry hard. We strove to support our customers during the lockdowns and the absence of inbound tourism, while at the same time working towards a number of solutions to assist in the reduction of exhaust emissions,” Brian says.

“Scania’s holistic approach to the bus industry, cradle-to-the-grave if you like, means that we’re able to assist at all stages of the ownership cycle, and critically, we think it is our desire to understand our customer’s business and supply a tailored solution that has been the key to our success.

“We have introduced two ideally suited Scania school and charter bus solutions, the ready-built Scania-Higer A30 and the Scania Touring into the market, which has been the right product at the right time,” he says.

“Our one-stop ownership programme means customers can have confidence in total operating economy, driver training, Scania Finance packages, as well as our repair and maintenance contracts, relieving them of the need to run their own workshops,” Brian says.

According to the QBIC Supplier of the Year nomination, the company has: “consistently demonstrated reliability in delivering high-quality products and services, meeting and often exceeding the expectations of our organisation. Their dedication to providing innovative solutions, especially tailored for the Australian market, has significantly enhanced the efficiency and competitiveness of our operations.

“The partnership with Scania has not only been characterised by product excellence but also by a proactive and collaborative approach. Their responsive communication, flexibility in adapting to market dynamics, and continuous efforts to improve service delivery have made them an invaluable partner in our supply chain.”